DjEggnog: "If I should opine something having to do with the history of Pastor Russell and be mistaken... IOW, if I should be mistaken and you are correct about 1874, I'm ok with you being right and with me being wrong about such a trivial matter. "
"If"? Yes, you were wrong. I suppose that's as close as you'll ever come to admitting it. Still, the facts speak for themselves even if you obfuscate endlessly. Russell never believed or taught that the 'invisible presence' began in 1914, as you claimed. But to be fair, it's not your fault, you were lied to and unknowingly repeated the lie. The Society told you this and you believed them. That was your error, the full repercussions of which you are only beginning to discover.
Dj said: "since Russell died in 1916, it may make a difference to you, but it makes no difference to me what Russell may have believed before he died 94 years ago, or what he may have believed in 1874, or 42 years before his death, as to when Jesus' invisible presence began."
Well, that's not true is it? Otherwise you would not have made a point of posting the false claim that Russell did believe that 1914 was the year of Jesus invisible presence, as a defense of him and JW's, a defense that proved to be futile because you were wrong about what your religion taught and when - by decades. Obviously it mattered or you wouldn't have brought it up. The fact is Russell believed and preached 1874 as the date of Christ's Kingship and of the "invisible presence" until his death, and the Society did so for much longer.
Dj said: "Jehovah's Witnesses believe his invisible presence began concurrently with the composite visible sign that began to appear in the year 1914."
They do now, yes. But don't tell me that you weren't shocked to discover that Russell never preached 1914 as the beginning of the 'invisible presence'. Don't pretend you weren't shocked that this 1914 'invisible presence' doctrine wasn't even a firm Society teaching until after 1943. Don't pretend that learning that nothing JW's proclaimed or predicted before 1914, about 1914, is still held to be true was not disturbing. And don't tell me that it doesn't matter that the Society lies now by falsely claiming that their present "invisible presence" doctrine regarding 1914 was preached by the Society before 1914! A lie matters, and a lie about such a central doctrine of JW's is catastrophic. If you don't think so, then try sharing your new found facts with the brothers in the Hall. Tell them that JW's didn't preach that Jesus became king in 1914 until decades after 1914! Do you think they will believe you? Why should they, after all the Society tells them the exact opposite. Do you think they will see it as insignificant? I know they wouldn't. I know because 90% of the JW I have seen directly informed about this ended up leaving because they didn't like being lied to.
But it takes someone with real integrity and love of truth to to see being lied to as a serious problem, rather than "trivial".
I wonder why the Society lies now about what they preached then? What could be so important about the years around 1914 that the Society feels the need to present a false image of itself back then, it's teachings and it's predictions? What a puzzler! Could it be the need to appear to have been fit to have been "appointed", "chosen" and to be seen as "awake"? But what if the truth is that they were not fit, not providing "food at the proper time", not "awake"? What if the brothers discovered this? Why, they may then think that if they were not fit then they could not have been "appointed", and if they were not "awake" when the Master arrived then they could not be the "Discreet Virgins" they claim to be? Then, the Society would lose it's claim to authority! What to do, what to do?
Well, if you cannot make it, fake it.
Dj, you put so much time and energy into your epic posts that I have to believe - or hope - that this reflects a commitment to more than just a need to always appear knowledgeable and right. I hope that commitment is to truth rather than just the Watchtower Society. If so, then in time, you will eventually be compelled to choose one or the other, truth or the Society, because they do not go together and you can't remain blind to that forever. I hope when that time comes you make the right if difficult choice.
