Is 1914 still relevant in WT/JW Theology?

by 00DAD 52 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  00DAD

  Jeffro: It seems to me that the Society might put out some of these unfavourable messages to deliberately shed some members

  Interesting comment! Obviously you're just speculating and there's no way to know what motivates these guys to come up with such incoherent ideas, but there clearly is a very deliberate pattern. They know what they're doing and they have their reasons--no matter how crazy those reasons are--that makes sense to them.

  That's also why the actions of the GB are so unpredictable, because most of the decisions they make, at least concerning doctrine, just don't make any sense.

  I think it was james_woods that called them " barking at the moon crazy-dog MAD ". True dat!

  Besty: But who cares about window dressing apart from us :-)

  Good point, I often think we here on JWN care more about (or are at least more interested in) JW doctrine than the R&F filling seats at the local KH week after week and year after year.

  00DAD
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  Apognophos

  It's hard for me to accept that the GB members are anything more than intellectually dishonest with themselves. I don't attribute malice to them the way some posters do (maybe I'm just naïve). So while I don't see them purposely manipulating doctrine just to push out the weaker Witnesses or to insulate the Witnesses further from the world, I can believe that on some level they will internally rationalize that a certain casualty rate from a change in teachings is acceptable if it makes the "truth" more palatable going forward, since they will be able to "save" more people.

  So, for example, should they happen to wake up one morning with "God's spirit" on them and they see a scripture in a new light that indicates that the 144,000 is symbolic or that blood is okay after all, they will know that this "new light" will stumble some believers and numbers will drop in the short-term, but they will tell themselves and others that this is just another cleansing work taking place, as after 1975. The ones who leave just aren't cut out to be worshippers of God -- and they will really believe this themselves. Meanwhile, the religion is now much more likely to attract newcomers who don't have to get over the literal-144,000 or no-blood hurdles in their Bible studies.
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  MacHislopp

  .Hello everyonje,

  I would like to comment as follows:

  OODAD ; Thanks for the interesting and valuable WT quotes.

  Some figures below that should add something to the thread.

  From the Society’s 2011 CD ROM

  The date of 1914 mentioned in The Wachtower

  Year 2011 5 times

  Year 2010 18 times

  Year 2009 23 times

  Year 2008 17 times

  Year 2007 17times

  Year 2006 23 times

  Year 2005 18 times

  Year 2004 52times

  Year 2003 14 times

  Year 2002 13times

  Year 2001 23 times

  Year 2000 20 times

  In comparison for the period :

  Years 1990-1999 493 times

  Years 1980-1989 831 times

  Years 1970-1979 600 times

  Years 1960-1969 895 times

  Years 1950-1959 900 times

  The figures are quite amazing.

  Marvin: on your blog – concerning the year 2014 - dated “Tuesday, June 28, 2011” you wrote:

  Short of some world conflagration, experience and exposure lead me to believe:
  
  1. Watchtower will soon organize a new concerted initiative to proselytize via the internet. It is impossible to guess what form this will take. Though such an initiative is inevitable, I think it will come sooner rather than later. The internet is a force too big to ignore and too powerful not to use.

  Excellent foresigh Marvin, , because it is just what the Society did, this year and will increase next year.

  2. Watchtower’s blood taboo is ripe to dislodge. The teaching has taken a beating and Watchtower knows it is indefensible. Watchtower’s leadership no longer believes in the thing anyway. It is just a matter of time before this rafter-in-the-eye of a teaching is removed so that it is no longer such a hindrance to potential converts. Relegating this teaching may be around the corner.

  Marvin, as in point one, will you be right again? I’m inclined to think so, expecially since “the blood fraction” comedy.

  3. Watchtower will expand and organize remote meeting attendance.

  Here again , you are on the right track, because already during thye Annual Meeting of October 6th 2012, the Society announced that:

  “What about next year?” asked Brother Morris in his concluding comments. “Next year’s annual meeting, which is scheduled to be held on October 5, 2013, will be tied in to selected Assembly Halls in the United States and other English-speaking countries.”

