by blondie 19 Replies latest watchtower bible
Blondie
I understand that some want to purge themselves of WTS dogma. But no matter where we go on JWD we encounter that. I try to take the "authority" out of their words and help people see that "emperor has no clothes on."
and you do an excellent job of it too
Jehovah does not communicate directly with anyone today.How can the WT write this and in the same breath expect their members to be following the leadings of the FDS? If they aren't communicating with God on these things how they expect their members to trust and follow their directions? JWs are taught that obiedience to the WT Org is an absolute and equivolent to obiedience to God. How does that add up? PS, thanks again Blondie. Great study as usual.
Damn it Blondie!
It's your birfday...you're supposed to take the weekend off.
Just wondering, though...
It seems more and more frequently a theme of "Stay awake, don't speak negatively, don't let up, keep working" than it was, say, 15 years ago. Am I right?
Dear Blondie,
Thanks again. As usual, a brilliant effort.
Two points I had not thought of before.
1. ? Now how is this any different than when David fled from King Saul. Was Urijah a coward and David a hero??
Good insight.!!
2. And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.. . . REVELATION 17:6
I have often thought about the one you quoted:
?But YOU will receive power when the holy spirit arrives upon YOU, and YOU will be witnesses of me both in
However the Revelation 17 quote is very powerful because it is referring to the time of the end. I loved it, thank you, thank you and thank you again.
yesidid
It's interesting they need to focus on how much "the world hates them". I think they wear this as a badge of honor, a proof they are on the right path, but I find it hard to really believe this is true. It's set up to seem this way - ie rules against birthdays & holidays which are simply a way to create friction between believers and their unbelieving family, workmates and other potential distractions. When it comes to real "persecutions", it's not because they are jehovah's witnesses, but because they dared to stand up to a government that wishes to make an example out of them. As if this never happens to non-Witnesses.
They are not the only conservative fundamentalist group out there using insidious tactics to maintain the status quo, in fact they really don't amount to much in the big picture compared to politically active fundamentalist groups that focus on changing social policy outside of their sphere of control, inflicting their backward beliefs onto the public in order to maintain the status quo.
They aren't hated, it's just that there is really no reason for the world to applaud some of their backward thinking, and why should they?
And it seems useful to keep in mind that Jeremiah's adversaries were not Caananite ``worldlings" but top-ranked members of Jehovah's ``typical theocracy" -- ``God's Organization" or ``spiritual paradise" of his day. So the WTBTS analogy is unsound; it would far more apt to compare Jeremiah and his relentless criticism of the backsliding Judean elite to today's the so-called apostates who incur the wrath of the JW leadership by their speaking out.
How can the WT write this and in the same breath expect their members to be following the leadings of the FDS?
This is because the FDS is spirit directed--most of its current direction can be traced back to J. Rutherford, and J Rutherford largely took direction from distilled spirits.
It's interesting they need to focus on how much "the world hates them".
Common mind control cult tactics: Us vs. Them, Good vs. Evil, inside vs. outside. Name any desctructive cult and you'll most likely find the same sentiment. I don't think the Branch Davidians felt very warm and fuzzy with the outside world either.
Thanks, Blondie for this awesome service you provide. As a WTS "outsider" this provides me great awareness of the "food" that my loved one is fed weekly. With that comes a great feeling of empowerment and less helplessness.
Oh, by the way, I was rather surprised to see how watching "violent sports" is taboo. Do they really look down on watching football? Or are we talking just boxing and pro-wrestling (if you can call that a sport)?
Our times Jeremiah is perhaps Bill Bowen.
Hi Blondie,
I will add my thanks also.
It absolutely amazes me how the Watchtower pumps out basically duplicate information over and over and over again and charges their followers money for this. In my lifetime there must have been 100 articles about following the example of Jeremiah. For each a watchtower has to be produced. Here's an idea. Why not just study the book of Jeremiah and not go through the cost of printing all those magazines.
Oh, thats right it is a publishing company.
w82 10/1 p. 27 Be as Men Who Are Facing Har?Magedon Unafraid One thing is now certain: if the "prophet" class, the Jeremiah class, is facing Har?Magedon, it is also facing the fall of Babylon the Great. Most of those responsible to instruct the people?the prophets and the priests?were not on the side of truth. Hmmmm????.
Your absolutely right Blondie.
Identify harmful associations and shun them completely.Any thinking, questioning person that is! Anyone who DARES disagrees with the FDS!
What do you think he (Paul) would say to a Christian who watched immoral or violent movies or violent sports (like football and soccer????) How would he counsel a brother (sister?) pursuing friendships with total strangers on the Internet? What would he think of a Christian who spent hour after hour playing video games or watching television but did not have good personal study habits? Why do they pick Paul, why not Jesus? Why are only brothers mentioned pursuing friendships on the Internet?
Guilt, guilt, guilt?.
Another glaring example!
Sounds to me like the WTS/FDS is trying to plug the holes, the faithful are fleeing or at least slowing down. And the ones leaving in droves?"young ones."
I seldom disagree with you Blondie...and I wont here! Thanks for your efforts!
