Last week, I had requested the elders to put their shepherding concerns in writing and that only one elder visits me because I am uncomfortable with two.
Well, today they approached me and said we are not able to write to you and we are going to see you the two of us. I felt how inconsiderate and disrespectful of individuals the watchtower machinery is. So i agreed to meeting them,
They basically had two concerns.
1) My inability to report for 6 months to the congregation, which is a subsidiary of the watchtower society.
2) My questions on 1914 and the Faithful and discreet slave.
Before I continue with how the meeting went, let me give you some background to what led to the meeting.
1) Why is it that they denigrate secular scholarship and yet use Microphones, internet, electricity and other products of higher education?
2) Since they believe that a "day" or "time" or prophetic year is 360 days long, why do they treat the 2520 years as having 365.2425 days instead of 360 days? If they treat the 2520 days as each having 360 days each, then
a) all our beliefs about 1914 are incorrect.
b) Jesus did not become king in 1914.
c) Millions of people on earth are being misled on the "significance" of 1914.
d) The Faithful and discreet slave may not have been appointed in 1919 by Jesus Christ.
e) The Governing body may have no authority to condition others into not partaking of Jesus' blood and drinking his blood.
f) The Governing body may have no authority to make others carry books other than the Bible in the ministry.
g) We can see why the "generation" teaching keeps wandering in time.
h) The good news we preach is distorted.
I then mentioned that it would be a great service to my faith, in line with Hebrews 11:1, if evidence was provided that justifies treating each of the 2520 years as having 365.2425 days instead of only 360 days.
If numbers are to be disregarded, then I would be glad to know how Jesus communicated the appointment of the Faithful and discreet slave in 1919. Was it in a dream or vision or by an angel?
I concluded my letter.
For six months I have not turned in a field service report and I have not been commenting. They are aware that my not commenting is a kind of silent protest against the estranged teachings. They earlier admonished me to not stop commenting. I also have not been distributing watchtower material. I was paired with a branch committee member yesterday. He intimidatingly asked whether I had watchtower magazines as we were about to exist the kingdom hall, after the field service meeting. I knew he had read my letter. I did not answer his question and informed him of a prior arrangement so i wanted a switch of partners. He wanted to cite a non-existent km which stated that no switching of partners. Well i switched and avoided him.
Today, two elders met me and took me through the organized to do Jehovah's will book on the importance of reporting. They gave me a caution on not independently studying the bible for that leads to apostasy.
I mentioned that for seven months my questions have remained unattended because elders have been claiming a shortage of time to devote to research. I mentioned that they have always been finding time to attend congregation parties and witness to non-witnesses. If they have time for those events, they may as well find time to respond to my questions. I illustrated by referring to a patient who rushes to a hospital seeking medical help only to have the doctors looking at the patient silently for seven months and at the end of the seven months they only issue threats. I then said you shepherds have treated me like those doctors. I said I would rather not continue going in the ministry and attending meetings than under the current circumstances believe in 1914 and the Faithful and discreet slave.
They pulled a scripture in John were the disciples asked "where shall we go to? you have sayings of everlasting life." They then said I should not leave Jehovah's organization. Then I mentioned that the John scripture was about leaving or not leaving Jesus Christ not about leaving an organization. I can have access to Jesus Christ at home, on a Bus or anywhere. Jesus does not stay in a Kingdom hall, he stays in heaven. Thus I can leave the organization and still have access to Jesus Christ. They asked me on whether I believe in the Faithful and discreet slave as the one God is using today. I said, i need answers with regard to the 1914 calculation and then I would respond. I then mentioned that Geoffrey Jackson thought it presumptuous for us to believe that the governing body are the only Channel. I know these men can not provide answers to my questions. All this rubbing of shoulders with elders is to get a few to know TTATT.