  This program will be broadcast in English only. It will not be interpreted into other languages.

  Let’s see .

  Btw, I do appreciate the informative and accurate aspect of the various subjects written in your blog. Verty good and valuable work indeed

  Greeting to all for now,

  JC MacHislopp
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  00DAD

  Hey Mac,

  Thanks for the statistics. So clearly there is a downward trend regarding the number of times that 1914 is mentioned in the literature. That being said, the WT leaders have not yet abandoned it and don't appear ready to do that anytime soon as the quotes in my OP demonstrate.

  They're making it up as they go along.

  00DAD
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  00DAD

  Apognophos: So while I don't see them purposely manipulating doctrine just to push out the weaker Witnesses or to insulate the Witnesses further from the world

  While it's true there is no way we could know their motives for the changes they make, there is a clear and deliberate pattern of changes, cover-ups and deceptions which belie a willful and knowing intent to deceive on the part of the WT leadership.

  No doubt they have no trouble justifying whatever they do--right after having a large glass of their homebrew Kool-Aid--but the evidence (and I'm not talking BS WT "evidence", I'm talking clearly documented Evidence with a capital "E") proves culpability on the part of whoever it is that is really in control of this beast.

  00DAD
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  Refriedtruth

  As to motives-

  There are lower ranked lieutenants (elders) who are psychopaths ..I've met them.

  It only stands to reason the organizations godfathers are the in same way psychopaths.

  James 3:15-16 "where there is jealousy,envy and contentiousness there you have disorder and every vile thing"
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  Apognophos

  Could be. I just figured that the elders who climb the ladder are the ones who are best at saying "Yes" and "Follow the organization", and when they end up in the GB they continue to be propelled along by their own willful self-delusions. To put it another way, I don't think they can distinguish their own initiative from God's spirit supposedly acting upon them. I do think that they sometimes consider things from the point of outward appearance (as Jesus condemned the Pharisees for doing), and I think that they will phrase things slyly, like doctrinal changes, if it will stumble fewer Witnesses. Sorry, I don't mean to derail the thread talking about motives.
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  Black Sheep

  The lower number of mentions in the WT was inevitable. The window dressing issue doesn't contain their nuttier doctrines, so that cuts the number of pages likely to contain '1914' in half.
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  JW GoneBad

  Interesting discovery MacHislopp.

  From the Society’s 2011 CD ROM

  The date of 1914 mentioned in The Wachtower

  Year 2011 5 times

  Year 2010 18 times

  Year 2009 23 times

  Year 2008 17 times

  Year 2007 17times

  Year 2006 23 times

  Year 2005 18 times

  Year 2004 52times

  Year 2003 14 times

  Year 2002 13times

  Year 2001 23 times

  Year 2000 20 times

  In comparison for the period :

  Years 1990-1999 493 times

  Years 1980-1989 831 times

  Years 1970-1979 600 times

  Years 1960-1969 895 times

  Years 1950-1959 900 times

  The figures are indeed quite telling.

  I noticed also in the 'Bearing Thorough Witness' study book JWs just finished that 1914 is mentioned just 1 time and in the new study book (GOD’S WORD FOR US THROUGH JEREMIAH) there is no, zero mention of 1914! I would say that these rascals back at Bethel are as usual up to something, this time, in connection with their 1914 doctrine.
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  blondie

  The WTS used this similar technique to drop the doctrine of the 7,000 year creative day. Last mentioned in an older quote in 1989. But I have noticed mentions of 6,000 year human history lately. The WTS takes time to phase out their mistakes...1874 Jesus' presence changed finally in 1943 to 1914.

  1878 - Jesus crowned in heaven as king - 1914

  1881 - end of heavenly call - 1935 - now no date

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/207912/1/1874