The generation failure was huge, perhaps an even bigger deal than 1975, in my opinion. It wasn’t a specific date but it was a massive disappointment. I think the graph below shows it had a bigger impact on JW growth in Britain than 1975 did. You can see there was a temporary dip after 1975, but there was a much more prolonged decline and stagnation following the revision of the generation teaching in 1995.
slimboyfat
JoinedPosts by slimboyfat
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9
Gaslighting older JW couples to avoid BLAME
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/kvdqtookscu?si=fuqhj44cokmdzkt7.
one of the greatest issues facing the organization today is couples that sacrificed family life or businesses opportunity in order to preach the many dates the watchtower set in the .
past only to be betrayed in recent years as the watchtower is moving away from date setting.
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9
Gaslighting older JW couples to avoid BLAME
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/kvdqtookscu?si=fuqhj44cokmdzkt7.
one of the greatest issues facing the organization today is couples that sacrificed family life or businesses opportunity in order to preach the many dates the watchtower set in the .
past only to be betrayed in recent years as the watchtower is moving away from date setting.
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slimboyfat
The only specific date that was set in the lifetime of anyone now alive was 1975 and that was a long time ago. It’s misleading to say anyone around now gave up opportunities to “preach the many dates the Watchtower set”.
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16
Sad observation
by Gorb inreading about jw.org rules changes these days gives me a sad observation.. everything what "is" today, can be gone tomorrow.. that makes it all worthless.
you were an elder, searching for evidence, and proof to df a person.
because he or she was not humble enough.
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slimboyfat
Very gradually and with mixed signals.
On the one hand they have got rid of the word “disfellowship”, told elders only to remove people as a last resort, and then only for three months or so, and to say hello to them at the meetings in the meantime. That seems like a huge change.
On the other hand, apostasy is still viewed the same, all the procedures are still in place to remove people, and they haven’t technically rescinded the instruction from earlier videos to socially cut off relatives in an effort to incentivise them to return to the organisation.
How will the new instructions be applied by JWs and will further relaxation of the rules follow? Are they going to remove the extreme shunning videos of the past few years and disavow their message?
Things are a bit up in the air and we wait to see how things land. In the meantime there is still scope for elders to convince themselves that not much has changed, if they are included to that view, and so not condemn themselves for past actions. If the organisation spells out the changes slowly and sends mixed messages along the way then they will leave room for elders to make sense of the changes in ways that can sit more comfortably with their past actions.
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25
Watchtower Used to Teach Jesus Was Not an Angel and was "the Lord from Heaven" Who Died on a Cross!
by Sea Breeze in.
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no wonder they instructed congregation elders to throw away old literature from kingdon hall libraries.
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slimboyfat
Thank you for even acknowledging that early 1st and 2nd century church Leaders quoted 1 Timothy 3: 16 as "God" and not "He".
I didn’t say that. I said:
I agree that quotations from early church fathers is one of the strands of witnesses that can be useful for recovering the early text.
The situation seems to be the opposite of what you stated above. Metzger notes that early church Fathers read “who was manifest in the flesh” in 1 Tim 3:16 and “God manifest in the flesh” is not attested by any writer until the last third of the 4th century. (See pages from his textual commentary attached) Where did you get your information?
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16
How many JW in the 1920's
by xaminewt ini'm trying to find out how many jw there were globally in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927 and 1928. the watchtower of 1926 says that there were 25,000 in attendance at the magdeburg convention for the public address, but the same watchtower say that one the last day of the convention there were 15,000 present, so i assume at least 10,000 were interested persons - non jw.
the watchtower 1955 says: "for this year of 1927 the number in attendance at the spring memorial internationally was 88,544, yet of these only some 18,602 were active as house-to-house kingdom announcers".
these statistics would seem to imply that the majority of jw in 1926 were at the magdeburg convention.
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slimboyfat
I would like to know how many baptized JW there were globally in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928
I doubt this specific information can be found anywhere. We don’t even know how many baptised JWs there are today because the publisher number includes unbaptised publishers, and not all baptised JWs are active, and some report preaching irregularly.
On the point about the number of JWs in Germany, it was indeed the country with the second highest number of JWs in the 1930s, but it was still behind the US, as far as I’m aware.
