by Gill 30 Replies latest jw friends
Surely after over 100 years of failed prophecy you might be a bit more careful, or would you?
As a general rule, JW memories last until the next issue of The Watchtower. I witnessed this in 1976 when most acted like the Tower said nothing about 1975. When followers put their minds on hold, the Tower gets a free pass on anything they say.
JAVA - from my own experiences as a lifelong JW, until recently, it's essential for JWs to put their minds and thought processes on hold else they would not be able to remain 'in the troof'. Once you start thinking, you're on the way out to freedom.
If the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has really been lifted up above the mountains and all the nations are streaming to it, wouldn't their conduct reflect this? I mean, you can point back to errors in other organizational arrangements all you want, the fact remains that the administration at the full limit of the appointed times would be MUCH improved over those inferior shadows not just in scale and scope, but also morally.
As late as 2001 they were willingly an affiliate, associate, partner, colleague, subordinate organization attached to the UN/DPI as an NGO - a status they claimed made Christendom subject for destruction by God. If I refused to give up a membership to the Gymnasium Division of the YMCA I would be disfellowshipped for apostasy.
They are still teaching things that directly contradict the Bible: (ex: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/84617/1430686/post.ashx#1430686)
They have an organizational model that removes Jehovah's spirit from the individual and from the "class" that is supposed to be teaching us truth. Jesus plainly stated that the spirit of the truth would teach individuals - NOT organizations. (John 15-16)
They still advise relying more heavily on the admittedly uninspired word of men than on the Bible, thereby asking adherents to - in effect - "put their trust in nobles and the sons of earthling men."
These are a few very simple things to demonstrate. In my opinion, without confidence in the organization, confidence in the promises made by the organization would erode on its own. I see no need to strip confidence in God or the Bible from people who are just waking up.
Respectfully,
OldSoul
Gill -- You're right; "Once you start thinking" you're out. The Tower keeps the flock busy for two reasons.
Most Witnesses don't have time to read The Watchtower cover to cover, much less time to question Big Brother. But if and when one starts the process of really thinking, the house of cards comes down. I remember attending meetings when I was going through this phase and thinking, "none of this really makes sense."
Old Soul and JAVA - too right!
That's the thing with the JW lifestyle, it's designed to be exhausting and totally brainwashing. Unless you're brain is switched off there's no way you can dance to the tune that the WTBTS is currently playing. And then, to cap it all, as soon as you've learned one dance they go and change the tune!
See Luke 21:8 When Christ foretold the coming of false Messiahs, he spoke also of men who would come saying:
?the time is very near now?, and he counselled ?never follow men like that?.
1975 passed, as had 1881, 1914, 1918, 1920, 1925.
My questions are these:
How did the predictions reflect on God and on His Word?
When men say they do this on the basis of the Bible and that they are God?s channel of communication, what is the effect when their forecasts prove to be false? Does this build up faith in God and in the reliability of his Word or have the opposite effect?
With the benefit of hindsight, with honest reflection, would it have been better to have acted discreetly with regard to time prophecies, and followed Jesus? words of caution in Matthew?s gospel?
Jesus indicated that a similar 'day' is coming in our time
There it is again......
*** w80 4/1 p. 31 Many Now Living Will Never Die ***
Many
Now Living Will Never DieThis is no wild assertion. There are sound reasons to believe it.
The Watchtower and Awake! magazines regularly point to these Bible-based reasons. You will receive both magazines (four copies a month) for one year by sending only $5 (U.S.) to Watchtower, Wallkill, N.Y., 12589
They will of course, never learn!
They are nothing without the end being around the corner.
Frankly, I'm more intersted that I am seeing more references to Noah interlaced with the end times. I seem to remember a recent article that was referring the time it took that storytime character to build such a boat. It felt like they were trying out a new prophecy. Was it 2034?
and where does 2034 come from? Not by any chance 1914 + man's life expectancy of 120 years? (I think I read that somewhere in Bible - correct me you learned ones!)
