How to account for the disappearing of the faithful slave class?

by Pole 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Pole

  The WTS managed to smoothly get out of the expectations they raised in connection with the generation 1914 'prophecy'. I can't remember any Jehovah's Witnesses complaining about it - not here in Poland at least. They definitely scored a point here in their game of indoctrination.

  However they still have a pretty obvious doctrinal problem. Most of the members of the 'faithful and discreet slave' are now growing really old. And more than half of them must be female (judging by the slightly higher life expectancy of women in general). Even fewer are capable of providing 'the spiritual food in proper time' (I mean doctrinal stuff - not just Awake kind of crap which can be contributed by the other sheep).

  It is my understanding that only the annointed witnesses can be in the top leading positions in the organization. And the general assumption among Jehovah's Witnesses is that the annointed must be attacked by Gog just before the final battle of Armaggedon.

  My question is: How will the WTS account for the vanishing of the fully-qualified slave class? What excuse do you think are they likely to use to explain it to 'the other sheep'? 'The faithful slave is no longer here, but stand firm, and wait for the end. Meanwhile, read new issues of Awake about animal wellfare which can be supplied by 'qualified men' of the other sheep'.

  My guess is that new members of the faithful slave will keep cropping up out of the blue - this can relieve the situation for some time. Just look at the following table (Gov Body - I forgot where I got it from - but I think the information here is reliable):

  first_name	surname	born	age
  Carey W.	Barber	1905	99
  Albert D.	Schroeder	1911	93
  John E.	Barr	1913	91
  Daniel	Sydlik	1919	85
  Theodore	Jaracz	1925	79
  Guy H.	Pierce	1934	70
  Samuel F.	Herd	1935	69
  Gerrit	Lösch	1941	63
  David H.	Splane	1944	60
  M. Stephen	Lett	1949	55

  Seems like the last three guys forming the GB are the very remnant of the remnant or something? Do you think this can go on for ever?

  What do you think????

  Pole
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  Undaunted Danny

  Insightful post Pole.In the late 1980's I remember 'new light' discussed at the Revelation Climax book study group.

  Said 'new light' was that;"The Great war of God almighty cannot commence until the last of the anointed are sealed".

  I recon,that makes em pretty important.Of course the Rev Climak book is 90% lies.

  All you 'anointed' contemplate your unsaved mortal decaying flesh.It's diaper time for you dopesters.
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  ohiocowboy

  Interesting post!!! I think they can justify it by what they have said recently about some of the Annointed falling away, and being able to be replaced by those who did not see 1914. In that way, they would be able to keep it going for an almost indefinate period of time. I do have to hand it to them, that they are able to weasel their way out of everything.....
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  cyber-sista

  Well, I recall some talks about how the work is being "delegated" out to the great crowd of faithful followers by the faithful slave since they are getting up in years. (In otherwords they are getting too old to do it themselves and no longer want the responsibility) Then once they get to heaven they will get to rule over all their people from above and will send messages back via those in charge--kind of like channeling, I imagine (My thought). In this way the faithful slave will live on in their glory. Actually I think there will always be a steady stream of those who partake at memorial time. I knew several of them over the years--mostly sisters who were not happy in their marriages, but nevertheless it keeps those partakers numbers up in the year book.
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  Pole

  I think they can justify it by what they have said recently about some of the Annointed falling away, and being able to be replaced by those who did not see 1914. In that way, they would be able to keep it going for an almost indefinate period of time.

  Still, it is going to be a tricky issue in few years' time for the Organization.

  It's one thing to just 'realize' that you belong to the annointed class, and quite another thing to realize that you are entitled to join the governing body - having to make up prophecies and rules which can mean life or death for the average witness (blood, 'neutrality', etc.).

  And the whole idea of some witnesses suddenly realizing that they are annointed is interesting by itself. The governing body can only be made up of annointed witnesses, right? SO, if those replacements can only be selected from a very small random population of some newly annointed freaks who have just discovered they are 'more equal' than other JW's, then who is going to lead the WTS in the near future? Nobody knows. Not even the GB members themselves.

