2011 Convention Theme
by dozy 33 Replies latest watchtower bible
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fedup
"Let God's Kingdom Come... Oh Please Dear God Let it Come"
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sir82
Huh?
I thought it came in 1914.
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Witness My Fury
It did only it was invisible and only the bible savvy could detect it... next time it will be wearing a cloaking device, all but invisible when still but if it moves you'll be able to see that sucker for sure. Now get out there and tell the masses you slackers....
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punkofnice
has the 'overlapping' stopped then? What date this time? 2075?
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Ironic that the Old English "to let" ( Etymology 2) actually means "to hinder, prevent".
The "to let" definition "to cause" is mostly out of date.
Even the contemporary definition "to allow" doesn't fit, a more active verb is needed. Is God's Kingdom only going to come if people "allow" it to come?
KJV is more direct with "thy kingdom come".
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sir82
Of course the real theme is unchanged from every convention of the past 50 or so years...
"We speak for GOD! For God, do you hear us!?! Bow before us, submit and obey, you miserable worms, or we'll tell Jehovah to fry your eyeballs, and your childrens' eyeballs, at Armageddon! Which is coming soon, by the way! No, really - this time we mean it!!!"
Of course that doesn't fit well on a label badge, so every year they go with "Plan B"....
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Quendi
A couple of years ago I remember sharing with a JW friend of mine this sentiment. "If ever the end was coming soon," I remarked, "then surely it would have done so in the span of 1989 to 1991. Look what happened during those years. Communism collapsed in Europe, apartheid ended in South Africa, the Communist leadership of China nearly lost control of their country, and the Soviet Union imploded. People were shouting 'Peace and Security!' at the top of their lungs. I expected the sky to split open any day during those years and Armageddon to commence. But nothing happened, did it?" The look on my friend's face was interesting. For a fleeting moment he seemed to consider the possibility that the WTS was not to be trusted, but he quickly dismissed that thought and started parroting the party line.
Just yesterday I had a JW friend tell me that he thinks the current unrest sweeping through North Africa and Southwest Asia might be an indication that the end is 'right around the corner.' I let him talk but thought to myself, "Here they go again!" I'm sure my friend isn't the only Witness hoping and praying that the present upheavals in the Muslim world are some kind of dress rehearsal for the end. But their hopes are doomed to disappointment. I'm sure that as tempting as it may be for the WTS to use the current crises as a pretext to believe Armageddon is nigh, the 1975 experience may well prompt the Society to keep its mouth shut and not even bring them up at next summer's conventions.
The one or two contacts I still have in the organization tell me that Witnesses are growing tired and worn out. Sure, there are the fairy-tale experiences breathlessly relayed in the publications and from the platform that briefly set hearts aglow, but the truth of the matter is that such experiences are few and far between. Many Witnesses, especially those living in developed nations, can't relate to them anymore because they don't see them happening in their own lands and local territories. The Society's own statistics show that growth is slowing and even contracting in the developed world. Hence the cry that the kingdom is near as a means to reinvigorate flagging interest. Nor should we be surprised at attempts made to make present-day problems look like fulfillment of Bible prophecy. But it is all in vain.
The WTS's efforts remind me of the exertions made by the prophets of Baal in their contest with Elijah. Despite their shouting and putting on of grand appearances, they did not get the reply they hoped for. "But there was no voice, and there was no one answering," 1 Kings 18:26 tells us. The same will prove true for the Governing Body of the WTS.
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hamsterbait
Get out your umberellas.
HB
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free2beme
Translates in to REALITY ENGLISH to be ...
"Let us stop looking like Chicken Little and end this place already, as people are exiting in masses and our only hope of growth is the children we have and brainwash. So please, let us look like real prophets and not fools."