The Watchtower promised that many of the original GC members would be alive to survive Armageddon. The GC were first identified by Rutherford in that famous 1935 Washington convention. If the oldest JW at that convention was 15 he would be 101 today. Watchtower leaders never keep their promises.
Vanderhoven7
JoinedPosts by Vanderhoven7
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122
1995 generation change
by Gorb innow, many years later, i remember the 1995 generation change, very well.. since early youth, hearing my father explaining in field service the 2520 years.
it was his main theme in the field.. with the change my doubts started.
with some jw friends we did not trust the organization anymore.
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Vanderhoven7
Here is Mark Jones' reply
I was a 100% devoted Jehovah’s Witness. So much so that I had read literally every Watchtower book and magazine I ever heard of. I even began to work my way through old Watchtower and Awake! magazines. I got as far as the stuff printed in 1956 before I left entirely. There is no one reason, but actually a cumilation of reasons that just piled up to make it impossible to stay in the religion:
- Elders interfering and policing your life. Religion is supposed to be one’s relationship to God. Not people invading your privacy and checking up on you and encouraging members to snitch on eachother. I had elders visits for things that wernt even in the bible like questioning a Watchtower doctrine, growing a beard and even leaving a job I didn't like. If i didn't tell the elders the reasons for anything I did they’d get suspicious and visit my home for “a chat”.
- The lack of any real love. Considering that I belonged to a worldwide family all unified in the same belief, I had no friends. The congregations are full of social cliques and you’re not allowed to have friends who arnt Jehovah’s Witnesses. For the JW’s reading this who insist that there are not social cliques - it’s very likely that you’re in one and that’s why you dont see it. You’d be hard pressed to find any elder that imitate Christ, the brothers that do dont get appointed as elders for some reason. Any love you may receive is totally conditional on the basis that you’re a fellow Jehovah’s Witness. Should you stop attending meetings or leave the religion for any reason you’d find yourself actually shunned by these people - family included.
- It’s impossible to leave the with your reputation in tact. This was something that bothered me for years. Why were Jehovah’s Witness leaders so afraid of ex-members? Even ex-members who were kind, happy, successful and had bore no ill feelings against the Watchtower society? They’re so afraid of Jehovah’s Witnesses talking to ex-members, why? If you have “the truth” what’s to be afraid of? Surely anything a defector or a liar has to say can easily be refuted with truth should it not? The only way to leave is to commit some sort of “sin” and get disfellowshipped, or inform them that you’re no longer a Jehovah’s Witness. Both cases result in the complete shunning of the person who leaves. This includes your family. Mothers shun their children, children shun their parents, brothers shun their sisters. And then the Watchtower society has the audacity to claim that the person who left is the one who broke up the family!
- Information withheld from members. We all knew that the elders get letters and information that us regular members dont get to see. But it wasn't until 2 years before I left that I learned that the elders have their own secret book that everyone else arnt allowed to read. It’s called Shepherd The Flock Of God, (if you google it you’ll find a PDF online). In this book it gives many reasons for which someone can be disfellowshipped which most people are not aware of. It tells elders NOT to tell a person that they can appeal twice a disfellowshipping decision. It tells elders that if someone is inactive and turns up to a judicial committee then they can take them turning up as them acknowledging the authority of the Watchtower society and you can disfellowship them. This would result in that persons JW family ten shunning them even though they haven't identified as a JW for many years. Also, the Watchtower magazines say that a person is only disfellowshipped for an unrepentant attitude, but the elders guidebook says that even if they are repentant that have to be repentant enough to convince the elders in the judicial committee. And on at least one occasion I sat in on a judicial committee where one elder said “we can see you’re repentant, but we must disfellowship you to set an example to others”.
- The religion is simply not true. There was a book published by a former Jehovah’s Witness Governing Body member called Crisis Of Conscience (there’s a PDF online if you look for it, and it’s on amazon). Throughout the book he reveals - with evidence - things that went on in the organization since it’s inception and the scandals that were covered up. Some things I was aware of as a JW but only knew half of the story, the other half of the story is quite shocking and revealing. After reading that book and seeing the evidence and checking it with Watchtower’s own publications there’s no way I could stay a Jehovah’s Witness and call myself an honest man.
When an honest man is proven wrong, he either stops being wrong or stops being honest. - Anon.
How do I feel about the Jehovah’s Witnesses? I love them. I genuinely wish no harm or ill toward any of them. It’s the Watchtower society that I take issue with. Jehovah’s Witnesses dont know that they’re being manipulated, kept in the dark, used and lied to every day by their leaders. The very fact that they’re not allowed to talk to ex-members or read anything that criticizes the Watchtower society shows that the Watchtower society knows it’s manipulating it’s members.
It’s my hope that more people will evaluate and investigate their own religion and go where the evidence takes them.
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Jehovah Witnesses lost in Court. Disfellowshipped Sister Reinstated by Court Order?
by pistolpete inimagine the "faithful" jws who are now having to talk to this person by court order or face the consequences----legally.. exjws are spreading the news and now some exjws who have been disfellowshipped for years are starting to research to see if this is an option in their country.
here are the articles, you need to translate in google.
https://www.nrk.no/norge/gry-nygard-ble-ekskludert-fra-jehovas-vitner-_-vant-i-lagmannsretten-1.15570621.
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Vanderhoven7
What difference will a court order make in terms of how this woman will be treated by the congregation?
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Any recent converts?
by av23 ingreetings all,.
i'm new here, not jw, yet i'm curious if there's anyone out there who has recently converted to jehovah's witness who can give me a better understanding of what brought brought them from point a to b in terms of coming to understand jw theology as truth.
thanks in advance for all the help.. av.
