Posts by Vanderhoven7

Looking back at 45 years of being raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the farmlands of North Carolina, I have come to believe that there are some aspects of their religious doctrine that are more destructive to an individuals emotional development and mental well-being than others. For example:

It is continuously impressed on Jehovah's Witnesses, particularly during their impressionable youth and teens, that the world around them is disgusting and doomed. They are expected to shun as worthless anything that might establish some vestige of a foundation in current society. Things like advanced education, career development, competitive sports, youthful romance, or even retirement savings and home ownership, are generally framed as dangerous and misguided, frivolous, and wasteful squandering of time and resources that would be be better directed toward furthering the expansion of the organizations agenda.

This misanthropic world view permeates the actions of Jehovah's Witnesses, serving the purpose of alienating them from the people and life opportunities around them. It promotes and sustains disfunction mentally, emotionally, financially, and even physically.

Plainly stated, their belief is that everything around them is so hopelessly corrupt and diseased, that there is no reason to try to pursue enjoyment and fulfillment in their current life. The only hope for happiness, then, exists in a future utopic snow globe world that even they are hard pressed to explain in realistic terms. This concept literally sucks the passion and joy out of them, replacing it with a desperation for the acceptance and approval of others who are simply running on the same sad treadmill.”

2

Generation Links

by UnDisfellowshipped in

jw
friends

* a generation comes and a generation goes: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/193983/1/a-generation-comes-and-a-generation-goes.

* new light: generation: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/186841/1/new-light-generation.

* generation change: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/182945/1/generation-change.

Vanderhoven7

Mark Jones writes:

Re: Watchtower Magazine, dated May 15, 1984. Take a look at the title:

I cannot stress to you enough how a big a deal this statement was. You see, when Charles Taze Russell first founded the Bible Student movement in 1881 (which would later spawn into different splinter groups, one being the Jehovah’s Witnesses) he taught that Armageddon would end in the year 1914.

"But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. Zion's Watch Tower 1894 Jul 15 p.226

As you can imagine, some people back then were interested in what Mr Russell had to say and why he thought this. For an explanation of how he came to this date see Facts about 607 B.C.E. and whether Jesus started ruling in 1914

So he and his followers went around preaching this. Of course, 1914 came and went without any sort of Armageddon. Jehovah’s Witnesses cling to the idea that “hey, WWI started in 1914, so he was right in that something happened.” Watchtower were then quick to deny that they ever taught that Armageddon would come in 1914, instead they claim that they predicted that “something” would happen.

"Jehovah's witnesses pointed to the year 1914, decades in advance, as marking the start of "the conclusion of the system of things." Awake! 1973 Jan 22 p.8
"Jehovah's Witnesses have consistently shown from the Scriptures that the year 1914 marked the beginning of this world's time of the end and that "the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men" has drawn near." Watchtower 1993 Aug 15 p.9

So, here’s were a doctrine change came in… in 1935 they changed their doctrine and taught that ONLY 144,000 anointed Jehovah’s Witnesses would get to go to heaven. And not only that, but that:

The 144,000 were chosen from those who were alive in 1914
Had witnessed WWI
Understood that it signified the start of the end
[1]

So, EVERY Jehovah’s Witness was taught, and believed, that Armageddon would come BEFORE the 1914 generation of Witnesses would die off. Hence the title of the Watchtower “The Generation That Will Not Pass Away”.

But then, something unexpected happened… they all died.

They all died and still no Armageddon as propheciesed by the Watchtower society. Bear in mind, that many people became Jehovah’s Witnesses (and still do) because they’re taught that Armageddon is “just around the corner” and that only those associated with the Watchtower society will survive.

"Only Jehovah's Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the "great crowd," as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil." Watchtower 1989 Sep 1 p.19

Also, speaking as an ex-Jehovah’s Witness myself, the main reason we believed we had “the truth” was precisely because no one else was teaching about 1914 and Armageddon. We felt like we were privy to special knowledge that other churches hadn't been clever enough to understand.

So what would the Watchtower society do now after another failed prediction? Prepare to put your common sense and intelligence on hold now…

I was sat in the Kingdom Hall during the Thursday study, I turned the page in the book we were studying called Gods Kingdom Rules and I saw this:

The Watchtower society redefined the word generation. Whereas everyone knows that the word generation means:

noun
noun: generation; plural noun: generations

1. all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively.

The Watchtower society, however, were actually trying to convince their followers that when Jesus said “this generation will by no means pass away…” that he actually meant TWO generations. One that would be chosen in 1914, and another generation that would be born during their lifetime who’s lives would overlap. And that it was this second generation that will not pass away.

They even had to have one of their Governing Body members explain this bizarre new doctrine in a JW Broadcasting video.

[2]

This is a major doctrinal change. It turns the whole religion on its head. It doesn't make sense and it required the believer to put their critical thinking and common sense on hold in order to believe it.

I’d estimate that 99.99% of Jehovah’s Witnesses can't even explain this teaching, and it wouldn't surprise me if more than half don't believe it. Because if you claim the Governing Body are wrong you’re liable to be disfellowshipped and shunned.

