Well the dubbies have me as a backcall, and like little clockwork robots they turned up exactly 2 weeks after the previous visit. I saw them coming this week. Expected them even. Very clean car,highly polished. Saturday morning11am. 2 guys in suits. Car slides past the house.. yep.. it was them. They parked discretely behind my side fence so they were obscured from view as they sat their filling in their little slips of paper. Predictable as ever. Anyway. At least I am getting Watchtowers off the guys, and actually sat and read them. I Havent read a current Watchtower in ...oh....must be 15 years.
The latest I got is October 1. I love page 21:
"The Christians in Pergamum and Thyatira were commended for their integrity,endurance and zeal. Yet they were influenced by certain ones manifesting the wicked spirit of Balaam and Jezebel, who...acted as corrupting influences in Ancient Israel....How important therefore that we avoid associating with all individuals, inside and outside the congregation, who are a morally corrupting influence".
So theyre still pushing that old "Bad Associations/Worldly Influences" line just the same. Paragraph 15 says:
"Today, some once zealous Christians have likewise lost the FERVENT LOVE they formerly had for God....How can that love be re invigorated?. By regular Bible study, meeting attendance, prayer and MEDITATION"
Well theres something a LITTLE new there. They forgot "field service" and mention "meditation" instead. Curious. You would think the term "meditation" would carry "spiritistic" connotations in the WT hierachies minds. But other than that its the same tired old blurb. Paragraph 18 reiterates the old "faith strengthening" rituals that have to be engaged in:
"Perhaps some have allowed the Spirit of the World to sap the URGENCY from their lives.Thus developing a spiritually lukewarm attitude towards Bible study, prayer, Christian meetings and the ministry"
Phew, theres the good old "big 4" faith builders I know so well. Hey, but really.... The only thing that is SAPPING peoples SPIRIT, surely, is sitting, week after day, day after month , year after century listening to this TIRED OLD WORN OUT DULL BORING litany. Gawd. At least in the seventies we were on the threshold of Armaggedon and were terrified of being tortured. We were too SCARED to be bored and "sapped" of enthusiasm. Reading this, I feel only pity for those poor mind slaves who are trapped in the cycle of listening to this tedious voice of authority endlessly repeating its worn out message.
The regular attendees can ONLY, simply, be bored to death. No other conclusion seems possible.
Theres an article in this Watchtower entitled "cultivate obedience as the end draws nigh" (yawn)
On page 17 it says:
"The sovereign Lord Jehovah will not do a thing unless he reveals his confidential matters to his servants the Prophets. Today, Jehovah does not inspire prophets as he did in the past, instead, he has commisioned a faithfull SLAVE class to provide timely spirtitual food to His household".
For a minute there I thought they were saying they were prophets, but it seems God has stripped the ability to predict the future from those who serve and lead His people.So they are not "prophets" along with the connotations that word carries along with it. Instead they are a "slave". Not only a slave:
"Obedience to Jehovah has often involved obedience to HIS REPRESENTATIVES. These have included angels, patriachs, judges, priests, prophets and kings"
Headt company indeed. Not quite as heady as being a PROPHET, I guess, but surely being Gods "representaive", well, that is heady stuff indeed.
Page 18 bestows yet another title upon the organizational "representatives" of God:
"As AMBASSADORS SUBSTITUTING FOR CHRIST the spirit annointed disciples obediently started gathering others who would become "fellow citizens" in that spiritual Kingdom".
Sheesh, an Ambassador, hes pretty close to a president isnt he? I tell you. If there is a hell. These arrogant people will burn.Can you concieve what kind of a man would allow other human beings to THINK that he was STANDING IN CHRISTS STEAD?? Make no mistake, I tell ya, these people are damneable. Paragraph 4 continues:
"These had to remain united in the SAME MIND,and in the SAME LINE OF THOUGHT"
Well, they have certainly managed to pull that off at least.
Edited by - refiners fire on 23 September 2002 6:23:8
Edited by - refiners fire on 23 September 2002 6:57:58
Edited by - refiners fire on 23 September 2002 7:50:28