Confused: What does the overlapping generation really mean?

by MicaSmith 57 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  MicaSmith

  Hello:

  Can someone help me understand how the WT came up with the overlapping generation theory? I just don't understand it even though I read the information several times. It's bewildering. Does anyone know how persons in the organization accepted this new light when it was released?

  I have not been to the Kingdom Hall in over a year, and before that I've had long absences due to neurological challenges. I missed a lot apparently because I knew nothing about the overlapping generation. I wish someone had sent me some info on this from my congregation. Upon reading it, I would have extricated myself from their spiritual asylum.

  I copied and pasted the question and answer paragraph I read below:

  Source:http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102014240?q=overlapping+generation&p=par

  18, 19. How may we understand Jesus’ words about “this generation,” and what may we conclude?

  18 How, then, may we understand Jesus’ words about “this generation”? The generation consists of two overlapping groups of anointed ones—the first is made up of anointed ones who saw the beginning of the fulfillment of the sign in 1914 and the second, anointed ones who for a time were contemporaries of the first group. At least some of those in the second group will live to see the beginning of the coming tribulation. The two groups form one generation because their lives as anointed Christians overlapped for a time.*

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  I feel foolish having been a part of this organization. Who came up with this overlapping theory? It's surreal!
  

  Thank you,

  Mica Smith
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  TheOldHippie

  So when you say that "I feel foolish having been a part of this organization. Who came up with this overlapping theory? It's surreal!" - do you really want to have an answer, or do you only want to get support for the idea of yours that it is foolish and surreal?
  
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  tornapart

  It was this teaching that finally did it for me... I could see it was totally bizarre and the only reason for coming up with it was to prop up their teaching of 1914. I realised it couldn't prop anything up and for me the rest came down like a pack of cards.
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  Gayle

  Nobody can 'understand' the WT teaching on the "overlapping." Some may say they understand, because of the their peer pressure in org.
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  westiebilly11

  basically, anyone and everyone from the time of Adam till now/armageddon is of the 'same generation'., because no one can be born unless parents alive so all overlap lifelines. Which of course boils down to twaddle masquerading as new light...
  
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  MicaSmith

  Tornapart:

  I read it several times and did not understand how anyone could accept it as something real. It does cause you to question your reasoning and acceptance of other theories. Thanks for your input.
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  breakfast of champions

  If you're a Jehovah's Witness, it means you've been had.
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  MicaSmith

  Gayle,

  I love what Westiebilly11 said "twaddle masquerading as new light..."

  At least I can shed feeling foolish. It's clear that others are having trouble with this theory. It makes no sense.
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  Finkelstein

  Basically its theological bullshit to extend the significance of 1914 , which in itself is theological bullshit.

  They assert that its anointed ones and their life span that basically overlap from 1914, who self proclaimed themselves anointed ones only of the JWS faith. The WTS put itself with an anchor chained to itself by imposing what it did concerning 1914. When and if 1914 ever gets dropped so will this overlapping generation nonsense.
  
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  Xanthippe

  Can someone help me understand how the WT came up with the overlapping generation theory? I just don't understand it even though I read the information several times. It's bewildering.

  
  

  Mica I understand that this teaching came out in 1994, eighty years after 1914 so I presume they had to do something because the Bible says our years are 70 or if we have special mightiness eighty, NWT. So obviously they had to come up with something quick when it got to 1994.

  That's how they came up with it.

  Does anyone know how persons in the organization accepted this new light when it was released?

  Yeah my brother happened to phone me in '94 because he had heard I was pregnant. I asked him about the generation teaching as it was eighty years since 1914 and he said 'we're not serving Jehovah to a date'.

  So that's how they accepted it, well the ones who even noticed it.

  I had been out five years so didn't know about it. If he had tried to explain that to me I can tell you I would have laughed my head off as I did when I first heard about it here on this forum.