of course, no one could ever fully replace "our oracle for over 50 years" (ray franz quoting karl klein or someone else on the gb back in the days of gb i in cofc somewhere ), but i have to wonder just who on gb ii has come to fill fred franz's shoes the most.
it seems like it is david splane.
he appears to be in charge of the writing department, proposes and pushes thru the gb most of the doctrinal changes (he announces them so they're his baby), and like ff, fancies himself musically inclined.
BB: "The best part of the Fred Franz legacy is that the vast majority of his stuff isn't even considered doctrine anymore." Funny! But do you see what I meant in the OP that Splane hasn't replaced FF's docrines with anything, except once in a great while, for example, with the obscure and strange overlapping generations mystery?
prologos: Just wondering, how does the "The"I am the boss" aura never left D. Splane" jibe with being humble, spiritual, and all that?
of course, no one could ever fully replace "our oracle for over 50 years" (ray franz quoting karl klein or someone else on the gb back in the days of gb i in cofc somewhere ), but i have to wonder just who on gb ii has come to fill fred franz's shoes the most.
it seems like it is david splane.
he appears to be in charge of the writing department, proposes and pushes thru the gb most of the doctrinal changes (he announces them so they're his baby), and like ff, fancies himself musically inclined.
Wow, such great responses! Thanks very much.
Magnum, your thoughts are choice and much appreciated. Agreed on the history, and the net factors you point out give me plenty of food for thought. Your thoughts on Splane?
OTWO, "We aren't in money trouble, but we are in money trouble." Love it!
SBF: "There's no way in hell Freddy would have come up with the overlapping generations fiasco." Spot on!
Gorby, "Splane sounds like he invented their fables itself." Speaks volumes, eh?
blondie, I once used one of those JW libraries at Wallkill, but the one in the Writing Department that Barbara Anderson has described is the biggie. I imagine that it's still open to WD members. Love your "jws today have been trained to accept dumbed down." So true, so true.
NEJ: "GB today strikes me as a collection of uninspired bureaucrats. They rose through the ranks due to their unyielding loyalty." Right!
So where does Splane fit in? He's smarter than Herd or Lett, but that's probably not saying much. He seems to love the limelight as much as Morris does. Like every body of elders, there are those who are dominant and those who just go along. I see Splane, like Morris, and perhaps more recently Sanderson as the dominant ones. Someone here once said Lösch is a wanna-be, and that seems to be the case. Jackson is an enigma in my mind.
prologos: THIS is the kind of info I'm looking for. I did not have personal exposure to most of these guys when I was in, so your words about Splane's talks are appreciated. Wish to share any of these "artifacts" or any more info?
of course, no one could ever fully replace "our oracle for over 50 years" (ray franz quoting karl klein or someone else on the gb back in the days of gb i in cofc somewhere ), but i have to wonder just who on gb ii has come to fill fred franz's shoes the most.
it seems like it is david splane.
he appears to be in charge of the writing department, proposes and pushes thru the gb most of the doctrinal changes (he announces them so they're his baby), and like ff, fancies himself musically inclined.
Of course, no one could ever fully replace "our oracle for over 50 years" (Ray Franz quoting Karl Klein or someone else on the GB back in the days of GB I in CofC somewhere ), but I have to wonder just who on GB II has come to fill Fred Franz's shoes the most. It seems like it is David Splane. He appears to be in charge of the Writing Department, proposes and pushes thru the GB most of the doctrinal changes (he announces them so they're his baby), and like FF, fancies himself musically inclined. I've read here that various ones have said he was more studious than the average big shot elder when forum members knew him. That is isn't saying much, of course, in the Witness world, and I doubt he was the college dropout with some formal Greek under his belt that FF was.
