According to my understanding, there was a "fresh breeze" of independent study and discussion going on at Bethel in the late 70s. Some of this may be reflected in articles such as this one. It evidently took time for it to filter up to the GB. When these members heard of it, they reacted immediately with a paranoid panic that resulted in the infamous "star chamber proceedings" that eliminated some of their best members at Bethel such as Ray Franz and Ed Dunlap. This attitude soon spread to the congregations when the Watchtowers relentlessly warned about the apostates inside the organization. And it is apparent that this paranoia still prevails today.
Posts by Pahpa
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8Col 2:16 WT 78 4/15 - the WTS actually telling R&F to think for themselves!
by still_in74 inhi all.... a@g (lance) brought up an interesting scripture in another thread that peaked my curiosity.
col 2:16, this scripture.... let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the christ".
i found this interesting and came across this article from the 78 wt.
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I heard that the JW's claim apostolic succession.....is there a quote?
by middleman inif they do claim this in a publication, could someone please show me the reference.
this quote would be good to have when asking a dub who was before him that handed the torch.
blessings.........
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Pahpa
Jesus and the early Christian Bible writers indicated that there would be a corruption and failing of the early church after the death of the apostles. So, to claim "apostolic succession" is really quite meaningless. But the claim continued on with not only the Catholic church but also those Orthodox churches that rejected Catholic primacy. Still later, the Church of England made the same claim suggesting that the Catholic church no longer represented the true faith and therefore did not "succeed" in the legitimate apostolic line.
It seems that every Christian group wants to prove legitimacy by claiming a spiritual or human link to the apostles. But the truth of the matter is that true and false Christians would share the same field as "wheat and tares" until Christ's return.
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Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear At the 08-31-08 WT Study (FIRST LOVE)
by blondie inq 1, 2. how did you feel when you became convinced that what you were learning about jehovah was the .
truth?.
what convinced you of the truth?
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Pahpa
It is interesting to note that when the Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses refer to "the truth" they are talking about the Society's organization and teachings. But according to the Bible and Chrisitian belief, it is Jesus who is "the way, THE TRUTH and the life." The absence of Jesus in the articles is in direct corrolation to the substitution of the organization in the minds of the Watchtower Society and its members. And this is probably the most serious error that the Watchtower has made.
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Demons can survive in plastic.
by easyreader1970 insome time back i bought my kid an old retro computer.
it was from the early to mid eighties.
he's into that sort of thing.
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Pahpa
Many of us remember the "demon scare" that took place in the organization a number of years ago. Jehovah's Witnesses were throwing out or burning some rather expensive items that were "demonized." What triggered that episode was some articles that appeared in the literature that warned the members of the inherent dangers of "inviting" the demons into one's home. That's all it took. Many over-reacted and went crazy. One "sister" burned some rather valuable antiques to "cleanse" her house.
Jehovah's Witnesses are vulnerable to Watchtower suggestions. But, then, that is the nature of a cult.
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Study required for baptism?
by Pahpa inspeaking of baptism, paul and silas baptized the jailer and his family the same night that the earthquake opened the doors of the jail.
no mention was made of weeks of doctrinal study or even an elder's examination of the potential believers.
all that was required is summed up in paul and silas's words "believe in the lord jesus and you will be save - you and your household.
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Pahpa
Speaking of baptism, Paul and Silas baptized the jailer and his family the same night that the earthquake opened the doors of the jail. No mention was made of weeks of doctrinal study or even an elder's examination of the potential believers. All that was required is summed up in Paul and Silas's words "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be save - you and your household." (Acts 16:31) Is this another area where the Watchtower has it wrong?
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Pahpa
Rutherford ran his organization as his own domain. He was ruthless when it came to anyone who crossed him. Yet, many of his fellow members didn't really know the man. He remained an organizational hero to most of the r & f in spite of his very human flaws.
The same can be said of J.E.Hoover. So, it is no wonder that he wouldn't tolerate Rutherford. On a small scale, it was the "clash of the Titans." But Hoover definately would have had the advantage since he had the backing of the government in the throes of war hysteria.
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whats up with the Knight in Armor being stabbed on the original WT's
by IreallydidwalkoutofaKH ini have learned alot on this site.
but could i get an awnser on the sword going through the knight in armor illustrated in on the wt!
