Bookmarked
The Faithful and Discreet Slave - A JW Myth
by 00DAD 92 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
MrDarkKnight
This is a great thread. But ever since I was 16 I had trouble with Matthew 24:45. I just did not buy it. I had a real bright young man that I studied the Bible with back in 1982. He was drinking the kool aid until we got Matthew 24:45. He did not buy it because he sensed that I could not sell it because I did not buy it either.
Here is the question I have always had: If 144,000 is the literal number of those going to heaven are you telling me that over 2,000 year period God could not find 70 or so good Christians a year to fill that number? Seriously? Really? For real?
And I thought the number was supposed to go DOWN as the end drew near. Why has it swelled from 8,000 to 11,000? Why doesn't the GB reach out and talk to these people? Why do they avoid them and call the newer partakers new or unbalanced?
-
thetrueone
When one looks at the many self created and imposing proclamations made by the WTS/JWs, these are all attempts to solidify
a state of viability around the organization. These elements of propaganda worked well for the organization as it had the effect of mentally locking
people toward the organization itself for exploitation purposes.
The basic marketing scheme was proclaim the world is going to be destroyed soon, when god will place judgment on to all mankind .
Then proclaim the WTS. publishing house is god's own specially chosen earthly organization, that has vital information and guidance to save yours
and everybody else's lives and there you have it, a high controlling manipulating and exploiting religious cult.
The Watchtower Corporation
Faithfully Indiscreet Scam .......done with a presenting layer of religious virtuosity
-
00DAD
jwfacts: thanks for the references you shared. In particular, the quote from the Branch Organization Manual was interesting. I always suspected this was the case but until now never knew for sure.
So, a clearer picture is emerging:
IF the FDS is a "composite body" "of the anointed ones living on earth at any given time" and "as a composite body the slave class is responsible for feeding the spiritual household", in fact, it is BY DEFINITION the providing to the "domestics" " their food at the proper time" which is the alleged PROOF that they are in fact the FDS; THEN, the fact that of the approximately 11,202 professed anointed ones on earth (give or take a few "mentally imbalanced" ones) 11,195 of them are NOT involved in the Spiritual Feeding in any way, shape or form, the inevitable conclusion is that BY DEFINITION they could NOT possibly be the FDS because they do not DO that which is, again BY DEFINITION, the proof of who they claim to be.
The GB then is reduced to the position of being "responsible representatives" of error and a lie.
Wish I could put that more succinctly. Maybe that's why--although I always had this vague, gnawing uncertainty about this doctrine--I didn't see it that way before. I'll have to work on that!
-
00DAD
- Blondie: "I knew quite a few of those considered the FDS, jws who declared themselves anointed once a year by partaking at the Memorial. I would always ask if they were consulted about new information. They would say that they found out when I did when I received the new publications and that included those at Bethel and on the GB."
This is perfect! Within the paradigm of the WTBTS' FDS doctrine, the anointed are the "domestics" when they RECEIVE the spiritual food individually. They are only part of the FDS "composite body" when they participate in the GIVING of the "food at the proper time" (FATPT).
No giving, no FDS. It's really as simple as that.
As Blondie points out, they have no role at all in the preparation, let alone the providing of the "FATPT". Heck, they aren't even "consulted about new information"!
I realize that this is only anecdotal evidence, but so far no one has been able to produce a single shred of evidence to the contrary.
-
thetrueone
The arrangement as I remember is that the leaders of the organization proclaim that the whole entirety of the
organization is the FDSL and they are just the GB of this identifying organization.
This also includes the anointed class.
But god's guiding holy spirit utilizes the GB as a direct channel and then this spiritual food gets poured out the the rest of the flock.
As the Church Lady used to say " Isn't that convenient "
-
00DAD
I just started reading Captives of a Concept by Don Cameron. Really an interesting read!
He really deconstructs the FDS illusion by showing how the beliefs the WT had at the alleged "time of Christ's inspection", 1918 - 1919, differ radically from what their beliefs are now. He analyzed 48 different beliefs to support this analysis. His conclusion is essentially that if they were right then, they should not have changed any beliefs; but if they are right now, then Christ would not have chosen them for teaching falsehood and error. Either way, they lose.
