"Whether These Appear Sound From a Strategic or Human Standpoint or Not."

gingerbread

I've come to realize over the past couple of years that the Watchtower doesn't 'hide' what it's thinking. The GB and it's writers are blatant and obvious regarding what is expected from everyone.

This is another statement that tells the membership that the GB is in charge of their lives.

The one word that concerns me in JW07's quote is in the last sentence: 'help'.

This last sentence is a directive to the elders to pressure any that are educating themselves or advancing their careers. On the flip-side, this kind of 'help' will awaken the balanced ones in congregations and also cause even more young adults to flee 'the faith'.

adamah

It's a periodic vague statement intentionally dropped to not-so-subtly remind the R&F readers that "we've (GB) got a secret! We're God's spirit-directed organization, doncha know!".

Anyone who's been a part of a large manpower-driven organization knows a 'Southeast Asian Fire Drill' when they see one, with a message calling for continued vigiliance which is solely designed to get the JW chat lines a buzzin' by moving the Armageddon Threat Con to Code Yellow, movement done simply for the sake of creating a sense of movement.

It's like GB is playing a JW-version of Ouija Board, and gets excited by how the game piece moves when their hands are on it and they move it. The crazy part is how the R&F seemingly ARE impressed, and how they're played like fiddles in the hands of the GB.

Adam

frankiespeakin

Actually this will help many break free from the cult, as they put 2&2 together and get 4, because when you add all the changing "new light" plus this statement of obediance to them even if sounding crazy many will walk away from this cult of obediance to a corporation.

This would make for a good sign to march around Bethel with or litter the streets with a few thousand one page flyers early mornings of before the lunch march from the factory:

"November 2013 Watchtower Tell Rank&File To Obey Governing Body Uncritically"

or

"November 2013 Watchtower Blindly Obey The Governing Body"

SAHS

“Scenario 1: Sending out a letter stating that the end is so near that JWs need to physically isolate themselves from the world at once. Stop attending school, work, stop associating with any who are not Witnesses unless absolutely necessary.

Scenario 2: Decreeing that Witnesses physically isolate themselves from the 'world' by gathering and living in Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls etc.

Scenario 3: Wearing a special card to publicly identify oneself as a Witness 24/7, the way they usually do only for conventions.

Who knows, maybe all 3 combined.”

Yeah, but maybe with standard uniforms too! Full-length white robes with thread dyed bluish-purple along the fringes, and turbans. Maybe big black burqas complete with black bee-keeper’s headdress for the women.

They could make a parallel of the Israelites trapped between the mountains and the Red Sea and the JWs (God’s one-and-only chosen people, don’t you know) trapped between the “ten horns” of this world and “God of Magog” (Satan) poised to enter into the New World. That way, they could dictate any ridiculous and just plain whacky thing they happen to come up with, insisting that the “Red Sea” will be parted for them, so to speak, at any moment. I.e., “Just do whatever we say, and we’ll make sure you’re all saved by a mysterious and clever miracle.”

Actually, the absolute best and appropriate thing for the Governing Body to do is to have a general meeting tied in by audio-video link worldwide and simply say, “We’re sorry. Sorry for everything – all the ridiculous dogmatic charlatanry, and of course all the unlucky victims of abuse and deaths from withholding blood,” and then say, “We all step down and quit. Bye now.” Now, that would really be the ultimate gold standard of what they SHOULD do.

Londo111

http://freeminds2.org/the-theocratic-life-and-times-of-theodore-jaracz/

An interesting quote from the above article:

[Jaracz] said that the Governing Body had been preparing for much longer than anybody could guess for an attack by apostates. He said, “Stamping us into the ground brings on Armageddon. Watch Tower is material and when it disappears, the apostates can’t destroy the spiritual. He mentioned an article in the Watchtower magazine written by Fred Franz many years before about what happens when “Ariel” or the Watchtower organization is being stamped into the ground—that it brings on Armageddon. (Isaiah 29:7). Jaracz remarked that because of the “apostate” stamping he perceived was going on that summer, he said Armageddon had started.

Imagine what the GB thinks in a post-Conti world…with all the continued lawsuits being announced. The message in the 11/15 Watchtower is to "close ranks".

Kool Jo

I doubt it is anything significant...it's just to keep the cult members in check.

Peace

Kool Jo

Separation of Powers

(Kind of reminds me of.."We are the Keepers of the Sacred Words. Ni, Ping, and Nee-wom! Those who hear them seldom live to tell the tale!")

For a religion that condemns mystery cults and spiritistic messages, this comment sure sounds cryptic.

I recall a comment made by Jaracz as well, referring to NH Knorr's discourse referring to the Wild Beast of Revelation, the one that "was, was not, and will soon be." He applied that scripture to the League of Nations and "predicted" during WW2 that although the League of Nations was no more, it would rise up again after the war. Voila! The United Nations! He used this prediction as "evidence" that the organization was being provided with "miraculous knowledge."

The modern day organization has always felt that what they know is beyond human comprehension. However, as this forum so readily proves, very few positions of the organization are unique..."Family Night" anbody?

It is customary sabre rattling at its finest. We know and you don't, that's why you need us! If you knew and we didn't then we would need you. But, since we don't need you, then we must know, and you must need us."

Just a thought,

SOP

notsurewheretogo

What are the facts?

In the last year the society is losing money at a rate it does not like. Developed lands are NOT growing in publisher numbers and most baptisms are from children.

The society has cut publishing down by 39% by decresing the frequency and amount of magazines...they have sold nearly a billion dollars worth of real estate and are relocating brances in the US and the UK.

The rise of the internet information age is seeing more and more people wake up...they do not trust the society of the GB.

Door to door preaching is not effective...the Mormons are stopping it...

The end is not here...and of course will not come.

IF the society continues the way they have been in the last ten years they will cease to exist...money will dry up and jdubs are getting older and tired...they are selling off land...selling branches....they are consolidating to survive.

My guess is they will consolidate further down to congregation level which will affect every jdub and the fact that they are seems to fly in the face that the end is so close...thus whatever next they consolidate it will seem strange from a human standpoint..why consolidate when they actually need to speed up since the end is so close?

I think they will stop preaching in some way, reduce meetings further and even share halls...

Londo111

"Franklin D. Roosevelt first coined the term 'United Nations' as a term to describe the Allied countries. The term was first officially used on 1 January 1942, when 26 governments signed the Atlantic Charter, pledging to continue the war effort."

Knorr's talk was in September of 1942...

This is a good example of mystical manipulation.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/177352/1/Did-The-Witnesses-Predict-the-United-Nations-in-Advance