The word “worldly” is still being used, but I’ve heard the term “non believer” or “unbeliever” as an attempt to replace “worldly”. Think about it though, if you’re a devout Catholic, you would still be considered a “non believer”
Explanation please on the change of the term "worldly"
by careful 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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slimboyfat
I think there was a specific direction to stop using it in the last 10 or 20 years. But don't ask me where.
There are some JW words that are commonly used in conversation that are rare in the literature. Even the term "the truth" is seldom used in the literature but is very common in speech.
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ttdtt
I still heard it all the time - from everyone.
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dbq407
Yep they still use the term around here too. I refuse to use it because it is a derogatory label. And as far as i'm concerned, every witness i've ever met has a "worldy job, car, house, takes worldly vacations, buys worldly clothes, supports worldly businesses, etc. So unless they want to stop doing those things, they are as worldly as anyone.
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slimboyfat
Hang on, I think I might have mixed it up with another JW phrase.
There was a WT article saying JWs should stop using the term "the Society" in everyday conversation. (Always a very amorphous JW phrase/concept, with overlapping references to the Watchtower as a legal entity, the Governing Body as spiritual leaders, and the "new world society")
Which phrase I think has become less common as a result, but not totally died out.
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eyeuse2badub
More mish mash from the creators of the distinction at john 1;1 were the word "god" becomes "a god". It's part of the "pure language". Listen, obey, and shut up!
just saying!
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steve2
To reiterate, they still use the adjective, “worldly” but primarily to describe unbelievers’ behaviour and/attitudes.
So posters are correct - the word is still being used. JWs just don’t use it to describe people.
So, you shouldn’t hear a JW call another person a worldly person but they can refer to the things that person does as worldly.
The distinction makes sense from a politically correct point of view but I acknowledge it must be lost on some JWs who continue to use it to describe people.
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pbrow
While in family court with my ex in the past year I used "worldly" when referring to my children's friends (somewhat mockingly) and my ex was openly agitated and said "we do not use that term.
I got out in 2010 and it was used by everyone I know.
pbrow
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Betheliesalot
"Paradise, don't miss it for the world"
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neverendingjourney
There were people in my congregation who still believed the end would come before the generation of 1914 passed away years after the 1995 WT article changed the official interpretation.
Needless to say, not everyone reads their WT or pays attention at the KH, and old habits die hard.