by Rainbow_Troll 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Wow there are still congregations in the UK? That would be interesting to see. Do you have any details of meeting times and places?
There's an interesting history of UK Bible Students here. They seem to have fizzled out mostly after the Second World War.
http://www.ukbiblestudents.co.uk/John%20Edgar/BIBLE%20STUDENTS%20IN%20BRITAIN.pdf
no idea SBF, I believe he used to travel to Ealing every Sunday for their meeting
If they still agree with all the wacky ideas about the pyramid measurements...then NO!
Why leave one wacky religion for another wacky one....
Lucky for me, along with research to reveal that JW's were a cult, I also researched the roots of JW's which would include the crap that Russell developed from his Millerite beginnings and would include the Bible itself.
So I won't be led astray by any religious crap anymore.
Once people get inundated with the stupidity and corruption of the Watchtower Corporation it makes it hard to get involved in any religion thereafter.
There are several active groups in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin. They aren't organized in a large organization like the WTS but they do exchange speakers with nearby groups, and have annual conferences that are recorded and posted online.
http://www.biblefellowshipunion.co.uk/
They vary in teachings greatly from those that base everything on the Studies in the Scriptures of Russell to those that barely mention him.
I met with a couple that were not ex-jws who became Bible Students, 4th generation Bible Students. Still sounded like jws in many ways. Still use the cross in their worship. Do look for people to teach their truth, many doing so online. Some move nearer a congregation when they get baptized. Women give talks and handle study groups in the more liberal ones.
Search a little bit in the US and you will find a group usually not to far from you. Some have websites and newsletters.
That was my first year out; my grandparents had been Bible Students and started the first congregation in my area...they all either left or switched over about 1931. I realized that many jws were totally ignorant about that time. 1959--Divine Purpose (which is a joke as a history book and out of date) 1975 Yearbook, and finally the 1993 Proclaimers book (carefully edited but still an eye opener for some jws enough to leave).
I found the group in Elgin, Illinois, to be a nice group who purchased a church. It has an attached kitchen and when a visiting speaker comes they have a potluck and everyone is invited. They have classes for children, child care room for children during the adult meeting, committees that organize and visit the sick, the lonely, the depressed, help with finances. They have live music presentations by people in their group. Much different from jws. Nobody is pressured to accept the old teachings of Russell, they just have moved on.
Yes, at one stage, I briefly thought of looking into the Bible Students with a view on joining them.
For all his flaws, CT Russell comes across as a much warmer and more humble man than Rutherford and most of the future WT presidents/members of the GB.
Do Bible Students actually exist as local congregations? - yes, Bible Student groups do exist today, having evolved from groups that split off from the WTS at different times.
Dawn Bible Students, Millennial Bible Students and others ...
I used to have some of p s l Johnson's 'Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures' (LHMM). I found it bizarre. His use of types and anti types made Fred Franz look like a sissy.
I found few of them were ex-jws who joined their group. There is a small (10) group in the city I live in but..........they have been studying the Revelation book for 5 years.....when I called them I said to call me back when they started another book. It has been 10 years, no call, no change. This is not true of most groups. It does prove groups tend to be autonomous.
What is the Micheal Heiser book called please Steel?
