that settles it then, 3 lies. I guess my question is how do I get anywhere when not only are THEY lied to and indoctrinated, but they in turn lie to those trying to "reach" them? Again, I hope that her son not only heard the lies, but questions them.
Well, the experience is over
by HuskerMike 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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jgnat
Yes, I would say you planted some good seed in that boy. I would guess your wife is a good judge of character. Have some home-baked cookies in the freezer, just in case that boy comes back with more questions.
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HuskerMike
hey blondie,
I forgot to mention that the boy claimed it "stand up" that the church has admitted failures in regards to the false prophesies. Funny thing, HE brought up the false prophesies. He said that one of the reasons he accepts what they tell him is that they admitted failure. My question is "did they"? I thought they simply brushed 1914, 25, 75 et al under the rug. Did they actually admit failure?
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Zoewrex
ALL - Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the WTS did admit to changes in prophesy. "With the coming of the End 'New' information has been revealed to the annointed," has been the answer I was given by my father when I brought up that subject. I think you and your wife did the best you could and researching it the way you did was a great idea. I too enjoy talking to others of different faiths. I learn about theirs and this in turn enforces my own.
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gumby
At this I asked if they were allowed to read the Bible and come to their own conclusions, to which she said "YES".
*** Watchtower 2001 August 1 How to Make Your Advancement Manifest ***
First, since “oneness” is to be observed, a mature Christian must be in unity and full harmony with fellow believers as far as faith and knowledge are concerned. He does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and “the faithful and discreet slave.
[Emphasis Added]
Gumby
.....(Dubs hate to admit to many of their own beliefs.)
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blondie
Basically, Husker Mike, they said the rank and file read too much into their statements.
3/15/80 WT p 17-18
5 In modern times such eagerness, commendable in itself, has led to attempts at setting dates for the desired liberation from the suffering and troubles that are the lot of persons throughout the earth. With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man’s existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated.
6 In its issue of July 15, 1976, The Watchtower, commenting on the inadvisability of setting our sights on a certain date, stated: "If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises." In saying "anyone," The Watchtower included all disappointed ones of Jehovah’s Witnesses, hence including persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date.
Do you think the WTS took responsibility for this misleading information? I don't. These are weasel words.
1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses p 30-31
The brothers also appreciated the candor of this same talk, which acknowledged the Society’s responsibility for some of the disappointment a number felt regarding 1975.
7/15/76 WT p 440
It may be that some who have been serving God have planned their lives according to a mistaken view of just what was to happen on a certain date or in a certain year. They may have, for this reason, put off or neglected things that they otherwise would have cared for.
But they have missed the point of the Bible’s warnings concerning the end of this system of things, thinking that Bible chronology reveals the specific date.Did Jesus mean that we should adjust our financial and secular affairs so that our resources would just carry us to a certain date that we might think marks the end? If our house is suffering serious deterioration, should we let it go, on the assumption that we would need it only a few months longer?
Or, if someone in the family possibly needs special medical care, should we say, ‘Well, we’ll put it off because the time is so near for this system of things to go’? This is not the kind of thinking that Jesus advised.
Yet 2 years earlier, the WTS said:
Kingdom Ministry 5/74 p 3
Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world’s end.—1 John 2:17.
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mizpah
Blondie:
Thanks for the reminders of how the Watchtower tried to "wiggle out" of its responsibility in this whole matter. For anyone who was in the organization at the time, we know how the Society was pushing the date of 1975 and how Jehovah's Witnesses reacted from the late 1960s to the disappointment in the mid 70s.
We had district and circuit overseers give talks on the "emergency" because of the "short time remaining." One likened the time left to Joshua's last march around Jericho. Another said that we no longer counted time in years, but now we counted time in "months, weeks and days."
What I find disturbing, though, is the number of "old timers" who experienced all of this and yet deny that the Watchtower did this. I guess they must have "organizational amnesia."
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run dont walk
wow, that is somewhat harsh.
everyone has their own way of talking and dealing with JW's, no right or wrong way, thanks for sharing the experience, sounds like you got the kid wondering just a little, you will never get old-timers to see the Watchtower for what it is.
Someone said the above comment on a thread I did awhile back,
"Ran into two JW's today, I was on, It was classic." have a look.
So, don't take it personally, everyone handles things differently, and there is no right way or wrong way, I think you did great. I love the part about her not taking your material.
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