Comments You Will Not Hear at the 10-20 WT Study

by blondie 29 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  blondie

  Thanks, NY44M. I don't have to courage to print my review and take it to the meeting. I have to be sure to leave the WT that I make my little notes in home too.

  So, minimus, the people will say, "He's on the road again."

  As to Blueblades' question, that prophecy among 200 others is accepted by about every religion that uses the Bible I have encountered. I'm not sure of the criteria for making the identification and if Jewish scholars also concur. My research so far hasn't yielded anything.

  Edited by - Blondie on 19 October 2002 21:40:20
• 

  drawcad_1

  great post blondie.

  at the beginning of your post you asked for an illustration that we heard that did not fit in with the talk. I was trying to think of one and came up blank. they have gotten so lame that they are all bad. I went to a convention a couple of months ago and only heard one that actually tied in with the rest of the talk. all of the rest I seened to zone out.
• 

  Wolfgirl

  What does brill mean?

  Brilliant.
• 

  blondie

  Yes, drawcad, we tend to filter that crap out. I call those type of illustrations, "huh, what was that?" illustrations. It's like a speaker talking for 5 minutes then dropping in a scripture ostensibly to make it Bible-based and the audience and I are wondering how that applies.

  Just because a person throws in a French word once in awhile in his conversation doesn't mean he is speaking French.

  Thanks for the clarification, Wolfgirl. I will add it to my growing "young" vocabulary.

  Edited by - Blondie on 20 October 2002 7:33:32
• 

  Dismembered

  Hi Blondie

  Enjoyed your reasons for being careful. I think you can help others here. You are right on track

  Dismembered
• 

  blondie

  Thanks Dismembered. Help? Maybe. In reality, something bad usually happens to you or your family and you find that the WTS/congregation are no help and even create worse problems.

  Eventually, "we're all imperfect" doesn't cut the crap any more. I can understand "accidental" sins but the intentional sins and hurts I have seen have stacked up clear into the heavens.

  Blondie
• 

  Lieu

  Of course, the illustration the WTS highlights is that of a shepherd, "the most tender of Jesus illustrations." They highlight how the sheep know the shepherds voice. The only way the "sheep" at the KH know the elders voice is from the platform.

  Yep, and the Shepherd's voice is the one calling people out of the tombs in the end.....Only One is able to do that so it would seem we should follow that One.

  I used to wonder how elders considered themselves "shepherds" ... they act more like the "hired men" illustration to me. When the wolf comes they abandon the sheep . They abuse the sheep. Why?, because the sheep don't truly belong to them.

  Kinda what Paul was trying to get across when people were saying, "I belong to Paul, I to Appollos," etc. No, I belong to Christ and no one else...this excludes the elders from thinking they own people and helps people not to be followers of men.
• 

  blondie

  Good comment, Lieu. I like the "hired men" reference too.

  John 10:11-14, shows that Jesus was willing to give up his life for the sheep. Do the majority of elders today show that they would do the same?

  I heard a talk once nany years ago that actually made a good point. The brother asked the audience to think about this, "How many here would die for their brother or sister? Most if not all would say, Of course I would. Now ask yourself, How many of you are living your life for your brother or sister?"

  Do the elders really view the publishers as belonging to Jesus? Do they really believe that Jesus is going to make them accountable for those they hurt or kill spiritually? I don't think so, which makes me think that they have no personal relationship with Jesus, let alone God.

  They are as you pointed out, Lieu, "hired men," doing what they feel will guarantee their own personal everlasting life and perhaps that of their family.

  John 10 (Amplified) 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.
  12 But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and snatches them and scatters [the flock].
  13 Now the hireling flees because he merely serves for wages and is not himself concerned about the sheep [cares nothing for them].
  14 I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me--

  1 Peter 5 (Amplified) 2 Tend (nurture, guard, guide, and fold) the flock of God that is [your responsibility], not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonorably motivated by the advantages and profits [belonging to the office], but eagerly and cheerfully

  And here is an ominous warning:

  Zechariah 11the lost and perishing he will not miss or visit, the young and scattered he will not go to seek, the wounded and broken he will not heal, nor will he feed those that are sound and strong; but he will eat the flesh of the fat ones and break off their hoofs [to consume all the flesh].
  17 Woe to the worthless and foolish shepherd who deserts the flock! The sword shall smite his arm and his right eye; his arm shall be utterly withered and his right eye utterly blinded.
  
  
• 

  Pistoff

  Blondie:

  I am of the *groupies of blondie* class. You are now the second to receive my coveted award, "Rocks hard like early Van Halen". Or, hmm; like early Zeppelin.

  I LOVE your weekly musings, it is the first thing I scroll down for. I thought I was the only one in the org to allow rampant logical musings, or sarcastic elder zingers to roam in my head during the wt.

  Here is one of the worst I have heard:

  In a hall I am in, we had an elder who is reaaaaaaaaaaaaally bad; he is a chronic liar and manipulator and worse, the most inept and boring speaker on the earth. He came up with an illustration about obedience, thinly copied from someone else, about Petey, the disobedient child who made it a habit of not listening. His parents told him, Petey, don't go near that big hole in the back yard (why in the world didn't the parents in this illustration fill the hole?) Petey, don't go near the hole. This we heard at least ten times. But of course, Petey didn't listen and fell in the hole and died. Point of illustration, OBEDIENCE ALWAYS.

  The funny thing for me and some others was the obvious sexual innuendo there, intended or not; Peter is a nickname for penis in these parts, and the big hole, well, ya know. Now I think it is good advice to avoid big holes, but I don't think that is what the speaker was intending. Once in a while we will tell each other: PETEY, DON'T GO NEAR THE BIG HOLE!!!!!
• 

  blondie

  Pistoff, it must have been hard to keep a straight face with that illustration. Interestingly, the WTS cautioned JWs not to use illustrations from unofficial JW sites. I'm sure they were not thinking of this one, but they should.

  There are many musings at the KH by those who find it impossible to harmonize the words of those from the platform with their actions off the platform.

  The crap is getting deeper, how deep depends on your viewpoint.

  Two brothers were working on top of a barn when their ladder fell. "How are we goint to get down?" the first brother asked. "Well, we could jump into the pond" the second brother replied. "Too far" said the first brother. "Well, we could jump into that pile of manure" the second brother said. "Okay, but you go first" said the first brother. After the second brother jumped, the first brother called down "how deep is it?" "Only ankle deep" was the response, so the first brother jumped in and promptly sunk up to his forehead. "Hey" he yelled "I thought it was only ankle deep!" "Well," said the second brother, "it is ankle deep if you dive in head first like I did!"

  Edited by - Blondie on 20 October 2002 11:39:40