After reading the threads on this forum, the collapse of Mr. Unthank's crusade against the Watchtower Society seems to have some people riled up. I haven't followed the outworking of events that led up to the case's dismissal by the public prosecutor.
I did notice that there was a formal motion to charge the "faithful and discreet slave" and prosecute this entity as "corporate accused.”
According to the Watchtower society, “the faithful and discreet slave” is the earthly (physical) aspect of spiritual order (a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation) anointed by God that shares in the direction of his people and will ascend to immortality in a supernatural realm upon their demise.
Just as all members of ancient Israel formed one “servant,” so also all anointed Christians on earth at any one time form one “faithful and discreet slave.” Watchtower 11/01/2007
The Watchtower Society isn't the first religion to incorporate the idea that an order of deities and transcendent humans exercise authority over their subordinates. This belief is common in esoteric organizations.
In magical orders, the “secret chiefs” is a spiritual hierarchy responsible for overseeing the operations of esoteric organizations. Several occultists claimed to belong to or to have contacted these supernatural beings and made these communications known to others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Order_of_the_Golden_Dawn
The Golden Dawn system was based on hierarchy and initiation like the Masonic Lodges; however women were admitted on an equal basis with men. The "Golden Dawn" was the first of three Orders, although all three are often collectively referred to as the "Golden Dawn". The First Order taught esoteric philosophy based on the Hermetic Qabalah and personal development through study and awareness of the four Classical Elements as well as the basics of astrology, tarot divination, and geomancy. The Second or "Inner" Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (the Ruby Rose and Cross of Gold), taught proper magic, including scrying, astral travel, and alchemy. The Third Order was that of the "Secret Chiefs", who were said to be highly skilled; they supposedly directed the activities of the lower two orders by spirit communication with the Chiefs of the Second Order.
A person has to rely on an organization's religious beliefs to define the respective roles of an organization's spiritual hierarchy and thus may have limited or no relevance in a legal proceeding. If you attempt to charge an organization's spiritual hierarchy with a crime in a legal proceeding, you may just end up chasing a bunch of ghosts, because the entity has no formal identity in a secular court.
An interesting aspect of the “faithful and discreet slave” is its formal identity is limited in scope even within Jehovah's organization. There's no formal appointment to the “faithful and discreet slave's” membership status by anyone in the organization. There's no membership list held by anyone at Bethel headquarters of those that comprise “the faithful and discreet slave.” This has something to do with why the Watchtower society's lawyers stated they do not exist as an "incorporated body," nor do they exist as a tangible "body" of Christians subject to prosecution, but as a “theological arrangement.”
For future reference, if there's a decision to prosecute the Watchtower society by any person(s), it may be best to issue a formal injunction that's definitive in a court of law.
Being adapted to modern conditions and requirements and being obliged to render to Caesar Caesar’s things, the visible theocratic organization today has a legally established service agency, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, incorporated in 1884 under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania, United States of America. (Matt. 22:21) It is with this legal corporation that the governing body of the “faithful and discreet slave” class is closely associated for administrative, legal and publishing purposes, to see that “this good news of the kingdom” is preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations. Watchtower 09/01/1954
I don't know why this case against the Watchtower society collapsed, but waging theocratic warfare in a secular court didn't help any. That does nothing but weaken the credibility of the prosecution.
Mr. Unthank and Theocratic Warfare
by Celestial 5 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Celestial
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mind blown
More WTS twisting and spinning.......you can spin it anyway you want.....one day it's all going to come crashing down....."the higher they climb, the harder they fall"........
*No formal appointment?
"For 19 centuries there was only the one calling, the heavenly one, with Jehovah being very selective as to who would serve with his Son to make up the Kingdom government. Many would be invited but only a precious few chosen. (Matthew 22:2, 14) In time the prescribed but limited number of 144,000 would be reached. After this no more would be anointed by holy spirit as witness that they had the heavenly hope, unless, in a rare occurrence, the unfaithfulness of one of the remaining 'chosen ones' made a replacement necessary." Watchtower 1982 Feb 15 p.30
*No membership list held at Bethel?
