Sleepy:
Very good points sleepy—these points have always bothered me, not just since I left the JWs. I brought this up on another thread: ( http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=22899&page=2&site=3)
And I said the following:
One point I vividly remember was a discussion with a presiding overseer many years ago. I was asking why it was so unfair that we [the non-anointed] get so many tests and still God has virtually zero faith in us, and gives few rewards, according to Watch Tower doctrine. I asked him about a 12 year old that was baptized back in the 1920s who claims to be one of the anointed. What if they one week after their baptism they got run over by a bus—would this immature, unproven, inexperienced kid suddenly get zapped up to heaven as an immortal god to rule over us for 1,000 years? He said: “yes.” I then asked how this could be just and fair as many Christians have lived their lives through all manner of tests, evil, and matured with integrity and honour, something this kid would never have done, and yet they [as the non-anointed] would have to trudge on, and pass the test of Armageddon. They would then still not even get blessed with a perfect body and mind [according to Watch Tower doctrine] and would have to go through yet another 1,000 years of testing, and more problems with all the resurrected that would return. After enduring the 1,000 years, they would be tested all over again! And to boot, all they would get if they were lucky would be the same deal as Adam and Eve had. Basically—they get to continue living—they are still mortal, corruptible and able to sin, and therefore able to be destroyed in Gehenna if they chose to sin. Meanwhile the 12 year old immature inexperienced kiddie got to rule as an immortal god over those who are clearly its superiors here on earth—superior in faith, loyalty, integrity, wisdom, experience, endurance, etc. How can any of this be remotely balanced, fair, or just? His reply was: “If I didn’t know you better ____ I would say that was apostate talk.” That was the end of that discussion!
I can’t understand why more people didn’t question this Watch Tower doctrine; I never used to shut up about it, and was constantly told to “wait on Jehovah” which didn’t help one bit. They also contradict themselves when they also used the snipped in Revelation “The rest of the dead didn’t come to life until the end of the thousand years” as referring to the resurrected not gaining perfection for 1,000 years. If they were a distinguishing between normal survivors and the resurrected, then that would logically imply that Armageddon survivors would get perfection straight after Armageddon, would it not? Plus as you say sleepy, if we die we have paid the price for sin, so why does the Watch Tower teach that the resurrected will come back sinful and imperfect? That would make God directly responsible for all their sins, where is the logic in that? Plus the depressing though that after two horrific test and a thousand years of effort, all you get according to the Watch Tower is the same as Adam and Eve had—one teeny sin and you’re back to square one, or in their case eternally damned!
I don’t think I could ever feel totally secure until I was immortal, how about you?
