If no news, then there is no news to share.
Posts by blondie
-
5
Questionable Claims and/or Actions of The Governing Body
by Vanderhoven7 inhere are a few of the questionable claims and actions of the gb that i have noticed:.
a. writing themselves into the salvation formula.
b. claiming they are jehovah's unique channel of communication.
-
blondie
Here is a list of statements the GB has said about obeying them explicitly, starting in 2022, many might remember the statement from 2013, that one is in here to, but some confirming that after 2013.
https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/quotes/trust-governing-body.php
(2022) As the end of this system of things draws near, we need to trust in Jehovah’s way of doing things as never before. Why? During the great tribulation, we may receive instructions that seem strange, impractical, or illogical. Of course, Jehovah will not speak to us personally. He will likely provide direction through his appointed representatives. That will hardly be the time to second-guess the direction or to view it with skepticism, wondering, ‘Is this really coming from Jehovah, or are the responsible brothers acting on their own?’ How will you fare during that crucial time in human history? The answer might be indicated by how you view theocratic direction now. If you trust the direction we receive today and readily obey, you will likely do the same during the great tribulation.
-
Polygamy WTS history 1941, 1947, 1951
by blondie ini bet you didn't know that the wts allowed male jws to keep the wives they had before being baptized, but no more after baptism....but only in countries where the government allowed polygamy legally.
i wonder how the scripture that says a christian man should only have one wife?
september 1, 1995 wt p. 25-26. it was in 1947 that the first three gilead graduates arrived in nigeria.
-
blondie
I bet you didn't know that the WTS allowed male jws to keep the wives they had before being baptized, but no more after baptism....but only in countries where the government allowed polygamy legally. I wonder how the scripture that says a Christian man should only have one wife? September 1, 1995 WT p. 25-26
It was in 1947 that the first three Gilead graduates arrived in Nigeria. One of these brothers, Tony Attwood, is still here, serving at the Nigeria Bethel. From that time on, we saw great changes in Jehovah’s organization in Nigeria. One of the big changes was our view of polygamy.
I married Olabisi Fashugba in February 1941 and knew enough not to take any additional wives. But until 1947 when the missionaries came, polygamy was common in the congregations. Polygamous brothers were told that they had married more than one wife in ignorance. So if they had two or three or four or five wives, they could keep them, but they should not take any more. That was the policy we had.
Many people had been anxious to join us, especially the Cherubim and Seraphim Society in Ilesha. They said that Jehovah’s Witnesses were the only people who taught the truth. They agreed with our teachings and wanted to convert their churches into Kingdom Halls. We were working hard to bring this about. We even had centers to train their elders.
Then came new direction concerning polygamy. One of the missionaries delivered a lecture at a circuit assembly in 1947. He spoke about good conduct and habits. Next he quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, which says that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. He then added: “And the polygamists will not inherit God’s Kingdom!” People in the audience shouted: “Oh, polygamists will not inherit God’s Kingdom!” Division resulted. It was like a war. Many of the newly associated ones stopped associating, saying: “Thank God, we have not gone very far.”
It was in 1947 that the first three Gilead graduates arrived in Nigeria. One of these brothers, Tony Attwood, is still here, serving at the Nigeria Bethel. From that time on, we saw great changes in Jehovah’s organization in Nigeria. One of the big changes was our view of polygamy.
I married Olabisi Fashugba in February 1941 and knew enough not to take any additional wives. But until 1947 when the missionaries came, polygamy was common in the congregations. Polygamous brothers were told that they had married more than one wife in ignorance. So if they had two or three or four or five wives, they could keep them, but they should not take any more. That was the policy we had.
Many people had been anxious to join us, especially the Cherubim and Seraphim Society in Ilesha. They said that Jehovah’s Witnesses were the only people who taught the truth. They agreed with our teachings and wanted to convert their churches into Kingdom Halls. We were working hard to bring this about. We even had centers to train their elders.
Then came new direction concerning polygamy. One of the missionaries delivered a lecture at a circuit assembly in 1947. He spoke about good conduct and habits. Next he quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, which says that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. He then added: “And the polygamists will not inherit God’s Kingdom!” People in the audience shouted: “Oh, polygamists will not inherit God’s Kingdom!” Division resulted. It was like a war. Many of the newly associated ones stopped associating, saying: “Thank God, we have not gone very far.”
