Hi onacruse,
Yeah, the ditty from the past is a typical re-execution of a standard theme. What the Society is doing today with respect to signs and such is a re-execution of Russells claims about being in the time of the end since 1799. He said that all of the signs Jesus pointed to in Matthew 24 were evident by about 1880. Even the preaching work of Matt. 24:14 was in evidence, since Christendom had covered the earth with the Gospel by about 1860. Obviously, interpretations of Bible prophecy that can be applied to any time period are of zero value.
Im not sure of the connection between the elders comment and yours at your JC. Please elaborate.
I have no doubt that Adventist-derived sects will in the long run have to give up their chiliastic pretensions, or disappear. Ironically, William Miller himself gave up on trying to discern the time of the end after his last gasp prediction about 1844 failed. His followers should have imitated his good sense.
Interesting comments about Anticipation syndrome and a sense of urgency, Englishman.
Hi Smiles,
A friend gets the magazines for me.
Your comments are dead on, rocketman.
You may well be right, City Fan. Ive also thought for some time that the 100-year mark from 1914 could be a watershed in WTS history. Since about 1995 Ive also thought that the new millennium would also be a psychological breakpoint, and so far that appears to be the case. Various JWs Ive talked to or who have talked to my contacts seem to agree that there is a vague malaise among many JWs, who are kind of sitting back to see what happens with respect to the recent bad publicity about JWs. They know that there are serious problems with many areas of JW belief and policy, but dont know what to do. Taking the bull by the horns and quitting is just too painful due to the likelihood theyll be DFd or forcibly DAd.
Hi plmkrzy,
Actually many evangelicals have beliefs about the end very similar to those of JWs. A charlatan named Hal Lindsey published a book called The Late, Great Planet Earth about 1970, which kicked off a huge publishing binge by people claiming that all sorts of signs are being fulfilled in our day. Lindseys claims about earthquakes and so forth are almost identical to those of the JWs. Go into any Christian bookstore and youll find racks of books about the coming of Antichrist and so on. Several authors have published series of novels about these theme of the rapture and so forth. Its big business.
As James Penton has said, JWs and evangelicals are pups from the same bitch.
BTW, I posted a response to a question from you from a couple of months ago. Its in a new thread titled For Plmkrzy.
Hi Cassiline,
Thanks for your kind words. Ill try to call you soon. Got some catching up to do.
Hi ARoarer,
Hope you guys are doing well! I should call you.
Hi Scully,
Narcissistic is a good description of JW leaders. Puffed up with pride, having a bloated sense of self-importance, and ivory tower syndrome, are other good descriptive terms. Youre right, that once one is sucked into such grandiose delusions, its very difficult to unwind. For a long time one wonders if theyre not right after all. Ones intellectual view is always fighting with the delusional emotional view engendered by years of mindless repetition of the theme.
Hi DannyBear,
I enjoyed your comments about Russell and the Society. Youre right about their never changing a formula that works. If it aint broke, dont fix it.
People are working on books about Russell that are far more comprehensive than anything Penton has done. Some pretty amazing revelations will come out. New historical information and perspectives indicate that Russell was far less of a gentleman than presently available histories indicate. He was quite probably insane as well.
Howdy, Sam! Thanks!
AlanF