In several ways he doesn't seem as bright at FF was. At least Splane doesn't think out the consequences of his doctrinal changes like FF did—not that FF wasn't also short-sighted, but he seemed at least somewhat better in this area. FF seemed more reluctant to change a doctrinal issue unless he could offer a replacement. Splane seems more eager to reject certain long-established doctrine/belief without offering much to replace the spurned interpretation. For example, there's the nebulous dismissal of type/anti-type, shadow-reality interpretations, which had a long respectable place in earliest Christianity.
Input here?
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2015/12/30/brooklyn-heights-and-dumbo-properties-jehovahs-witnesses-havent-yet-sold-part.
21 clark st.. .
80 willow st.. .
Thanks for this post WFBT.
As BB put it, all this will surely sell. The GB is probably waiting for certain in-house green lights for the big move to Warwick. They may also be waiting for the optimal time to sell, that is, get the most $ for their property.
yesterday i had to listen to the co from a spanish congregation on the phone.
he said the fds has been gradually moving away from the word "worldly" and teaching jws not to use the term anymore.
has anyone heard this in their congregation or heard the term "non-believers" used before?
blondie,
So when did the change occur? Surely it was used for people in the publications back when I was in.
One observation. It only occurs in the NWT (old and new editions) at Titus 2:12 where it refers to "worldly desires." Could this lie behind the change to apply it only to non-persons?
There does not seem to be a handy replacement. "Oh, he's so non-JW" or "My, she's terribly unbelieverly" just doesn't cut it. Perhaps it's one of those tings they will limit in print but go on tolerating among the R&F because there is no convenient alternative.
if this has been discussed i missed it.
i think the january study watchtower is a concerted attempt to reduce the numbers claiming to be anointed.
but i love the sneaky way they go about it this time.
Both millie210 and prologos have valid points. M210's words "deliberately vague in print" and prologos's "every word is carefully chosen" need not be mutually exclusive. Yes, SBF may well be on to something. These WT study articles are indeed carefully written and worked over repeatedly by the time they appear to the R&F. On the other hand, the "anointed" topic itself is steeped in mystery.
Why is it that this "anointing process" (nice pick up on that term, prologos) has never been described by those who have gone through it? All the current GB members started proclaiming their anointed status by partaking of the emblems at one memorial observance, in a specific act at a specific time, that is, they came out of the closet from previously being just one of the other sheep. Almost all the R&F plebeians would love to know just what this entails (see one of the few threads I've started here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/4881263357853696/rick-tunon). So why have those in power intentionally kept this matter that the Witness masses crave to have revealed so secret? Surely they too must have wondered about it themselves when they too were merely one of the other sheep. Doesn't it strike you as odd that this secrecy has existed for years when nearly all the masses would love to have it solved? Why is it kept so "deliberately vague" in spite of the natural curiosity about it?
hello,.
i've posted the 2016 yearbook service report in excel format for public download.
here's the link: http://www.filedropper.com/2016yearbookofjwinexcelformat.
truthlover:
Worldwide Memorial partakers:
2013 was 13,204
2014 was 14,121
2015 was 15,177.
i am not sure if this was posted before.
i am the mother of an 10 year old and i would have never treated my son like this for wanting to go to college, believes in evolution & is an atheist...i am disgusted how this jw mother can't see how her son has the freedom of thought or religion.... this poor kid most likely does not do drugs or is in a street gang, he just wants to go to college for crying out loud.... this is insane, just shows how a religion or organization blinds all logic from you... it's a cult..... i know there are many cult jws parents out there who would do this, its insane and disgusting.... where is the love you say you should have towards your children?
this is straight out abuse.... read the article but scroll down for the recording.... .
i think it was gary and heather bottings' book the orwellian world of jehovah's wifnesses that noted the function of the habit of the watchtower organisation of changing organisational terminology periodically.
congregations became companies and then back to congregations again.
circuit overseers became circuit servants and then back again.
this is what we can read from the jewish encyclopedia:.
the name ba'al (), apparently as an equivalent for yhwh, occurs as an element in a number of compound proper names, such as jerubbaal, ishbaal, meribaal, etc.
some of these names, probably at a time when the name of baal had fallen into disrepute (comp.
