"Observing" The Lord's Supper

by Perry 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Perry

  The WT plays lots of word games. One of my favorites is their tracts that talk about "Observing" the "Lord's Evening Meal". Of course they cannot call it the Lord's Supper like the rest of western civilization. That would too religious. Yes, "The Lord's Evening Meal" sounds more formal, "appropriate" , even institutional ....kinda like a bethel evening meal, or a mental institution evening meal. But, excuse me I digress.

  If you ask any JW if they reject the Lord's Supper you will likely be met with a gasp of disbelief at the very thought of such a a thing, followed by a quick assertion that do in fact observe the Lords Evening Meal every year.

  Here's were the word "observe" deceives them. The word observe has two meanings. One meaning is to look at something, quietly, somberly, curiously, even intently.

  Another meaning of the word is to participate in a customary activity. For instance, The Chinese observe the Chinese New Year. They shut down the factories for 2 to 3 weeks each year and all the laborers go back to their respective villages for some much needed time off. They throw parties and participate in the customary rites of that holiday.

  JW's do indeed OBSERVE the Lord's supper. They watch intently, somberly, even curiously as the customary components of that holiday is passed to them. Then, without participating, they then observe the emblems being passed away from them and rejected by other observers.

  In the JW mind, they think they have just celebrated the Lord's Supper. When questioned by uninformed non-JWs they are quickly quieted when the JW assures them that he does indeed observe the Lord's Supper.

  Aren't words quirky, slippery little things?
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  Ding

  In what sense is it a "meal" if no one actually partakes, as is the case in the vast majority of Kingdom Halls?
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  designs

  Do you believe in the Eucharist- the Real Presence of Christ in the bread and the wine as the Catholics teach.
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  mP

  Perry:

  can you explain how all jewish holidays are counterparts for pagan ones and always fall on the same days , namely the equixnoes and solstices. just look at the top 5, passover, day of atonement etc.
• 

  Crazyguy

  The JW's perform what is called a Black Mass were by the emblems are passed and rejected by everyone. Satan loves the JW's for Jesus said you must eat to have life, so Satan has gotten 8 millions JDub's to collectivaley kill themselves do to ingnorance and being slaves to men.
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  designs

  'Satan loves the JWs' what next the Boogieman

  'Satan has gotten 8 million JDubs to collectively kill themselves'. You see this is why Fundie protestors showing up at Conventions with their signs and all telling JWs to be like them becomes a joke.
• 

  Perry

  Satan is a master of deception. Because our natures are opposed to God, we seek either ourselves or others to lead us. If you are flying upside down in an airplane and look out the window at an image that is also upside down, how could you tell?

  
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  DATA-DOG

  " If you are flying upside down in an airplane and look out the window at an image that is also upside down, how could you tell? "

  That's easy! I would read the Shepherd the Flock book! It is my spiritual compass and artificial horizon!
• 

  Cold Steel

  This is one of the great travesties of the faith, in my view. Jesus nowhere limited the Lord’s sacrament to the apostles, or to an imagined subgroup of humans who supposedly will rule in the heavens while the primary part of humanity is burdened with living in a crummy garden for eternity. (If one thinks of eternity as far greater than a centillion trillion years, or a centillion to the centillioneth power years, then one can see why a garden might be somewhat limiting.)

  But John paints a much brighter picture of man’s future. We are, he says, heirs of the Father, through Christ, and that our potential for expansion is virtually unlimited. Eternal power, eternal glory, eternal knowledge, eternal increase. Adam and Eve had not that potential; they had to freely partake of the fruit of knowing good from evil, accept the penalty of death, then avail themselves of the great Atonement and achieve a glorious resurrection that far excelled what Adam and Eve could ever hope to be in their wildest dreams.

  The Lord’s Supper is a renewal of one’s baptismal covenants. Where baptism symbolized the coming forth of the Lord in a glorious physical resurrection, and our coming forth in a newness of life, the bread and the wine represent the body and blood of Christ. To serve it only to a super class of celestial beings who, at best, have to guess whether they meet the criteria in the flesh, is robbing the body of Christ of their relationship with deity. Man approaches the Father through Jehovah, or Christ. At the fall of man, the Father withdrew and Yahweh became the intercessor. Then the Governing Body comes along and declares Yahweh to be, not the Son, but the Father. Okay, where’s the intercessor? Abraham and Moses speak directly to the Father? Again, where’s the intercessor?

  Not only that, the Governing Body assumes that role between members of the Great Crowd and Jesus/Jehovah. Having removed the real intercessor, they then remove the memorial supper, in effect, placing themselves in substitution of God in the hearts of their followers. And if the body is the temple of God, are they not taking the place of God in the holy temple?

  Still, it’s their choice. The Lord stands at the door and knocks. Imagine one’s surprise when, upon opening the door, one finds a group of strange men assuming authority they don’t have. If they do, where’s the beef?
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  Cold Steel

  Thank goodness...I thought it was Nancy Pelosi!

  

  From this standpoint, it's obvious she's
  one of the Kennedy girls. Isn't she the one
  Arnold married? Or maybe her sister?

  How much money does she have?