In one of my meetings with the Elders, two of them asked me how they could be sure I hadn't altered one of the books I'd shown them.
In virtual disbelief I said: "Because it's your book; you watched me walk over to your bookshelves and remove it..."
after reading raymond franz's book crisis of conscience, it occurred to me how valuable a packet of only wt publications containing the truth about the truth would be.
many we want to reach of our loved ones would never believe something online or in a book.
but if you could order or download a packet made just of wt publications, you could reach them maybe.
In one of my meetings with the Elders, two of them asked me how they could be sure I hadn't altered one of the books I'd shown them.
In virtual disbelief I said: "Because it's your book; you watched me walk over to your bookshelves and remove it..."
i've always thought about this but have never received an answer on how the wbts explaiend the phenomenon.... to my understanding, every member of the wbts had the heavenly hope...however, by 2 classes were created...the heavenly, and earthly hope.... does anyone know the number of jw's as of that famous assembly of 1935 where the earthly hope was revealed and imposed?.
what is the wbts explanation for the thousands of jw's who had heavenly hope now all of a sudden have the earthly hope?.
this leads me to one conclusion...how dare this or any other organization determine what your hope or believe should be...shame on them.
The Watch Tower Society taught until 1935 that the "Great Crowd" was a second class of Christians with a heavenly hope.
The 144 000 were the Bride-class, the Great Multitude (Crowd) an attendant class ('Brides-maids').
The increasing numbers of Bible Students affiliated with the Watch Tower Society did not force the change in doctrine. The teaching allowed for large numbers of heaven-bound Christians. The Watch Tower Society taught the following in the 1917 publication The Finished Mystery on page 103:
FM103
Was ten thousand times ten thousand, and
thousands of thousands
.— The number of theGreat Company will apparently exceed one
hundred millions. Num. 4:46-48 and Ex. 28:1
indicate but one priest to each 2,860 Levites,
which would make the number of the Great
Company approximate 411,840,000.— T118,
119; Dan. 7:10. 5:12
Currently, belief that more than 144 000 will receive a heavenly reward will result in Disfellowshipping. (w 01. April 1986 QfR)
you guessed it.... .
http://www.jw.org/download/?fileformat=pdf&issue=201304&output=html&pub=g&langwritten=e&option=trgchlzrqvnyvrxf&txtcmslang=e.
cedars.
It sounds to me as though the Witnesses are in an abusive relationship:
(One only needs to alter a few words...)
Why do some Witnesses choose to remain with a soul-destroying cult? A common reason is that they fear things will get worse if they leave. The Watch Tower Society has threatened that God will harm or even kill them and their minor children if they tried to escape. Others have hesitated to leave because they fear that their friends and relatives would turn against them. For example, Isabel, whose experience is referred to at the outset of this article, left her religion. She states:"The entire congregation shunned me, and I was forced to move away with my children.”
Still other reasons why some disgruntled Witnesses choose to stay are:
from this week's congregation bible study, the first 8 paragraphs of chapter 4 in the jeremiah book.
page 44 as follows.. in our case, we certainly do not think of ourselves as worshippers of idol gods.
however, under the heading of "god", one dictionary says: a person or thing of supreme value.
“However easily one might start to minimize the wise, balanced advice from the faithful and discreet slave class about additional education and start to miss meetings!”
I wonder: Would this "wise, balanced advice" be from the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" when it was the entire faithful remnant of Anointed Christians worldwide, or is it only from the responsible Members of the Governing Body when serving as a group?
"Hence , how might we be misled?"
Well, I suppose we could take the screeds of the so-called "Faithful and Discreet Slave" seriously...
found this site: http://www.centralprint.net/jwtalks/covisits/docovisits.html.
large collection of do and co talks.
.
Huh...
I wonder why Charles Sinutko's talk "Serving With Everlasting Life in View" seems to be missing...
just finished our 2 day and one of the talks by the do indicated that single sisters in the congregation are to be subservient to all male brothers in the hall..as well a widow too is of the same "status".
is this a new thought or just now an open secret?.
personally, i dont think that is good - after all there are many elders who although, supposedly appointed by hs, can be personally involved with porn behind closed doors or nasty with his wife and family.. i personally know of two like that .... why should i listen to a "stranger" about my life?
