Comments You Will Not Hear at the 7-20-03 WT Study

by blondie 45 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  mizpah

  It's not that I don't appreciate and admire the research work that is done. My concern is that until one breaks the hold that the Watchtower has over you, you will never come to appreciate true Christian freedom. The Watchtower will still control you and your lives as long as it demands your time and attention.

  Blondie: I didn't realize that you were so recently associated with the Watchtower. And I can understand your drive to prove it wrong. But it has been twenty years since my wife and I left. And after a time, we came to realize that our time is more valuable and precious than to dwell on what is wrong in every article and publication of the Watchtower. It's simply not worth it.

  I'm glad some of you benefit by this type of critical review. But my hope is that you'll be able to get beyond this need and start enjoying life without the Watchtower.
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  mizpah

  Opps...I forgot to answer your question, Blondie: Yes "Mizpah" does mean watchtower. But it has the significance of "May Jehovah watch between you and me while we are apart from one another." I always admired this sentiment.
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  blondie

  I understand your position, mizpah. Maybe in 20 years we will be where you are. Most of the people who read and post on my reviews are current JWs, slowly fading JWs, and those who have exited recently. But the far majority on JWD are past my reviews. They might read one because of a certain topic once in a great while. I rarely get more than 400 views and rarely over 20 responses. Nothing compared to other topics on this board.

  I appreciate everyone's comments about what they get out of the reviews. Because I no longer go to the KH, I no longer get the magazines. A JWD poster has been supplying me with the study articles. I have never been one to get into a long critique of 607 or is God real. That is not the reason I stopped associating with JWs. It was because the love of Christ was not there as an 'organization' as they claimed. There are individual JWs who are loving but they are getting tired of the battle too.

  Hopefully, my reviews encourage JWs to make sure of the more important things, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so, a nyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps, do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God.

  Many still have family and friends that are JWs that they would dearly love see leave, or these ones are trying to get them to come back to the WTS and my readers need to be able to make a stand for what is in their heart.

  I would like to know that we have learned from our JW history.

  George Santayana, a notable philosopher, coined the phrase, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

  And from Jerry Garcia, “Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.”

  Blondie
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  blondie

  Blondie--I am another who really appreciates all you bring to the DB. I am also curious--are you trained as a librarian? Your research skills are a wonder!

  kgf, I have worked in and around libraries for 40 years. I am a prolific reader and trivia expert. Thanks for the compliment; I am amongst many giants on this discussion board. I research mostly for others so it is a new experience to try and pull the information together. The WT-CD and Google are my greatest tools as well as my connections with various libraries. But I have to be careful because I do agree with this verse: Ecclesiastes 12 12 But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else.
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  Far North

  I got into a debate over the change in the paragraph about who will in the end attack Jehovah's people. The 'Sister' said it didn't matter who does it, not addressing the fact that it is a change in viewpoint. I mentioned that we don't hear about the United Nations like we used to and surprisingly she said that maybe the Society is backing off to get hasseld less in certain countrys. I asked "Isn't that compromising?".

  It was a waste of time trying to discuss it. I could kick myself for all the hundreds of hours I spent at the Book Studies over the years studying the old and newer Revelation books three times each, even often as the Conductor, learning about the damndable United Nations who is as filthy and vile as Babylon the Geat, looking at pictures of lightning cracking the building in half and asking the audience to repeat step by step the stages of the Great Tribulation and the role of the United Nations.

  I wanted to go today to hear how that paragraph was addressed or glossed over but I had an opportunity to stay home without creating a confrontation, so here I am. I enjoy this more than the meetings.
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  Gadget

  I rarely get more than 400 views and rarely over 20 responses. Nothing compared to other topics on this board.

  I always read the threads, but don't always respond, and yet these have been one of the biggest helps to me in realising the truth about "the truth" since coming to this board.

  Thanks Blondie. ((()))

  do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God.

  Gadget
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  blondie

  Yes, Far North, most JWs do not want to be confused with the facts. In about 5 years, she/he will have themselves convinced that the UN was never connected directly with the prophecy. That is why I try to hang the WTS with their own words. Just be glad "you" can see it. I know I was blind for so long.

  Gadget, thanks, for your encouraging words. And you highlighted one of my favorite scriptures. Of course, the WTS says we can trust them, they are God's channel. We don't need to test their expressions.

  2/15/81 WT p. 18

  How shall we view the spiritual food provided by this "faithful and discreet slave"? Should it be viewed critically—‘Oh, well, it might be true but then again it might not be and so we have to scrutinize it very critically’? Some apparently have felt that way about it. To support their way of thinking they have quoted Acts 17:11, which says of newly interested persons at Beroea: "Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so."

  But does this mean that those Beroeans were looking for flaws in the message they were hearing, or that their attitude was one of doubting? Does this set a precedent for regarding critically the publications brought forth by the "faithful and discreet slave," with a view to finding fault? Not at all!

  Blondie
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  Blueblades

  Hi Blondie ! As a former book study and watchtower study conductor I very much appreciate all the time and effort you put into these reviews.

  I look forward to them every week and follow along in my copy which I mark up and keep for the record and future visits from the elders.

  For ten years I too worked in a library and used to read all day and get paid for it!

  Now back to Gog,it is still not clear who,what,when, where and why?Is he Earthly,fleshly or Spirit Creature?Does the account apply twice,once in the past and then again in the future or is it a dead issue come alive in the revelation book?

  I admit that sometimes I just get worn out,trying to make sense out of all of this.My age must be slowing me down ( 60 yrs.)I just don't know anymore,because all of this is based on a belief system that itself is based on the inspiration of the Bible.

  Thanks again for the hard work you do that does benefit many on this forum.

  Blueblades
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  happy man

  Today I ask the WT conductor after the WT studie , do you see the bigg news in todays studie?

  He look very confused , and I tell him was this not bigg news, we dont now who going to atack us, wasnt it UN, he say yes perhaps , it is the king of north, and we dont now who he is?

  I also tell some others, but they have not understnad this was a change, very clever done,

  most never understnad this new light.
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  Pistoff

  farnorth wrote:

  I wanted to go today to hear how that paragraph was addressed or glossed over but I had an opportunity to stay home without creating a confrontation, so here I am. I enjoy this more than the meetings.

  I went; the entire congregation collectively yawned through the paragraph. I almost fell off my chair; for decades, the UN is the embodiment of evil political opposition to the "sovereignty" of Jehovah; all of the resolutions to the "nations" to give up rulership, to acknowledge the sovereignty of Jehovah; they would most certainly lead the attack against religion. They WERE for sure who Gog used to attack.

  No longer; this is the end of the era concerning the hatred of the UN; now of course, the involvement that the WTS had with the UN will not be nearly such a big deal, since we no longer villify the UN and in true 1984 style, we NEVER felt that the UN was evil.

  And NO ONE in the congregation here noticed, or if they did, did not dare.