Footnotes

[1]

Last Days - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

[2]

Jehovah's Witnesses Crazy "Overlapping Generation" Teaching

4

Ten Mind Games Jehovah's Witnesses Play

by Sea Breeze in

jehovah's witnesses are masters at changing definitions of words to redirect thoughts.

they have done this effectively with common theological terms.

the result is that even when people leave, many still think the jw's have "some truth" and that maybe its just the leadership that is the problem.

Vanderhoven7

The Watchtower has hijacked so many words to fit their theology including "generation", Babylon the Great", "salvation", "other sheep", "Great Crowd " 144,000 etc. etc.

Their version of the "modern other sheep" is fascinating.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

And other sheep have I, which are not of this fold: no, because the modern other sheep:

1. will only begin being called early on in the 20th century...not before.

2. They will not be saints of God,

3. They will not have the indwelling Holy Spirit.

4. My righteousness will not be imputed to them.

5. They will not be justified to life,

6. They will not merit being raised in the first resurrection

7. I will not be their personal mediator;

8. They will not be part of my New Covenant arrangement.

9. They will not be entitled to partake of the emblems of my death.

10. They will not have a heavenly hope

11. They will be not Spirit Begotten Son's of God.

12. They will need to be affiliated with the Watchtower Society to be saved from ultimate destruction at Armageddon.

37

Prepare to get Pelted by Symbolic Hailstones

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/idhmflud3p4?si=9xc4svrhxslduwvz.

so david schafer a member of the teaching commitee and a helper to the governing body has come out yesterday with a new video that goes through the king of the north, the hailstones message and other things in the wake of the possibility of a ww3 and especially now that tensions are escalating with russia so he is making quite a few end time arguments and i will be expanding on those one by one but today let's see what he has about the hailstones message of the end(video) so this is the paragraph in question, paragraph 14 from article 20 of the watchtower 2020 study edition: "sometime after the start of the great tribulation, “the kings of the entire inhabited earth” will form a coalition of nations.

(rev.

Vanderhoven7

Yes the stones are literal.

https://youtu.be/2NrXZhLR56Y?si=eq3aoxDiX7ljmjye

I recommend the GB watch this video and repent of their eschatological speculations.

15

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ UN Prophecy Fails Again: Trump’s Win Proves Them Wrong

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/-kdbs3lcsx8?si=icfla8tzg0p_wdcz.

the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses (gb) has done it again—another bold prophecy, another epic fail.

during their 2024 annual meeting, they confidently announced that the nations of the world would soon hand over their power to the united nations.

Vanderhoven7

"The Governing body does not make prophesies."

And neither can they interpret them.

15

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ UN Prophecy Fails Again: Trump’s Win Proves Them Wrong

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/-kdbs3lcsx8?si=icfla8tzg0p_wdcz.

the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses (gb) has done it again—another bold prophecy, another epic fail.

during their 2024 annual meeting, they confidently announced that the nations of the world would soon hand over their power to the united nations.

Vanderhoven7

Misinterpreted prophecy will always fail as it has for the Watchtower during the last 130 plus years.

The Faithful Slave has contributed to those failures for over 100 of those years, proving among other things, that they were never given the mandate or ability to interpret biblical prophecy for anyone.

This was the test - the coming down of fire; and the fulfillment exactly on time has proved that Pastor Russell was one of God's great reformers and prophets." Watchtower 1919 Oct 1 p.297"
“For an answer, people should listen to the plain preaching by the remnant prefigured by Jeremiah, for these preach to men the present-day fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecies. Who made them a prophet to speak with the authority that they claim? Well, who made Jeremiah a prophet

13

What would it like to see

by JohnR1975 in

what i would like to see and maybe will get there in about another ten years is being a jw is a rewarding thing that enriches your life.. just like other religions out there you may not know the entire truth and maybe not quite right many of the beliefs but to have to idea of a belief centres and stabilises you.. i would like jws to be able to celebrate birthdays and maybe even other holidays if they choose to and not be judged by those who choose not to.. i would like jws to be allowed to have different interpretations of scripture and everyone is happy to agree to disagree and be able to say to each other yes maybe that interpretation is nearer the truth.

we just don’t know.. i would like new members of the gb to issue an apology for previous members getting so many things wrong.. they need to come out and say they were wrong about 1914 this date has no scriptural significance and the same is true of 1919. jws were not chosen in 1919 as the one and only true religion.. we just don’t know about so many things and it takes humility to admit we were wrong.. i would like to see even more lightening up on stupid restrictions like young people being allowed to have a varied friends and activities that are not with jws only..

Vanderhoven7

I would like to see them move away from organization salvation and the Watchtower Armageddon-survival gospel to the biblical gospel.

90

What is Your Favorite WT Lie?

by Sea Breeze in

i would like to start a thread on lies that the watchtower and their reps have told.

surely we all have one or two that truly sticks out in our memories, no matter how much we would like to forget.

my favorite wt lie: the reason they don't want to release the name of the "scholars" who worked on the new world translation is because they do not want to accept "glory and honor" from others.

Vanderhoven7

That three WT elders have God's authority to act as judge and jury; to decide guilt and determine repentance