WT lashes out on Apostates

by mankkeli 12 Replies latest jw experiences

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  mankkeli

  This is taken fro WT 1983 4/1

  "Some who once served as Jehovah’s Witnesses have rejected various Scriptural views based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles. For instance, they insist that we are not living in the “last days,” despite overwhelming evidence that we are. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) These apostates ‘have gone out from us because they were not of our sort.’ (1 John 2:18, 19) Hence, they no longer have fellowship with loyal anointed witnesses of Jehovah and their companions, and therefore these self-seeking heretics have no “sharing” with the Father and the Son, no matter how much they may boast of having intimacy with God and Christ. Instead, they are in spiritual darkness. (1 John 1:3, 6) Lovers of light and truth must take a firm stand against these promoters of false teaching. In no way do loyal witnesses of Jehovah want to be accomplices in the “wicked deeds” of such unfaithful persons by supporting their ungodly words and activities in any manner. Rather, may we “put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.”—Jude 3, 4, 19."

  Is it appropriate to judge apostates as being in spiritual darkness?
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  Think About It

  This was interesting looking back in retrospect to the WTS's banging on Apostates back in 1983. Almost 30 years later, and the "Apostates" were correct that 1983 was not the "last days'. Also, JW apostates were hated by the WTS because they didn't believe exactly as them, yet look at how many WTS beliefs have changed since 1983.

  What a cult.

  Think About It
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  Quendi

  It is interesting to me that this piece appeared nearly ten years after the Great Disappointment of 1975 and three years after Ray Franz and Ed Dunlop were exiled from Bethel. The organization has always taken a hard line on dissidents going all the way back to Joseph Rutherford's day. But it was easy to denounce them in the pre-Internet days because the Society could use the catch-all term "apostates" without naming either them or their writings/teachings. So rank and file Witnesses like me fully believed what was printed in the literature because we had nowhere else to turn for alternative versions of events.

  Matters are otherwise now. The Society has discovered to its dismay that printed denunciations and fulminations from speakers' platforms have not been enough to prevent Witnesses from coming in contact with its "opposers". They have lost control of the debate and find themselves in the unenviable position of scrambling reactionaries instead of proactive leaders. Let's keep them on the run until they run out of gas!

  Quendi
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  NewChapter

  Hmmmmm sounds like a direct jab at Ray Franz. Not living in the last days? Didn't Ray bring out the 607 bce problem? No matter how much they boast intimacy with God and Christ??? Didn't Franz remain extremely spiritual and believe that everyone could partake?

  Now that I know some of the story leading up to this, I believe it is a thinly veiled attack on Ray Franz.

  NC
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  ziddina

  Good grief...

  The number of lies and hypocrisy in that small amount of text from the 1983 Watchtower is overwhelming!!

  "...they insist that we are not living in the “last days,” despite overwhelming evidence that we are....."

  Really? Just exactly what is this "overwhelming" evidence???

  "These apostates ‘have gone out from us because they were not of our sort..."

  Nooooo, they were kicked out, often just for having ANY doubts about the Governing Body's divine right to lead, and their still-Jehovah's-Witness family and friends were told to have nothing to do with them....

  "...Hence, they no longer have fellowship with loyal anointed witnesses of Jehovah and their companions..."

  Not by THEIR choice... They would love to still be able to interact with family and friends, who are forbidden to do so on pain of disfellowshipping by order of the Governing Body...

  "...therefore these self-seeking heretics have no “sharing” with the Father and the Son...."

  The definition of "self-seeking" being, those who do not obey the edicts of the Governing Body, even when those edicts [FREQUENTLY] conflict with actual bible teachings....

  "...no matter how much they may boast of having intimacy with God and Christ...."

  A direct slap-in-the-face to any and all who have sought out other means of learning about the bible and doing the bible god's will... And inaccurate, for one sees more "fruits of the spirit" from churches who support charitable works than from the Watchtower Corporation whose only interest is in lining their own pockets...

  "...Instead, they are in spiritual darkness..."

  Uhm, 'kangaroo' courts called "judicial committeees", sheltering pedophiles, breaking up families, and causing peoples' deaths by flip-flopping edicts on medical treatments, is ALSO "spiritual darkness"... Watchtower Corporation has absolutely NO room to speak of others as being in 'darkness'...

