by braincleaned 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I remember very clearly in my "hearing" (I've forgotten the term) that the elder reverently spoke of how unified the witnesses are and that they stand politically apart from the world and that is how that showed them to have the truth. I looked at him a little squiff and said "hold on, didn't Jesus say that you will know my disciples by the love they have amongst themselves?" ....
I'm sure there are breakaways, but that they are small and unknown.
If you were an atheist who started to believe in God, would you form a group called "Atheist Believers in God"? Once you have seen that the WTS is wrong, why would you continue to follow their structure or identify with them, regardless of what direction your new beliefs led you in? Ex-JWs who become atheists tend to hang with other atheists, not set up a special breakaway branch of JW-ism for atheists. Ex-JWs who become orthodox (small o) Christians tend to join churches, not set up new groups as breakaways. Anyone who starts a breakaway group really hasn't broken away, in my opinion.
There were several branches that split off in early 1900's, 1918 with rutherford took over, and 1931 when he changed the name to jehovah's witnesses, and I think 1938 when he changed policys making every congregation and all aspects of everything under total direct control of rutherford and any who succeed him.
Watchtower unity= forced conformity. It's nothing to brag about.
The unity is especially enjoyable when you start questioning and having your own opinions about some matters. The unity is only maintained by means of tight control and kicking anyone out who may pose a threat to it, whether intended or not. Forced conformity it is! Some have to pay dearly for it.
What Phizzy said. They're just liars. What else is new?
Watchtower unity comes at a price. It is also physically focused (visible hierarchy and organisation), based on propaganda, control, deception, supremacist malice, and an illusion (conditional love). Watchtower spiritual unity revolves around rejecting and obfuscating the "good news of unmerited favour" and the "free gift" of adoption into God's family. As such it is unified demon worship.
The unity of believers is transcendent, organic and opposite.
It always bothers me that the Society boasts unity, as Jehovah's Witnesses don't have other branches and groups stemming from them, like the Amish for example. The WTS is justified to brag Unity of belief; to the point where the same program is taught in the whole world.
To repeat again - the Witnesses DO have a splinter group: The so-called "Bible Students". Rutherford caused them to split away back in the 1920s when he did his takeover and steel-fisted rule over the former "elected elders" and the independent congregations.
