by Ben57 93 Replies latest jw friends
Ben57, I congratulate you on being bold enough to examine the truth no matter where it leads. It is a challenging journey that many others fear to attempt.
You will get to make your own mind up, and are welcome to ask any questions when they arise.
What opened my eyes was the elders' hostility to the full "Good News" as outlined in their own publications.
My prayers are with you and yours.
Greetings
Fernando
Ben, whether or not these men are appointed by Holy Spirit would you place your life in their hands? I was always taught that the Elders are the ones that we would have to depend on in case of persecution and/or protect and guide us through the "Great tribulation". If appointments depend on appearences then do you feel lucky?
The way I see it, the Organization doesn't teach that Elders are appointed by means of a supernatural occurrence of the Holy Spirit. BUT ... is very happy to let the Witnesses BELIEVE that such is the case, because is highly convenient to establish a chain of command that goes straight up to God. Hence, the "forked tongue" on this subject that the Brooklyn writers have used countless times. They could - and should - have been crystal clear about the entire process, but they choose to be nebulous. Therefore, if such myth persists among the Jehovah's Witnesses, it's entirely the Governing Body's fault.
Eden
To coin a phrase, "it's not what you know, it's who you know".I found in my ex kh, it was the old boy's club and nepotism that ruled the day.
Ben57 said
"WHAT IS MEANT BY THE DIRECTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
It simply means that they are following the Bibles the direction - that is trying to do things Jehovahs way. The Bible was written under the inspiration of the holy spirit and if they follow those guidelines they are letting the holy spirit direct them. The holy spirit has no other active part in anything at all. If there was any more involvement that that then all those men would be inspired as the Bible writers and prophets were"
You say that the HS has no other active part in anything at all. You may be just referring to the appointment of elders but it helps to reconsider this point in other areas of their teaching.
The HS has a very active role in appointing the 'anointed' There are over 11,000 JWs who would testify this and not the least being the GB members themselves. If this appointment and anointment is so clear in their minds then the HS must be active in other ways.
If individuals feel this HS so strongly as to proclaim they have been given a different hope to the rest of the JWs and will be recieving a special role in heaven that only they have been selected for then it should'nt be out of the question to think that the HS can have an active part in other things such as the appointment of elders.
BEN57 - My personal experiences of "modern day" elders have convinced me that they are career Witnesses working for the Org, not the congregation, and they are seeking position and power in their own little sphere. I don't see a single loving, concerned elder in either my present Kingdom Hall or the previous one. In fact, the opposite is true - they want to rule and control!
If the Holy Spirit appointed them...................................................
It's a cult, to make the grade you have to conform to the cult standards.
There is no holy spirit, there is no god to directing the cult and all whoever has made it to elder has done so by playing the cult game, sadly that includes me.
Yep you can philosophise ad nauseum but I reckon Edenone pretty much sums
up what we all either in or out reckon. Its all about how you perceive. The reason that
elders get disappointed after their appointment is that they are convinced originally that its all
due to holy spirit.Then human imperfection rears its ugly head...So,,, what happened to holy spirit?
Especially when nepotistic elements stare you down. Ben, I share your dilemma. Hopefully the
holy spirit will work it out after the governing body has their tea and scones tomorrow.
I dont mean to be flippant (isn't that the worst cliche) but I see no other way of dealing with the apparent
inconsistency.
jtg
ps ,,, mate i read and study all the latest stuff and I am more confused than ever!!!!
Ben I also think you are wrong on this basis (not using the bible at all )-
I had a book study conductor who had been an elder for about 14 years at the time , then suddenly we were informed we were getting another elder to take over the group. The reason came out a little later when it was announced from the KH platform that he was reproved and not an elder anymore. I spoke to that elder and he admitted to me he had had a sexual relationship with his wifes best freind who was a sister and had to confess to it but only after the sister had come forward to her body of elders admitting it first.
The key problem here is that he had been appointed as an elder after he had committed adultery and kept it a secret for about 15 years from the congo and his wife ! The WT does say that elders are appointed by holy spirit so did the holy spirit get it wrong or maybe Jesus or God ,can't have been the GB can it ?
17 Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit;
18 a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit.
19 Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men]. (Mat 7:17-20 NWT)
