A couple of years after the generation change teaching I was on an RV study with a bro. The householder (a man) asked some embarrassing questions about everything. The bro. tried to weasel around with clever answers that didn't really answer anything. The householder was a little mad. When the bro. had to use his bathroom I tried to say something comforting (I don't recall my exact words). But when we left that house I knew I couldn't give a real answer to that man or anybody else. I felt very uncomfortable about my so-called beliefs after that.
"This Generation" change -- fallout evidence?
by reagan_oconnor 53 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
reagan_oconnor
Wow! Thanks everyone for your responses. I always wondered how many people were affected by that "new light."
Thanks for the charts, I'm bookmarking them for future reference.
Englishman! Good to see you.
WRT the Watchtower study -- think about it: by the time you get to the Watchtower study, the average pub has read the article at least 3 times -- once when they received the new issue, once to prepare for FS and again when studying for the Study. They're already indoctrinated lemmings.
I would never buy a car based solely on the marketing/sales literature at the dealership... I never cease to be amazed by how many dubs just listen to watever FDS says without any question. It makes you wonder if there are any JWs that are of above-average intelligence -- if they were really that intelligent, they would have LEFT already! I think that many stay b/c of family.
Thanks again for the input, everyone.
-
foreword
With all their number crunching and wanting the end to come on their own term, they tried to speed up things by mis-interpretating the fall of Jerusalem in 607, in some sort separating themselves from historical data placing the event in 587(which looked good for a while, they were different). If they hadn't tried so had in early days to speed things up, the generation would've only started in 1934 (+80=2014... giving them an extra 20 years) and we'd still be in the generation. All they needed to do in 1995 was put the blame on Russell and Rutherford explaining these guys ran ahead of Jehovah and voila! No more problems and a renewed hope.
-
sandy
<div>I remember being at the sunday meeting during this new light study. I was only 19 at the time and starting to "drift away" due to that pressing need young people have to party.
I remember being happy and relived about the change. I thought to myself, this is so good because it buy me more time to get my act together.
Deep down I was terrified of armegeddon. I wasn't sure Jah would forgive me for all the things I did and was doing.
Looking back though, that was about the time an elder's pioneer wife started missing a lot of meetings and dropped from the pioneer list. They said it was due to her ill mother but I often wonder if the change in doctrine had anything to do with it.
I read CofC and it was a tremendous help in putting to rest my fears. I'm now reading M. James Penton's book Apocalypse Delayed and it is helping me even more with my fear of armegeddon.
Learning about all changes and flip-flop doctrines is helping me truly accept that the FDS is not God's visible organization.</div> -
outoftheorg
I think that the major part of the rank and file do not understand the wbts teachings and publications.
To try and understand requires a lot of reading of books and magazines and of the bible and study.
How many of us have the time for that? How many would find it boreing and difficult.
And it is NOT any fun or fulfilling.
But they do LIKE and WISH for the PROMISES.
Everlasting life.
Total happiness.
And the big one " I WILL SEE AND ENJOY ALL OF THIS " but you non believers will not.
Seeing deceased loved ones resurected.
A feeling of superiority. Boy do they love that.
These are the payoffs.
So they only read the awake and watchtower and books at study. NOT a way to fully understand the bible or the wbts teachings and how they live up to the bible or do not.
Then little by little they give up trying to understand and just "stay the course" as they are told.
No doubts allowed, attend the meetings more and get out in service, everything in its due time, as the elders tell them.
When we reach this point, nothing is challenged, any changes are accepted, any excuse seems logical.
Only the wbts is truthful, and is spirit directed.
Anything else is directed by satan and not to even be looked at, much less examined.
At this point only something that brings the believer extreme physical or mental / emotional PAIN.
is strong enough to create enough anger / hurt feelings to leave or lash out at the cult and be removed.
Even then the ties that BIND still may linger on.
It is not easy to admit to myself, that this once was me.
Outoftheorg
-
DannyBloem
With all their number crunching and wanting the end to come on their own term, they tried to speed up things by mis-interpretating the fall of Jerusalem in 607, in some sort separating themselves from historical data placing the event in 587(which looked good for a while, they were different). If they hadn't tried so had in early days to speed things up, the generation would've only started in 1934 (+80=2014... giving them an extra 20 years) and we'd still be in the generation. All they needed to do in 1995 was put the blame on Russell and Rutherford explaining these guys ran ahead of Jehovah and voila! No more problems and a renewed hope.
I have to say I do not agree here (sorry). The whole sceme (scam) is based on the date 1914. If they would say, it was not 1914, then it is not 1918 etc etc. Just can't do it. They are too deep in the shit to step out now... Danny
-
foreword
No need to be sorry...LOL...I was just throwing ideas out there. Who knows, I might get one right.
-
blondie
WRT the Watchtower study -- think about it: by the time you get to the Watchtower study, the average pub has read the article at least 3 times -- once when they received the new issue, once to prepare for FS and again when studying for the Study. They're already indoctrinated lemmings.
I can't speak for every congregation in the world, but in the 40 years I attended, people had not read them by the time they walked in the door for the WT study.
1. Some had to ask for a copy from the attendant
2. Some were quickly highlighting the paragraphs so the mike handler would not see that they had not studied
3. I went in d2d with people who were offering the magazines without ever reading them. I used to test JWs by asking questions about the articles. They had no clue what was in them. I heard a sister give a presentation based on the title alone; I bet the householder was surprised when they found out what the article was really about.
4. Less that 5% read the magazines; and then only a quick glance through.
5. The only JW I could confidently said read the WT article was the conductor and not even then. I remember one conductor braggin how he had mailed in a conducting assignment. It seems he had not been scheduled and only found out he was conducting about 5 minutes before the public talk ended. So he hadn't even read the article.
Don't kid yourself, JWs are not reading their own magazines.
Remember when the WTS scheduled talks out of the side articles in the WT and Awake for the instruction talk. That was because no one was reading them.
Blondie
-
Erich
DannyBloem:
"The whole sceme (scam) is based on the date 1914..."
Hi. Even if this prophecy date failed totally, there are interesting coincidences nobody can deny, especially World War I.
Further, look at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/91759/3.ashx , where I wrote to GILL:
" E.g. think at the date "1975". There had not happened armageddon, of course. But interestingly, since those days, the world finance system is out of control, and all nations worldwide got high government debts. That situation led to globalization efforts that change nothing, except leading to more and more unemployment. The world situation meanwhile is irreparable. Is it pure coincidence? I dont know.
Einstein said an interesting sentence, before he died: > God is cunning but He is not malicious. <
Maybe sometimes he even is malicious too. He may expose non-biblical or behavior or hypocrisy in the best way, when their prophesies have the sort of fulfillment in a manner or at a date never expected...
E.
-
seattleniceguy
2014 will be devestating
I agree with this. As the date 1914 grows smaller and smaller in our rear view mirrors, it's going to seem more and more absurd. Think about it. Imagine you were studying with some religious group and they told you Christ had been ruling since 1832, and that the Devil had been cast out then, and was angry at the "short period of time" he had left. It would be totally laughable. 1914 is going to look like that someday.
Then again, if they're smart about it, they'll just quietly shift the emphasis to another year like 1935 or something. Still, I think it would be tough to do this without causing an uprising.
It'll be interesting to see what happens.
SNG