Yes, there is membership list. It's called a head count of memorial takers which is kept at Bethel and is also printed in the yearbook. Otherwise how would they know if it has decreased or not?
"… the number of anointed ones on the earth has decreased over the decades … "
Watchtower Feb 15 2009Number of Partakers at the 2010 Memorial Service
2009 - 10857
2010 - 11202
As you can see, the numbers of partakers is increasing.
For information purposes only:
1935 52465
1936 24850
1937
1938 39225
1939 29385
1940 27711
1941 23989
1942 24035
1943 23577
1944 22648
1945 22328
1946 27587
1947 26449
1948 25395
1949 24312
1950 22723
1951 21619
1952 20221
1953 19183
1954 17884
1955 16815
1956 16302
1957 15628
1958 15037
1959 14511
1960 13911
1961 13284
1962 12714
1963 12292
1964 11953
1965 11550
1966 11266
1967 1098
11968 10619
1969 10368
1970 10500
1971 10384
1972 10350
1973 10523
1974 10723
1975 10550
1976 10187
1977 10080
1978 9762
1979 9727
1980 9564
1981 9601
1982 9529
1983 9292
1984 9081
1985 9051
1986 8927
1987 8808
1988 8685
1989 8734
1990 8869
1991 8850
1992 8683
1993 8693
1994 8617
1995 8645
1996 8757
1997 8795
1998 8756
1999 8755
2000 8661
2001 8730
2002 8760
2003 8565
2004 8570
2005 8524
2006 8758
2007 9105
2008 9986
2009 10857
2010 11202*“faithful and discreet slave” is its formal identity is limited in scope? nor do they exist as a tangible "body" ?
"OVERWHELMING CREDENTIALS
The "faithful and discreet slave" has abundant credentials. Following is a partial list of Scriptural and prophetic designations applying to or being represented in the remnant of Jesus Christ's anointed followers since the notable year 1919:" Watchtower 1981 Mar 1 p.27
"If all the anointed as a group, no matter where on earth they live, are members of the slave class, who are the "domestics"? They are the same anointed ones but considered from a different viewpoint-as individuals. Yes, as individuals they would be of the "slave" or they would be "domestics," depending on whether they were dispensing spiritual food or partaking of it. To illustrate: As recorded at 2 Peter 3:15, 16, the apostle Peter makes reference to Paul's letters. When reading them, Peter would be as one of the domestics feeding on the spiritual food provided by Paul as a representative of the slave class."Watchtower 1995 May 15 p.16
When the time comes to clarify a spiritual matter in our day, holy spirit helps responsible representatives of “the faithful and discreet slave” at world headquarters to discern deep truths that were not previously understood. (Matt. 24:45; 1 Cor. 2:13) The Governing Body as a whole considers adjusted explanations. (Acts 15:6) What they learn, they publish for the benefit of all."Watchtower 2010 Jul 15 pp.22,23aul's letters. When reading them, Peter would be as one of the domestics feeding on the spiritual food provided by Paul as a representative of the slave class."Watchtower 1995 May 15 p.16
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Celestial
This isn't “WTS twisting and spinning.” I just voiced an opinion based on what I've been exposed to.
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mind blown
Point taken
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slimboyfat
For future reference, if there's a decision to prosecute the Watchtower society by any person(s), it may be best to issue a formal injunction that's definitive in a court of law.
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TimothyT
From my own personal perspective, the idea that the 'faithful slave' exists and is a group of men known as Jehovahs Witnesses, and take their name from Matthew 24 is actually a load of rubbish! The scriptural basis for such a teaching is based purely on an illustration given by Jesus. The JW disdredit the idea of Hell as it is based on an illustration too. Why one rule for that and not the same for this?
In the end, the bible is quite clear anyway that it is through faith and belief in Jesus that we are saved. Organised religion should not come in to it. It should merely be used to help us in that goal.
Timmy x