  The hardcore GB members have been securing their position for so many years by claiming the other sheep can't produce spiritual food for themselves. And now the GB has to shoot itself in the foot. The 80+ year old members surely don't care that much. Like Danny said, their time is up, and they know it or at least they feel it. The new ones don't seem to be coming up with new prophecies.

  It's an interesting situation, because we (as outsiders) can predict a big wave of 'new light' coming before most JW's even start considering it.

  So heed my prophecy: new light is coming

  Pole
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  Room 215

  Pole, welcome to the forum. First of all, I think their real problem is that, when measured by numbers of partakers, the anointed are NOT disappearing, the number has hovered around 8,000-plus for some years now, in spite of all actuarial evidence that the figure should be in the very low four digits by now if their teaching held any water at all. In actual practice, few of those old men you cite have any significant role in writing or dishing out ``spiritual food:" most, if not all writing duties have been assumed by younger anonymous members of the ``other sheep' class.
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  BluesBrother

  When I was young and impressionable the steady decrease of the remnant and growth of the o/s was, i thought, evidence of Holy Spirit guiding things.

  But I know better now, anyway, in 1993 report there were 8693 partakers. In 2003 report there were 8565. that is a decrease of 128 being a 1.47% loss within a group of people that are supposed to have mainly been of adult age since the year 1935 ...Compare that with the steady decrease in numbers of World War 2 veterans who gather for reunions... something isnt right, is it?

  It is I beleive interesting that the report does not break it down by country. Perhaps there is a large increase in newer "fields" like Africa & Sth America? Have you ever heard those who claim to be 'in the know' talking about the 'real anointed'? as though the partakers are largely shamming

  Any way, It has nothing to do with Holy Spirit !!
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  XQsThaiPoes

  Considering the anointed are just gardern veriety born again christians, and those are quite common in the world I don't see the problem. I or they can play it safe and find some prebytarians. What really may end up the problem is the fact that the great crowd thinks they are christians and they will be wary of the younger crop of christians poping up at bethel.

  Considering the GB retired to pastoral care in 200 and don't have any official power, and because the definetion of the GB now is the anointed living at the head quarters. I mean imagine if a bunch of young anointed end up at bethel. With out the old former board of directors still around their will be no "well when we ran the place" guys to throw their weight around.
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  Pole

  Considering the anointed are just gardern veriety born again christians, and those are quite common in the world I don't see the problem.

  Well, that's clear enough. It's easy to maintain the number of memorial partakers in the region of 8000. They've demonstrated this capability for the last 10 years.

  I mean imagine if a bunch of young anointed end up at bethel.

  Now, that is exactly what I mean. The GB is a central institution in the org. Imagine you have a friend your age and this friend realizes he is annointed. He ends up as a member of the GB. With time he comes up with new reinterpretations of prophecies, which you have to accept as divinely revealed truth. The clandestine character of the GB is lost for good. YOu know this guy, and so you may have doubts as to why he is so more special than you are.

  This would certainly come accross as something against the current system of beliefs especially if new GB member could come from countries like Poland, where Jehovah's Witnesses know close to nothing about the GB.The only info they have is a few pictures + laconic captions which have appeared in some publications. And lots of speculations, which are largely false and which will prove to be false when the old-timers die out.

  However it seems the English speaking people are the Jews of the modern days in terms of taking the leading positions in the org. The chosen nation kind of thing. You don't stand a big chance of getting annointed as a Polish or Czech person :)). How can God be so injust?

  Ok, I'm not worried. I'm just curious... Even is all they need to do is come up with an well-phrased excuse, it's ironic that we can anticipate it....

  Thanks for all of your comments, guys.

  Pole
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  robhic

  And the whole idea of some witnesses suddenly realizing that they are annointed is interesting by itself. The governing body can only be made up of annointed witnesses, right?

  Not being a JW myself, this seems confusing. How can any member of the GB have been born after 1935? Annointed is one thing, but wouldn't a birthdate post 1935 kinda screw up any chance of being in the GB? How did the last 3 guys on the list at top evven get in there? Geez, they're just kids by comparison with the other GB members.

  Robert