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Vanderhoven7
Hi Av23,
Glad you are here and willing to investigate Watchtower Society religion. The truth is:
The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is built on interpretive abuse. Every doctrine which is unique/original to Jehovah's Witnesses is extra-biblical. Translation: every unique doctrine is not in the Bible, every single one is beyond what is written.
If you want examples I'd be glad to provide them.
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My favorite films of this century
by LoveUniHateExams inso, i was thinking about which are my favorite films of the 21st century.. there are lots of 21st century films i haven't seen and want to see.. anyhoo, i came up with these .... the nightingale (2018).
the lighthouse (2019).
the martian (2015).
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Vanderhoven7
Meet Joe Black
Groundhog Day
Passengers
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Vanderhoven7
Now I know why Anthony never comes home from the liquor store empty handed.
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1995 generation change
by Gorb innow, many years later, i remember the 1995 generation change, very well.. since early youth, hearing my father explaining in field service the 2520 years.
it was his main theme in the field.. with the change my doubts started.
with some jw friends we did not trust the organization anymore.
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Vanderhoven7
LOL...can't argue that logic.
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122
1995 generation change
by Gorb innow, many years later, i remember the 1995 generation change, very well.. since early youth, hearing my father explaining in field service the 2520 years.
it was his main theme in the field.. with the change my doubts started.
with some jw friends we did not trust the organization anymore.
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Vanderhoven7
The Recent Pen for “Other Sheep”
"It is thus appreciated that the Fine Shepherd Jesus Christ did not proceed to bring in the “other sheep” of John 10:16 in the first century when the circumcised Samaritans began to be converted to Christianity. Nor did he do so when the Roman centurion, the uncircumcised Gentile Cornelius, was converted about 36 C.E. Well, then, when did the Fine Shepherd set out to bring together his other sheep? Many centuries later, yes, in this 20th century, according to the facts of the case.—Acts 8:4-17; 10:9-48." WT, 1984 2/15 pp. 17-18 par. 10
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The WTS concluded that this “Great Crowd of Other Sheep” could not have started forming much before 1935 since many of these are described in Revelation 7 as surviving through the future battle of Armageddon.
"Especially beginning in 1935, when the identity of the "great multitude" or "great crowd" was clearly understood, large numbers of these began to manifest themselves....God's infallible word depicts this group as 'coming out of the great tribulation,' being survivors of it, living right on into God's New Order without ever having to die. (Revelation 7:9,10,14, John 11:26) The early members of this group are now in their 60's or 70's or older. Jehovah did not allow the ingathering of this group to begin too soon. The "great crowd," including many of the earliest members thereof, will survive into the "new earth." Survival Into A New Earth p. 185
Now if one does the cold hard math, and the average age of the Washington DC conventioneers in 1935 was only 25, they would be 110 years old today. Babies at the convention would be 85. Because there is an absolute zero prospect of "many" of these living till Armageddon, let alone surviving it, the current “Great Crowd” doctrine itself is going to have to change.
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Vanderhoven7
Interesting combo.
Start by "Impeaching Joe!"
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122
1995 generation change
by Gorb innow, many years later, i remember the 1995 generation change, very well.. since early youth, hearing my father explaining in field service the 2520 years.
it was his main theme in the field.. with the change my doubts started.
with some jw friends we did not trust the organization anymore.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
PROGRESSIVE WATCHTOWER LIGHT (from 1968-present) ON “THIS GENERATION”
In 1968 the youngest of the 1914 generation were 15 years old.
"Jesus was obviously speaking about those who were old enough to witness with understanding what took place when the 'last days' began. ... Even if we presume that youngsters 15 years of age would be perceptive enough to realize the import of what happened in 1914, it would still make the youngest of 'this generation' nearly 70 years old today." (Awake! Oct 8, 1968 p13)
In 1978 the youngest of the 1914 generation were clearly not babies
"Thus, when it comes to the application in our time, the "generation" logically would not apply to babies born during World War I. It applies to Christ's followers and others who were able to observe that war and the other things that have occurred in fulfillment of Jesus' composite "sign."" (Watchtower Oct 1, 1978 p31)
In 1980 the youngest of the 1914 generation were revised to 10 year olds.
"As indicated by an article on page 56 of U.S. News & World Report of January 14, 1980, "If you assume that 10 is the age at which an event creates a lasting impression on a person's memory," then there are today more than 13 million Americans who have a "recollection of World War I."" (Watchtower Oct 15, 1980 p31)
In 1984 the youngest of the 1914 generation were reduced to babies.
"If Jesus used "generation" in that sense and we apply it to 1914, then the babies of that generation are now 70 years old or older. And others alive in 1914 are in their 80's or 90's, a few even having reached a hundred. There are still many millions of that generation alive." (Watchtower May 15, 1984 p5)
In 1988 the youngest were babies that were born in 1914
"Likewise today, most of the generation of 1914 has passed away. However, there are still millions on earth who were born in that year or prior to it." (Watchtower April 8, 1988 p14)
In 1995 age no longer was a factor in determining the 1914 generation
“Rather than provide a rule for measuring time, the term “generation” as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics.” – Watchtower Nov 1, 1995, p.20.
Finally in 2010 the 1914 generation overlaps.
“How, then, are we to understand Jesus’ words about “this generation”? He evidently meant that the lives of the anointed who were on hand when the sign began to become evident in 1914 would overlap with the lives of other anointed ones who would see the start of the great tribulation. That generation had a beginning, and it surely will have an end. The fulfillment of the various features of the sign clearly indicate that the tribulation must be near. By maintaining your sense of urgency and keeping on the watch, you show that you are keeping up with advancing light and following the leadings of holy spirit.—Mark 13:37.“ Watchtower 04/15, 2010 Article: Holy Spirit’s Role in the Outworking of Jehovah’s Purpose