It was in 1947 that the first three Gilead graduates arrived in Nigeria. One of these brothers, Tony Attwood, is still here, serving at the Nigeria Bethel. From that time on, we saw great changes in Jehovah’s organization in Nigeria. One of the big changes was our view of polygamy.
I married Olabisi Fashugba in February 1941 and knew enough not to take any additional wives. But until 1947 when the missionaries came, polygamy was common in the congregations. Polygamous brothers were told that they had married more than one wife in ignorance. So if they had two or three or four or five wives, they could keep them, but they should not take any more. That was the policy we had.
Many people had been anxious to join us, especially the Cherubim and Seraphim Society in Ilesha. They said that Jehovah’s Witnesses were the only people who taught the truth. They agreed with our teachings and wanted to convert their churches into Kingdom Halls. We were working hard to bring this about. We even had centers to train their elders.
Then came new direction concerning polygamy. One of the missionaries delivered a lecture at a circuit assembly in 1947. He spoke about good conduct and habits. Next he quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, which says that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. He then added: “And the polygamists will not inherit God’s Kingdom!” People in the audience shouted: “Oh, polygamists will not inherit God’s Kingdom!” Division resulted. It was like a war. Many of the newly associated ones stopped associating, saying: “Thank God, we have not gone very far.”
The majority of the brothers, however, started to mend their ways by setting their wives free. They gave them money and said, ‘If you are young, go and look for another husband. I made a mistake by marrying you. Now I must be a husband of one wife.’
Soon another problem came up. Some, after deciding to keep one wife and release the others, changed their minds and decided they wanted to take back one of the other wives and release the one they previously kept! So trouble started again.
Further direction came from headquarters in Brooklyn, based on Malachi 2:14, which refers to “the wife of your youth.” The direction was that husbands should keep the first wife that they had married. That was how the question was finally resolved.
-
4
DISFELLOWSHIPPING UPDATES JWFACTS.COM
by blondie ini have followed an ex-jw website that has many articles on the past history of the wts and current articles using wt publications to tell the real truth not just the edited wt version.
considering recent changes this link to df'ing was updated in august 2024. it is worth a serious read, puts things in categories and has timely comments from a long-time ex-jw from australia, ex-bethelite and father is a circuit overseer.
i have used this many times so i don't "reinvent the wheel" when discussing certain topics on jwn.
-
blondie
I have followed an ex-jw website that has many articles on the past history of the WTS and current articles using WT publications to tell the real truth not just the edited WT version. Considering recent changes this link to DF'ing was updated in August 2024. It is worth a serious read, puts things in categories and has timely comments from a long-time ex-jw from Australia, ex-Bethelite and father is a circuit overseer. I have used this many times so I don't "reinvent the wheel" when discussing certain topics on JWN. https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/disfellowship-shunning.php
-
5
Questionable Claims and/or Actions of The Governing Body
by Vanderhoven7 inhere are a few of the questionable claims and actions of the gb that i have noticed:.
a. writing themselves into the salvation formula.
b. claiming they are jehovah's unique channel of communication.
-
blondie
KerryKIng, or teaching that prophecies cannot be understood until they are in the middle of fulfillment.
"The Scriptural proof is that the period of his presence and the day of God's preparation is a period from 1874 A.D. forward. The second coming of the Lord, therefore, began in 1874; and that date and the years 1914 and 1918 are specially marked dates with reference to his coming. Prophecy can not be understood until it has been fulfilled or is in the course of fulfillment. From 1874 to 1914 the prophecy concerning the Lord's coming was being fulfilled and could be understood, and was understood, by those who were faithful to the Lord and who were watching the development of events, but not by others."Creation 1927 2,175,000 ed. p.289
WT July 1, 1951 p. 399 "There cannot be any doubt concerning these Daniel-recorded prophecies’ coming to pass in these “last days”, because it is so stated. It is further established that prophecy may be understood only after it has been fulfilled or during the course of its fulfillment. No matter who tried to grasp the meaning of these visions they could never know until Jehovah the “revealer of secrets” (Dan. 2:47) disclosed them by bringing the actual events to pass"WT December 1, 2017 p. 12-13 "“Interpretations belong to God” also in that he determines and directs when a prophecy is to be understood by his faithful servants on earth. The meaning of a prophecy can be discerned before, during, or after its fulfillment. Since God tied up the prophecies, he will unravel them at the right time—his time"
-
13
Witnesses after Covid shut down are increasing their calls around my neighborhood
by wozza inhi all , i just had another call by a an elderly jw ,let's call him ian.. only about 3 months ago i had a young jw call and trying to talk to him i had to tone it down a bit because he did'nt seem so theocratically bright as he only offered a tract and not much else , and i've had others call since covid.. so it seems around here they are making regular calls but not like back in the day when i used to auxillary pioneer where we would go over this turf every 1 to 3 weeks in the 80's.. but back to my caller ian ,on his own , but out with a group of jw's he was quick to get around the pleasantries and and so i interrupted him tactfully to slow him down.