Also, they were either 40 years too early or 29 years too late as Russell first taught that Christ returned in 1874 and that Armageddon would occur in 1914. The belief that His "invisible presence" happened/began in 1914 wasn't officially changed until 1943.*
In this thread we have been looking at the question of whether the FDS actually have any involvement in the "spiritual feeding". So far, no one has come up with any evidence that they do. In fact, the quotes from the WT that we've considered indicate the opposite. The conclusion is that, if the anointed have no involvement in the feeding, then by definition they then cannot be the FDS! I don't know if Cameron deals with this as I'm only about 1/2 through the book yet. I'll keep you posted ...
Daniel
* There are some comments in some publications in the '30s that show the Society (Rutherford) was leaning this way, but that was still more than 15 years AFTER the fact. Either way, during the time of Christ's inspection, 1918-1919, they teaching was that he returned in 1874.
-
MrMonroe
The teaching during "the time of Christ's inspection" was also that Russell was the faithful and discreet slave.
The WTS now teaches that the FDS has always existed, passing on the baton of uncorrupted truth down through the years. Ray Franz raised a major problem with this teaching.
The doctrines of the WTS were built on the independent study of CT Russell. He consulted with no members of a faithful slave class. Therefore the "unbroken line" ends right there. When Rutherford sacked the majority fo the board of directors in 1917 to force through a Watchtower article he had written, which members of the faithful slave did he consult with?
-
Leolaia
Also noteworthy is the fact that David Splane in his talk "Remain in the Secret Place of the Most High" at the 2010 DC referred to Rutherford as "a prominent member of the Governing Body" (link, 40:25), which is pure historical revisionism since the GB as a theocratic body did not yet exist in Rutherford's day and leadership of the Society was not shared with a body but rested personally with Rutherford himself:
"We feel that it is but the least thing we could do to manifest our gratitude for such favor, by acknowledging and seeking to encourage the one who, in Jehovah's great providence, is set as our earthly leader. With no desire to give flattering titles to any man, we believe that we honor the Lord when we say we have been blessed through our beloved president, president of the Lord's 'instrument', the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, of which to be a part we count it a glorious privilege" (Watchtower, 4/1/1931, p. 110).
"Be it resolved that we, heretofore known as International Bible Students, assembled in convention at Detroit, Michigan, on this second day of August, 1931, unanimously adopt and confirm the resolution passed at the Columbus convention, to wit: That henceforth we shall be known as Jehovah's witnesses, name which we recognize as coming from Jehovah God....We rejoice in this greatly, as it further confirms our faith and confidence that Jehovah God is supervising the affairs of the WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY, and is guiding Brother Rutherford, its president, in directing the Lord's work throughout the whole earth" (Watchtower, 9/15/1931, p. 235)
"Jehovah's people see that the Lord has but one organization on earth and that the responsibility rests upon the office at Brooklyn to see that the organization is properly organized and works harmoniously. The policy of the Society in all matters is established by the president" (Director, October 1935, p. 1).
"The president of the Society, upon whom the responsibility rested for the management thereof, tried these professed ones and found them unfaithful...When the test came upon the church in 1917 and 1918 many of those who had been leaders in the church dropped out and they were no longer permitted by the Lord to hold forth their lamp-stand or candlestick" (Watchtower, 2/15/1937, p. 62).
"We recognize that the Lord has placed special responsibility upon Brother Rutherford as the president of the WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, and that the Lord has given to him a special measure of his spirit whereby he has been enabled to serve the people of the Lord, that is, his brethren, in an unselfish manner, and has so been able to help them to fulfill their covenant obligations to the Highest faithfully" (Watchtower, 11/1/1939, p. 335)
"The Theocracy is the promised administration of earth's affairs by Jehovah God, the Creator, through the King appointed for that purpose, Christ Jesus....The Theocracy is at present administered by the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY, of which Judge Rutherford is the president and general manager" (Consolation, 9/4/1940, p. 25)
"Since the days of Jesus, the Lord God has had no visible earthly leader of His organization. We recognize that Jehovah has an orderly and systematic way of carrying on His work, according to His will, and the law of the land properly requires that someone occupy the office of president of the Society, which Society is used by His people under the direction of Christ Jesus, God's anointed King and our Leader" (Watchtower, 2/13/1942, p. 62)
"Jehovah's witnesses bear identification cards with the signature of the president of the Society. Such, however, is merely to identify them in case of investigation to prove they are true representatives of the Society" (Watchtower, 4/1/1942, p. 105)
"Instructions come to the Lord's people on earth from the office of the President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society" (1943 Yearbook, pp. 226-227).The GB was formally designated as a spiritual body in 1944.
-
MrDarkKnight
@Leolaia I love your posts! You are a great researcher.