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Pahpa
I really don't think the suit of armor is "stabbed" through by the weapons or shepherd's crook. I think, rather, that it is superimposed upon them. In any case, this symbol along with the crown and the cross were used by many organizations that had no connections with the Masons. I don't think any factual evidence has been presented that links the Watchtower with the Masons.
However, there is an interesting footnote to the history of the Masons. A former member, William Morgan, from Batavia, N.Y. disclosed some of the secret signs and rituals that were used by the Masons. Morgan was kidnapped and disappeared in 1826. Many thought he was murdered by a conspiracy of the organization. A strong Anti-Mason movement sprang up from this incident. There was even an Anti-Mason political party formed. It lasted well beyond the 1830s. It interesting that some conspiracy theorists still use the old propaganda to promote their views.
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When do folks who study with a JW generally start to tell thier friends?
by insearchoftruth inmy wife is again studying with a jw sister, and earlier this week the sister was telling her about how wonderful it is to witness for jehovah.
well since i have known my wife, she has never spoken positively about the jws to anyone.
when can i expect her to be told that she should be sharing this with others.
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Pahpa
She will probably be encouaged first toward incidental witnessing to friends and to family. In this way, she will not have to go from house-to-house for awhile until she is instructed by the Service Meetings. This is probably the most difficult aspect of preaching. Many Jehovah's Witnesses never did get use to this public form.
One of the first things she will be "warned" about is the reaction that other people will have when she tells them she is studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. It will be presented as "evidence" of how Jesus and the disciples forewarned how the message would be rejected by the majority. And when people react in this way, she may think that the Witnesses are right because they forewarned her. It becomes sort of a self-fulfilled prophecy. What is not told is the fact that people have a negative reaction to JWs because of their intolerance toward others and their insistance that only their religion is correct. There is quite a difference between the message that Jehovah's Witnesses spread today and the "good news" that early Chrisitans preached.
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Watchtower Languages
by cameo-d ina few years back, a jw friend told me that the watchtower houses the largest language library in the world because they have the magazines translated into every known language.
do any of you know if that is true?
everytime i see the babble fish for translation on a website, i wonder if her story was true and if perhaps watchtower has contributed to the internet powers or some of the groups that have provided these translations and if more language translations would be available in the future as more countries are opening to internet services.
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Pahpa
CD
I wouldn't be surprised if this is true. The Watchtower has always concentrated on the publishing and distributing of literature that promotes its own doctrine. This is why they have publishing houses throughout the world.
I only wish that Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society would acknowlege those religious groups that translated and distributed Bibles to those native peoples. They have actually built upon the hard and dangerous work of others. Without this ground work already laid, the Watchtower would have been very limited. Instead, these groups are condemned as part of "Babylon the Great."
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In Memory of Ray Franz's Nephew ...
by compound complex in[...] however sincere the vice president [fred franz} was, it is an undeniable fact that his rather cloistered life at the headquarters from his early twenties onward had largely isolated him from life as lived by ordinary people 'on the outside' (a term used frequently by staff workers at the watch tower headquarters with reference to life outside their select community).
the things being experienced by those who were engaged in secular employment, who had homes and families, knew what it was to be married or to be parents, had to face the problems and difficulties of day-to-day living as most people face them, formed little or no part of his experience.
from my own personal association with him over many years, it was evident that he was quite detached---or perhaps the expression could be "insulated"---from the reality of life as lived by the average person.
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Pahpa
CC
It is sad that the Watchtower Society lacks the sense of humanity in such situations. Birth, marriage and death are the very human experiences that we share with each other. These are the times of great joy or intense sorrow. The last thing people need is a lecture on doctrine. Rather, they need the embrace of loved ones and friends.
I've attended a number of funeral talks at Kingdom Halls over the years. Strangers are always puzzled by the tone and content of these discussions. Some are annoyed over the length of time it takes. Instead of giving a favorable impression, it often left a person with a feeling of emptiness and sadness. Their relief was often seen upon leaving the Hall.
I'm sure that many Jehovah's Witnesses personally have brought comfort to grieving ones. But I also know that some Jehovah's Witnesses have caused more harm to their cause through their misplaced zeal and carelessness.