According to the Watch Tower Society, Sisters are not "subservient to all male brothers in the hall":
"Single Sisters, not having a human head to consult with and confide in, may be apt to 'throw their burdens upon Jehovah." (Watchtower, 15. October 1996, p.13, paragraph 19)
(2 john 9,10) 9 everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the christ does not have god.
he that does remain in this teaching is the one that has both the father and the son.
10 if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him.. .
You need to consider the context.
Verse seven indicates that the writer has in mind persons "not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the anti-christ."
The verse emphatically does not require the shunning of individuals who reject the unscriptural teachings of the Watch Tower Society. Indeed, it may be necessary to reject the Society's doctrines in order to "remain in the teaching of the Christ."
i was just on the new jw.org site and i have to say, they've done a good job.
it looks pretty sleek and is easy to navigate.
the production values of their magazines (in particular the photos) seems to have improved since i last spent much time on the site.
Why, then, do we continue to highlight the nearness of the end? Because we take seriously Jesus’ words: “Keep looking, keep awake.” The alternative, to be found “sleeping” by Jesus, would prevent us from gaining his favor. (The Watchtower, 01.01.2012, p.8)
Jesus said: "Keep looking, keep awake." He did not say: 'Continue prophesying falsely' as though that were the only alternative to "sleeping"(!)
Furthermore, because of their erroneous beliefs, in 1914 the affiliates of the Watch Tower Society were the only Body of believers who did not "keep looking" for the Parousia to begin. (They believed it had already begun in 1874).
i currently am a jw and my parents are too.they seem either confused or dislike it when i raise questions and recently, when i questioned them about 1925 and 1975, i've been told it's changed due to "new light.
" i don't remember nor do i have very much knowledge of "new light.".
this "new light" just dosen't sit with me and neither do the false prophecies.new light first of all, breaks a scripture in deut.
I like to quote the earlier Watch Tower's:
All truth is in harmony, whether old or new. What
was true at any time in the past must be true yet....
and if it is not true now, instead of being advanced
light then it was terrible darkness. [...] We have
sometimes been accused by unbelievers for teaching
that the true way to advance was to displace the
truth we learned yesterday by new truth learned to-
day; but we utterly repudiate the absurd charge. To
grow in knowledge is to retain the truth we have
and add to our stock.
(Zion’s Watch Tower July 1880 WTR p. 119)
If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be
different with us; undoubtedly one human idea
would contradict another and that which was light
one or two or six years ago would be regarded as
darkness now: But with God there is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is
with truth; any knowledge or light coming from
God must be like its author. A new view of truth
never can contradict a former truth. "New light"
never extinguishes older "light," but adds to it. If
you were lighting up a building containing seven
gas jets you would not extinguish one every time
you lighted another, but would add one light to
another and they would be in harmony and thus give
increase of light: So is it with the light of truth; the
true increase is by adding to, not by substituting one
for another.
(Zion's Watch Tower February 1881 WTR p. 188)
i was just on the new jw.org site and i have to say, they've done a good job.
it looks pretty sleek and is easy to navigate.
the production values of their magazines (in particular the photos) seems to have improved since i last spent much time on the site.
(recycled old post [19.10.2012]):
[A]ny mistaken expectations about the end do not alter the unmistakable features identifying these as “the last days.”—2 Timothy 3:1. (The Watchtower, 01.01.2013, p.7)
Alrighty, then. Russell's 37 year prophecy regarding the End coming in 1914 did not alter the unmistakable (and indisputable) features identifying those as part of "the last days" (which [according to the Watch Tower Society] ran from A.D. 1799 - 1914).
THE ''Time of the End," a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years,
from A. D. I 7 9 9 to A. D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures.
(Thy Kingdom Come, p. 23)
THE careful student will have observed that the period
designated "The Time of the End " is very appropriately
named, since not only does the Gospel age close in it,
but in it, also, all prophecies relating to the close of this age
terminate, reaching their fulfilments. The same class of
readers will have noticed, too, the special importance of
the last 40 of those 115 years (1874-1914), called "The
End" or "Harvest." (Thy Kingdom Come, p. 121)
Could someone please ask the Writing Department to do some thinking before printing?!?!