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10
Olympic games/ jw.org keep on the watch
by Gorb inthe main article on jw.org is about the succesfull olympic games 2024 in paris.. many withness watch all the sport episodes of the games, but jw.org comes with a sour story about the games and not reaching real peace.. again jw.org is on the wrong side of history a d doesn't feel the public anx jw opinion.
the closing remarks of the ioc president bach, thaf the games will not reach peace but plant peace in the hart of people was a strong message.. the organization and message of the games is all that jw.org wants to, but can't.. very sad and narrow minded, as ever.
gorby.
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slimboyfat
I hate the Olympics. I’m 100% on board with this, in fact they don’t go far enough in my opinion.
But I do realise that’s a minority view and many people, including JWs, will agree somewhat with your perspective.
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152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
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slimboyfat
Yes Jeffro it matters to people who think it matters, to state the obvious. You’re entitled to your opinion, as are others.
Vanderhoven7,
The point is that Jehovah's Witnesses are not permitted to have a personal relationship with Christ or even to express their gratitude or praise directly to him.
It’s that JWs follow Jesus’ own instruction to address prayers to God through him, and follow the pattern Paul set of directing thanks to God. If we are supposed to give prayers of thanks to Jesus then why didn’t Jesus tell us to do so, and why didn’t Paul do so?
Although prayers of thanks are not directed to Jesus in scripture, or in JW meetings, they do express their gratitude to Jesus in prayers to God and these expressions are often part of JW prayers, especially at the Memorial. In this sense JWs adhere very closely to the biblical pattern.
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26
Atlantis- Devastating News
by Newly Enlightened inhttps://youtu.be/k2hwesvuddq?si=7g6pvmqvcfh-cke4.
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slimboyfat
ChatGPT translation:
Dear Atlantis, dearest friend and so much more, I am in tears, wishing with all my heart that you recover. No matter what happens, I can't help but believe that all the work you've done will be your letter of recommendation, and having run so well, the eternal crown will be yours, and we will be the jewels that adorn it. You are and remain the best witness to the freedom of our consciences, not just in words but through all your acts of courage and perseverance in the face of that tentacled sect that is the Wt.
Atlantis, we love you, and we owe you so much. May we hear the cry of love that is ours, and may it deliver you from the terrible illness that afflicts you.
I cry and say thank you, you are so precious to us.
Martial
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152
Do JWs believe Jesus is an angel?
by slimboyfat ini would suggest:.
the short answer is yes.. the longer answer is a qualified yes, with some caveats.
the short answer is yes because jehovah’s witnesses teach that jesus is michael the archangel, their leader, eldest and most powerful, and have taught this since the very beginning of the religion.
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slimboyfat
Vanderhoven7, you say:
JWs have as much of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as they do with the angel Gabriel.Imagine not even being able to say "Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins.
Where did Paul ever say “thank you Jesus” as you suggest? Aren’t JWs here following the pattern Paul set of thanking God, or thanking God in the name of Jesus, and through Jesus? But not “thank you Jesus”.
'I give thanks to God always for you.' (I Cor. 1:4)
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all? (I Cor. 14:18)
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' (I Cor. 15:57)
Thanks be to God who in our Lord Jesus Christ always leads us in triumph.’ (2 Cor 2:14)
Thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.' (2 Cor. 8:16)
'Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.' (2 Cor. 9:15)
'I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. (Phil. 1:3)
'We give thanks to God always for you all ... remembering before God our Father all your work? (I Thess 1:2-3)
'For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you?' (I Thess 3:9)
'We are bound to give thanks to God always for you.' (2 Thess 1:3)
'Always and in everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ to God the Father: (Eph. 5:20)
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you?' (Col. 1:3)
'To the only wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 16:27)
'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' (Eph. 1:3)
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23
How would you rate the Watchtower approved songs?
by Vanderhoven7 ini was asking why jws won't sing any church hymns even if they were doctrinally correct.
jws asked me in response if i would sing any of their songs.. dan watkins wrote .
its a hilarious misunderstanding, if it does not come from the watchtower bible and tract society, then it is effectively considered as coming from satan.
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slimboyfat
The old classic From House to House here at 5.45