WT June 2025: We Are Not Blind We Just Don't Know
by raymond frantz 24 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Journeyman
Personally, I am glad that they are now admitting that they do not know. It is better than making things up.
That's true, but it's going to come with an enormous backlash in payback (which is already starting). You can't string "generations" of people along for a lifetime then say "sorry, we were wrong" without expecting serious repercussions.
The error was in the arrogance of claiming to have "secret" knowledge of dates and times in the first place, and assuming YOU were right, even if the previous guy wasn't, time and again, despite the fact that the Bible itself warns against that very thing.
That, coupled with the R&F being encouraged to put their hope in the wrong thing (ie: imminent "salvation" and quick "rewards", rather than on service to God and Jesus for the long term as a "net good" in its own right)
One of the main reasons why I have never felt as badly let down as many others who have associated with JWs for decades - including many who were "exemplary" for years - is that I never believed the "it's just around the corner" thing, with all the comments like "oh, you'll never leave school in this system", "you'll never retire in this system", etc, etc. I always felt that, when you look back at the sweep of history, even just since the days of the Millennial movement, Barbour, Russell and all that lot - people had come and gone believing the end was "imminent" and it wasn't then, so why right now? It seems the height of arrogance to assume YOU and YOUR era will be the ones, when many have gone before who were mistaken (no offence intended to any ex-JWs who sincerely believed that in the past - I mean from the point of view of those teaching that idea.)
I've always felt that when God decides it's time, he will do it. Just because 1914 was a massively significant year from the perspective of human history, does not mean it has the actual meaning the JWs think it has. But for all the things they have changed recently, they are still adamantly insisting they have nothing even SLIGHTLY wrong with the teaching on what happened in heaven in 1914.
And Listener is right that they are still doubling down on the message "well, we are still God's only channel, so although we were wrong in the past and we can't claim to be infallible now, you should still listen to us exclusively and obey what we say". That way lies madness, and guaranteed failure.
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LongHairGal
JOURNEYMAN:
I agree with your post very much.
The religion has strung along generations of people for a lifetime with arrogant claims of ‘dates and times’.. The tragedy is that the people in the religion who made these claims have gone to their graves after living a cushy life - meanwhile those gullible individuals who based their whole lives on this are left holding the bag!
Like you, I never believed the ‘it’s just around the corner’ hype and held onto my job. I also was raised Catholic and had my father’s wisdom. Even though I’m long ‘Faded’ from the JWs I will never forget how badly I was viewed because I wouldn’t follow absurd advice.
Let the religion keep doubling down on their message. Makes no difference to me since I am long Out.. In my opinion, it is to placate the older Witnesses there who gave up so much for the religion and are angry the ‘new system’ isn’t here!
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Gordon
Its not the future you need to know, it's the truth about being a Christian and then having the faith to walk with Jesus everyday.
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Gman2001
"We are blind.....but you still must follow us "