  "...In no way do loyal witnesses of Jehovah want to be accomplices in the “wicked deeds” of such unfaithful persons by supporting their ungodly words and activities in any manner. ..."

  Ah, the way that the Watchtower Corporation participates in worldly association with the likes of RandCam, hedge funds, membership in the U.N. - er, CONTINUING membership in the U.N., college degrees for the elite few while the "Rank&File" are strongly discouraged from obtaining higher education, investments in tobacco companies, and on and on and on....

  Hypocrites!!!!
• 

  WTWizard

  Clear evidence, my eye. They had "clear evidence" that the end was fast approaching--in 1969. People in high school then were not supposed to grow old in this system, yet most of them are near retirement. The "clear evidence(??)" was that the end was supposed to happen by the end of 1975. The end came--but only for the year 1975. The year 1976 came without incident once that happened.

  They are still playing that game. The end was supposed to be at hand in 2006 and 2007. The waste of paper distribution campaign in October 2006 was supposed to have brought upon the Great Tribulation. It is now 5 years later. Where is the Great Tribulation? Certainly, it was not "at hand". And I don't want to hear "It will happen in Jehovah's time". I operate in MY time, not Jehovah's--so, if things don't happen in MY time, they are not going to do me any good. To me, "at hand" means within a few months at longest, not several years and still counting.
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  designs

  'The End Is Close' 1966 'The End Is Close' 2011 I look in the mirror and I see a lot of grey that wasn't there as a teenager in 66.
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  sizemik

  I believe it is a thinly veiled attack on Ray Franz.

  I tend to agree . . . not just Ray . . . but all those who ended up on the wrong end of the "cleansing" . . . it was quite a rucus . . . especially in the Bethel . . . and no doubt left many confused and wondering. It's not the first time the "management" has publically 'alluded' to dissenters in the publications . . . Rutherford did it on more than one occasion. It's their way of reassuring that they are still in control and that all is well.
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  Vanderhoven7

  booked
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  punkofnice

  "Some (weasel word) who once served (implying they no longer wish to be of help to others) as Jehovah’s Witnesses have rejected (negative word) various Scriptural views (what specifically? Why not explain?) based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles (for this substitute WBT$ - this is an example of ‘appeal to authority’) . For instance, they insist (how many out of 100?) that we are not living in the “last days,” despite overwhelming evidence (hasty overgeneralization with no evidence. Sadly the evidence the WBT$ gives is UNDERwhelming and full of false predictions) that we are. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) (carry on reading from vs 6 to 7 for a description of the WBT$) These apostates (loaded language) ‘have gone out from us because they were not of our sort.’ (1 John 2:18, 19) (appeal to authority to prove a hasy overgeneralization without fully analyzing the specific reasons) Hence, they no longer have fellowship with loyal anointed witnesses of Jehovah and their companions, (appeal to authority, appeal to fear) and therefore these self-seeking heretics (ad hominem) have no “sharing” with the Father and the Son, (appeal to authority, appeal to fear) no matter how much they may boast (ad hominem, straw man) of having intimacy with God and Christ. Instead, they are in spiritual darkness. (1 John 1:3, 6) (appeal to authority, appeal to fear) Lovers of light and truth must take a firm stand against these promoters of false teaching. (The Us vs: Them ‘preacher’s ‘’we’’’, hasty overgeneralization, ad hominem) In no way do loyal (implying you are bad if you do not agree) witnesses of Jehovah (appeal to authority, appeal to fear) want to be accomplices (appeal to fear implying criminal activity) in the “wicked deeds” (ad hominem) of such unfaithful (ad hominem) persons by supporting their ungodly (ad hominem) words and activities in any manner. Rather, may we “put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.”—Jude 3, 4, 19." (A big ‘straw man’ paragraph loaded with propaganda stunts – another guilt, fear, phobia trip with ‘Us vs: Them’ to galvanize the rank and file against an imaginary enemy)

  I’ve noticed on blogs and the like where JDubs rabbit on about ‘apostates’, they have no specific examples of what ‘apostates’ are about. They usually resort to hasty overgeneralizations in fantasy to feel unified with other dubs and keep the WBT$ dream alive.