by gbrn 52 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
So... Some of actually had to sit and quietly suffer through 3 days of this garbage... Let me tell ya, it was no more exciting than any other convention before it. A lot less hate speech than last year, but no more "truth".
Do what you like, I'm just telling you you didn't miss anything. Anything at all.
If provided to other Witnesses, they may choose to download rather than go and then not going means not contributing and lower attendance, which is the reason why they don't want it distributed.
The Chrome Download Resume option works great. No glitches so far. Downloaded Sunday AM (4.1 GB) and I had to "Resume" about 7 or 8 times. Each time it picked up where it left off without a hitch.
i was very suprised to hear Fred Franz mentioned in one of the talks on friday, First the speaker starts out that for many decades brother fred franz was a faithful servant annoited here on earth and even served as a part of the governing body but when the turth found him he was a college student studying the deep things in this world so he could be a leader for one of bablyons religions, after hearing the truth he removed himself from all the conections from babylon the great this brought sharp critism ... he told the religous leader i dont care what he thinks this is the truth
the 100 year mark since 1914 mentioned a lot
The best thing I got out of this thread was finding out about the Chrome download resume option. I don't know how many downloads got interrupted and had to start over in the several years I've been using Chrome.
That aside, it made it possible to download the entire set of DC MP4s. Which leads to the question, why are 8 million JWs going house to house to invite neighbors to a DC that may be hours from where they live? Think about it. They would probably be much more successful getting some of those neighbors to watch it, or even a portion of it, on their computers - if it was available.
So what is more important to the WT - Getting people to see the information presented, or getting more souls into the convention site?
This, in itself, exposes the real concern of the WT.
(If you are using Chrome and want to activate the download resume option, type Chrome://flags into the address bar, and scroll down about halfway to " Enable Download Resumption Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS" and click "enable.")
Only watched bits and pieces, maybe 3 or 4 whole talks (hard to stay awake through some of them). A few highlights from Saturday p.m.:
3:20 As Kingdom Subjects, Remain “No Part of This World”! (John 18:36) - Anthony Griffin (U.S. Branch Committee)
[After reading Jn. 18:36] "So Jesus openly identified himself as the prospective king of God's heavenly kingdom, and Jesus clearly said that that kingdom was no part of this world. It would not be established, it would not be ruled through, it would not be allied with any human agency. Jesus' followers back then remained no part of the world; they were Christian neutrals; and the same must be true of us today."
Interesting choice of words: "human agency." The WTS' past alliance with the UN's DPI and recent involvements with the OSCE don't count, huh?
Later:
"Remember, only those who remain no part of the world by maintaining their neutrality in their heart will remain when the world passes away."
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"Our strict neutrality involves, not just our actions, but it involves our feelings and our thoughts and our motivations. We would not think of joining a political party or promoting some social issue, but where is our heart?"
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"Brothers, be determined, right now, to maintain your neutrality in your heart on any and all issues ..."
Isn't freedom of religion, belief and conscience a 'social issue'? The WTS has been very busy in lobbying and promoting this one (e.g. Russia). OK, it's really to serve its own organization's interests but still it's a wider social issue affecting more than just the org., and it has joined with other religions to promote that cause.
Such hypocrisy.
4:15 Jehovah’s Organization—100 Years of Seeking First God’s Established Kingdom (Psalm 48:12,13; Luke 10:1, 5-11) - David Splane (Book release talk)
"Like their master, Jesus' disciples love to talk about the kingdom. But there has been a problem, especially in the early years after the kingdom's birth. In the decades following 1914, zealous kingdom publishers were willing to do the work, but they really didn't know what they were supposed to say. They lacked confidence in themselves. They needed to be equipped. And our master came to the rescue. He gave them different tools that they could use in order to get the work done."
In the 'decades following 1914' BSs/JWs lacked confidence and didn't know what to say? Whaaa...?
This doesn't match up with WT's official version of events - the 'Millions' campaign, the call to 'advertise, advertise, advertise the King and his Kingdom,' the flood of new literature and expectations, the revival of the 'two witnesses' to sock it to the world.
*** re chap. 21 pp. 131-132 pars. 8-9 Jehovah’s Plagues on Christendom ***
... Referring to the recent hard experiences of God’s people, the speaker said: “So pitiless was the onslaught of the enemy that many of the Lord’s dear flock were stunned and stood still in amazement, praying and waiting for the Lord to indicate his will. . . . But notwithstanding the momentary discouragement, there was a burning desire to proclaim the message of the kingdom.”—See the September 15, 1919, issue of The Watch Tower, page 280.
9 In 1919 that desire was satisfied. This small but active group of Christians was set on fire, spiritually speaking, to begin a worldwide preaching campaign. (Compare 1 Thessalonians 5:19.) Fire was hurled to the earth in that God’s Kingdom was made the burning issue, and so it continues to be! Strong voices replaced silence, sounding out the Kingdom message with clarity. Thunderous storm warnings from the Bible pealed forth. Like flashes of lightning, brilliant beams of truth shone from Jehovah’s prophetic Word, and, as if by a mighty earthquake, the religious realm was shaken to its foundations. The John class saw that there was work to be done. And to this day, that work continues to expand gloriously throughout the entire inhabited earth!—Romans 10:18.
*** w86 12/15 p. 13 par. 15 “Be Courageous and Very Strong” ***
It was in 1919 that the small band of anointed Witnesses stepped courageously before the “waters” of mankind. In 1922 they boldly answered the call to ‘advertise, advertise, advertise the King and his Kingdom,’ saying in effect: “Here I am! Send me.”
*** w88 4/1 p. 22 par. 7 God’s Judgments Must Be Declared ***
Especially since the spiritually invigorating year 1919, the anointed remnant of Christ’s brothers fearlessly presented God’s judgments, powerful messages of calamity, to Christendom. (Compare Jeremiah 11:9-13.)
It didn't sound like they were lost for words or lacked confidence to me.
[After talking about Jehovah's fast-paced celestial chariot] "Sometimes we hear brothers say, 'Oy, the Governing Body today are really on the cutting edge.' The fact is that the Governing Body has always been on the cutting edge."
That was a real cracker. LOLOL!
Also worth a listen is Friday a.m.'s "A Century of Kingdom Rule Contrasted With a Century of Satan’s Rule" - it was remarkable in its illogic and non sequiturs: yes, 'Satan's world' has progressed and got better in many ways but it's not real progress; people live longer but that just means they have longer to do things displeasing to God, so is that progress really? No it isn't. Etc.
Ann:
I found that comment (not yours, but at the RC) about Satan's world making some progres to be downright weird. It sounded like Satan was somewhat reformed and trying to do better, but just too-little-too-late. It sounded strange when he is supposed to be having great anger and causing woe for the earth and all that.
The one about the house to house work, he mentioned about the Mormons not doing house to house in favor of going on the internet. Then says that it is the biblical way. As if those in the Bible had the choice of using internet vs house to house.
Also worth a listen is Friday a.m.'s "A Century of Kingdom Rule Contrasted With a Century of Satan’s Rule" - it was remarkable in its illogic and non sequiturs: yes, 'Satan's world' has progressed and got better in many ways but it's not real progress; people live longer but that just means they have longer to do things displeasing to God, so is that progress really? No it isn't. Etc.
Ann, that's the same point I made to my wife who also thought it ridiculous. She named a dozen friends and family who are living into their 80s/90s who do not seem to be Satan's pawns, but good, charitable people. Of course, they aren't JWs so they displease God.
Yet all the non-thinking JWs in the audience will be mindlessly nodding their heads to this reasoning.
Doc
