They use it both ways.
If no lives were lost, then it's Jah's protection.
If lives lost, it's Satan attacking, and time and unforeseen occurrence.
It's all spin to keep the flock believing both.
growing up as a jw in the 1960s and 1970s, a common refrain from the yearbook, local elders and circuit overseers was how jws were protected at meetings, conventions, and in the field service by "the angels".
experiences of "divine intervention" during service, ww2, in communist lands, and conventions were common.
the internet and google are regularly debunking this myth in the 21st century.
They use it both ways.
If no lives were lost, then it's Jah's protection.
If lives lost, it's Satan attacking, and time and unforeseen occurrence.
It's all spin to keep the flock believing both.
those who will be taken to heaven will first need to be “changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, during the last trumpet.” therefore, while we do not use the term “rapture” here because of its wrong connotation, the remaining faithful anointed will be gathered together in an instant of time.
- the watchtower—study edition | july 2015. ok so they refuse to use the word "rapture".
kinda like they refuse to use the word church and clergy (except when it suits their purposes in court cases).
Hi Sea Breeze - me too. I always thought deep down inside it was all made up BS, but when that Watchtower came out, I knew it really was fo sho. It took me a few more years to leave, but I did a lot of research on my own before I did. I brought my New Jerusalem bible to the meetings after that. Read all scriptures in context referenced from the platform.
Yes they would have just a sentence in a paragraph like the one quoted above, (which makes no sense BTW, and that's why most just pass over it), that would speak of an instantaneous gathering of their heavenly bound. You can't just ignore those scriptures and take only other verses edited to fit your dogma. Lol I mean well WTBS can and do.
Their math just doesn't add up. Take the martyrs and ancients, add them to the WTBS claimed anointed number, (remember they stopped reporting the numbers some time in the 70's), and it far exceeds their 144K. Just do the math. They are just making it up as they go along.
been in for 20 plus years but decided to get out with my son.
can’t do this anymore.
never seen such hypocrisy and clickyness anywhere else.
Good for you and for your son! You won't regret it! There will be ups and downs especially if you have family still in. But the effort is worth it to have your freedom to live the life you want.
Welcome to the dark side...we have cookies.
those who will be taken to heaven will first need to be “changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, during the last trumpet.” therefore, while we do not use the term “rapture” here because of its wrong connotation, the remaining faithful anointed will be gathered together in an instant of time.
- the watchtower—study edition | july 2015. ok so they refuse to use the word "rapture".
kinda like they refuse to use the word church and clergy (except when it suits their purposes in court cases).
The "rapture" wording has been in the literature for years. I think at least since 1995 and the generation change.
Just nobody talks about it. I brought it up to an elder and he just shrugged his shoulders.
it feels like the change in reporting of hours becomes a fundamentally bigger deal every day.
the weight and importance placed on quantity was enormous, and now it's just gone.
even tho most witnesses really didn't keep "accurate" records so to speak hehehe.... this could very well be a precursor to even bigger doctrinal changes, like 1914. damn, would would happen then?.
I think most doctrine and wild calculations divided by pi times 3 1/2 years will be things mentioned from the platform in talks by HQ. I don't see where they are directing the flock to know all the stuff we had to know in the past. Now they point people to the dot.org for any questions and they basically are promoting fluff. I don't most could even explain some sort of numerical hopscotch like we used to do.
i understand he intimated that the faithful slave was not the only spokesman for jehovah god.
he also intimated that corporal punishment was not advocated by the wts.
we're these lies or deception or did they represent the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?.
My mom told me that as a little girl I lined up my dolls in chairs and played "meeting." She said I scolded the mute dolls to behave and be quiet. I then would take them out to spank, with the doll voice boxes yelping with each strike, scolding them to be good. She said it was very revealing to her because that is obviously what I was taking in from and mimicking from the hall, and it was not a good thing.
I was not treated that way to be clear. I'd get a thump or a short hair pull to get my attention.
Edited to add: WT may feel they are so clever with their use of weasel words, but are not fooling anybody but their own followers. Their insistence to protect perps instead of victims, (and in fact in most cases victim blame), fools no one. Legal issues always need to be sorted based on evidence presented, but they can't hide who they really are and what their motivation (protecting the corporation) behind their silver bibles and weaselly ways.
for those interested in the latest version of the faithful slave.
.
from the february 2024 watchtower .
Where are their Ipads?
if not, what's in it for the gb?.
but seriously, how is it supposed to work?
pictures of jws in paradise show them raising crops, wearing clothes and building houses.
Paradise doesn't work, unless you are I Dream of Jeannie.
when i browse jw org, the following years of watchtower magazines are missing from the drop-down menu:.
1987 - 1990.
1997-1998.. i dont want to install any libraries from jw org because of spyware concerns.. are these years included in the downloadable libraries?.
Well well well...a publishing company removing its publishings. Quelle surprise!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/80708572/former-jehovahs-witness-admits-we-targeted-grief-stricken-as-ripe-fruit.
jehovah's witnesses target grief and see the recently bereaved as "ripe fruit" for conversion, a former elder of the faith says.. vince and michele tylor spoke out after reading the story of wellington woman jean sergent-shadbolt, who received a handwritten letter from a jehovah's witness three months to the day after her step-cousin, friend and flatmate died.. a current senior elder of the faith says it has no policy to target grieving, and those who do so are acting on their own initiative.
however, he concedes such people may feel guided by jehovah's witness literature.. but vince tylor said he knew of members who would trawl though obituaries to find grieving people, or visit cemeteries.. "not only do we see watchtower printed material suggesting and supporting writing letters from obituaries such as what jean received, but we even have reports and articles of encouragement for jws to go to cemeteries to look for people as well.".
In my experience with death and their loved ones, (which is way too many right now), most people believe that there is a hereafter. What they are dealing with is the grief/sadness of losing the loved one.
The purpose of the JW contact in these instances is to (1.) count time, (2.) to make sure the grieving ones get the correct information about where their dead ones are.
We had a sudden and horrific death in our family which had tons of local and national media attention as well as politicians and with many communities. We experienced such an outpouring of support and love, it was unbelievable. The mother of someone involved in the incident was a JW. Her only contact was to send scriptures and tracts. I believe she was sincere in her concern, but equally entitled to get her JW message to us. It's just so different from the hundreds who wanted to just comfort, most believing our person was in heaven and around us.
It's the disconnect JW's have that continues to astound me.