started with a bit of my history easing into the fact that i had my first contact with jw's with my soon to be mother-in -law who was an invalided jw ,we had many good talks about her beliefs in the early 70's.. at this point he jumps in and wants to know if i would want a study again because i told him that i once did a study with jw's back.
i carefully steered him into telling me about those days ,what was he was doing back then.
-
blondie
wozza, I remember a jw told me that they WTS never forbade transplants, but I knew the WTS had a Questions From Readers , that showed all the possible reasons, it would be advisable not to have one. She said that they were not forbidden, although she always told people that her uncle died because he would not accept a kidney transplant even without transfusions being used. She said she did not remember saying that! The last sentence in this answer, says "The congregation judicial committee would not take disciplinary action if someone accepted an organ transplant." Why would the WTS says this if disciplinary action had been taken? In the March 15, 1980 Watchtower, Questions from Readers, p. 31 final paragraph it says this: "Clearly, personal views and conscientious feelings vary on this issue of transplantation. It is well known that the use of human materials for human consumption varies all the way from minor items, such as hormones and corneas, to major organs, such as kidneys and hearts. While the Bible specifically forbids consuming blood, there is no Biblical command pointedly forbidding the taking in of other human tissue. For this reason, each individual faced with making a decision on this matter should carefully and prayerfully weigh matters and then decide conscientiously what he or she could or could not do before God. It is a matter for personal decision. (Gal. 6:5) The congregation judicial committee would not take disciplinary action if someone accepted an organ transplant."
Here is a site that might be helpful regarding the history of the WTS views on transplants. https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/quotes/transplants.php
-
blondie
Beth Sarim, maybe?
-
5
Questionable Claims and/or Actions of The Governing Body
by Vanderhoven7 inhere are a few of the questionable claims and actions of the gb that i have noticed:.
a. writing themselves into the salvation formula.
b. claiming they are jehovah's unique channel of communication.
-
blondie
That's a good start.
-
263
Where is Tony?
by Athanasius inon february 22, 2023, anthony morris iii was officially removed from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.
a few months later it was revealed that the watchtower bought him a house in lumberton, north carolina.. however, and correct me if i am wrong, since leaving the gb nobody has reported seeing tony attending jw meetings or participating in field service.
in fact nobody has reported seeing him anywhere, not even at a local liquor store.
-
blondie
Gorby, the WTS must have made a deal with Morris to keep quiet about any details. The WTS did announce 3 times over time that certain GB members would no longer be on the GB. Ray Franz was one. Lots of rumors around Bethel at that time. Ray was not the only one asked to leave. BTW he was not the only one at Bethel asked to leave ,but that is another story. (let me add that Ray was not disfellowshipped tihen and later Ray was considered disassociated because he had lunch with a disassociated jw (he was not disfellowshipped, I know I heard it in person from him his wife and the disassociated jw that he had lunch with)
-
135
Rumour 144,000 literal number teaching to be abandoned at Annual Meeting
by slimboyfat insay it ain’t so!
.
in one sense it’s a no brainer because the figures just don’t add up any more.. in another (negative) sense it’s a no brainer because it’s been fundamental to jws since year dot and might undermine the whole thing?
-
blondie
This is a discussion that seems to be caught in a time loop. Me, I'm just interested in the WTS teaching changes on this topic if any and how current jws will react if it is changed. This has been a long time teaching since 1935 when the WTS came out with a new "understanding" that there would only be 144,000 members of the anointed, not all jws. The great crowd was introduced which said those who did feel clearly they had the call to heaven, would be part of that group to live forever on earth. Interestingly, it occurred about the time that the number of jws would soon be approaching over 144,000, (no room for anointed in the first century then).