Explanation for changes to Disfellowshipping rules at Annual Meeting

by Listener 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Listener
    Listener

    Wally, a Youtuber from JW Thoughts highlighted something that was said by Kenneth Cook Jnr in the Annual Meeting. He thinks it may be removed before they publish the AGM. I doubt we would see it in writing either.

    Part of Kenneth's talk was about the changes regarding disfellowshipping and the clip from JW Thoughts Youtube shows him saying -

    Well throughout the scriptures we see Jehovah's warm appeal to wrongdoers, urging them to repent At Zech 1:3 we read that Jehovah told his prophet "say to them this is what Jehovah of Armies says 'return to me declares Jehovah of armies and I will return to you'"
    But does our increased understanding of Jehovah's mercy here mean that his righteous and just standards have somehow been changed? So to answer a question from earlier, James 1:17 tells us that Jehovah does not vary or change and quoting Jehovah himself, Malachi 3:6 says "I am Jehovah, I do not change."
    So then, Jehovah does not change and his standards as to what is right or wrong has not changed. That is why recent adjustments to our view of God's mercy is just that - adjustments to our view for understanding. Have you been able to adjust? And because Jesus doesn't change, he still has the same desire to drive out what is bad.
    Since sin is still on the earth, the Elders will continue to remove unrepentant ones from the congregation...

    Wally then comments on the highlighted remark stating -

    So now we have a Governing Body member admitting that Jehovah has his standards and those are set, that his mindset, those are just set in stone and the adjustments that the GB make are, to their viewpoint, just that, adjustments to their viewpoint.
    He is explicitly saying that Jehovah isn't talking to the GB to make rules, Jehovah isn't leading the organization. When adjustments are made he is not saying that Jehovah is making the adjustment because Jehovah's standards are already set. He is saying that it is the GB just deciding and in my memory, I know they've talked about being fallible or getting things wrong but I don't remember them outright looking Jehovah's Witnesses in the eyeballs saying "when we make adjustments, it's just us making stuff up. God already has his standards, we don't really know what they are but (some) we just do the best we can.
    It was a very strange thing for him to say. I'm not entirely sure he knew exactly the implication of what he was getting at but I found it absolutely amazing because normally we would hear something like, 'oh no, we're fallible but you've just got to trust us because God is using us' Well now you're making it sound like God wasn't using you because if God had his standard already set and your adjustments are just you changing your mind than where is the correlation that God or Jesus is actually using the organization.
  • Listener
    Listener

    Here's Wally's Youtube where the above was taken from

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy-Ok5TgIJU

  • Konagirl
    Konagirl

    This definitely was a stressful or embarrassing presentation by Kenneth Cook. Maybe because he was standing up against the majority view of the GB? Or standing up against Mark Sanderson, who said previously,

    “When a person has been removed from the congregation, we stop keeping company, not even eating with a man. However, that does not mean that a Christian can not invite a disfellowshipped person to attend a congregation meeting. Therefore we do not need to avoid them completely.”

    I noticed how beet red K. Cook’s ears were by the time he said,

    “Since sin is still on the earth, the Elders will continue to remove unrepentant ones from the congregation”.

    And he is meaning to "drive out what is bad".

    1 Cor 5:11 - "But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person."

    JWs gather together to "eat" and "drink" spiritual "food". (Matt 7:15-20) Considering their corrupt doctrine, who then should the individual "drive out", away from themselves, if not the "anointed" apostate lying leaders of the Wt, who call themselves "brothers" of Christ?

    "Don't work for the food that perishes (“adjustments, new light”) but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him."

    "I am the bread of life," Jesus told them. "No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again.” John 6:27,35


  • blondie
    blondie

    It seems the GB is getting on the beard bandwagon.

  • TonusOH
    TonusOH
    "Don't work for the food that perishes (“adjustments, new light”) but for the food that lasts for eternal life

    So... Twinkies?

  • blondie
    blondie

    TonusOH hahaha Twinkies

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    They’re just trying to look nicer to keep from hemorrhaging members and losing their charity status/tax exemption.

    Ten bucks says that at the grassroots level, the asshelders will still treat the congregations in a heavy-handed manner, and the problems will continue…

    …’cause by now, almost all the thoughtful, conscientious ones are off the docket.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    It’s a confusing mess. I don’t think JWs know if they are coming or going with the DFing rules now.

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    Elaine on her JWescape channel just had a vid about this.

    On perhaps why the August 2024 WT was delayed. Probably about the archaic dfing rules. Probably trying to appear as a ""nicer,,, gentler & kinder"" religion in light of what's happening in Norway.

  • Riley
    Riley

    I don't know how these people even take themselves seriously.

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