If I identified as a JW. I'm in for a penny in for a pound.
I respect the elder who insisted on talking to me that night many years ago that I mentioned in a previous post of mine on another thread. I disagree with him but he is real JW in my view.
after 1975, the vast majority remained as though nothing has happened.
but some left the organization.
however, there arose a third category who did not leave the organization, but brought a new view into their heart: jws are right in their core cause (gods kingdom as the solution to mankinds problems) but may or may not be right in their supplementary teachings, hence are not bothered about changes happening in this unimportant area..
If I identified as a JW. I'm in for a penny in for a pound.
I respect the elder who insisted on talking to me that night many years ago that I mentioned in a previous post of mine on another thread. I disagree with him but he is real JW in my view.
i ask this because of the circumstances behind why they get married and who they get married by.
i know people say that they are really in love, they love jehovah, etc, but are these marriages even legit.
i've talked to older jw's sister who are now widowed, some of them say that they were trapped in a marriages.
I found that my marriage was influenced by the belief that the end was near. dont know what difference it would have made if it wasnt, of course.
love is strange.
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
I keep it to myself without publicizing what I believe and what I do not, thus do not disturb the peace of the community.
I agree with you.
However, I have found that on quite a few occasions some Witnesses have insisted on talking about their beliefs with me.
One elder when I first had a problem with the beliefs came to my house unexpectedly and I asked due to having small children if he could call later or we might make another arrangement to meet insisted with doing it there and then which we did but he didn't come into the house.
Another time some years after I had stopped attending and one of my children wished to go to the hall I took them. At one of the meetings an elder came up to speak with us and explained some of his beliefs then pointing at me he said 'you don't want to listen to him' My child was only just 16 and living in my house.
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
So good points and bad points. How they are paid at Bethel to me means little
I didn't leave because of the change in the generation teaching. I had already left.
The idea behind my stand is that first you live out your faith by creating the New World in your mind. Then it does not matter when God’s Kingdom is going to come.
in my view it does if you have preached when it would come by and said you are God's mouthpiece and expect people to have faith in what you have preached.
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
In the publication, The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah-How? (WTB&TS 1971) page 61 it asks the question 'Whom could the real "chariot of Jehovah's organization roll up to and confront that He might bestow upon this qualified one the commission to speak as a prophet in the name of Jehovah?'
and it appears on page 66. to be not Christendom but 'the anointed proclaimers of the heavenly kingdom of God... commissioned to speak to all the nations in His name.'
On the previous page it tells me.
"They recognized the real kingdom of God had been established in the hands of Jesus Christ in 1914, and now more vigorously than ever they undertook to preach it 'in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.' They did so with the additional help of The Golden Age (now the magazine Awake)"
As the Watchtower I quoted from in 1968 shows them to be doing this in 197 lands and islands. The Awake magazine on the inside front cover at one point carried this as to why it was published.
,Most importantly, 'Awake' builds confidence in the Creator's promise of a peaceful and secure new order within our generation.,
In the book "Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand" (WTB&TS 1975) on page 29 it says.
"After all that we have gone through since 1914, our generation would be, of all generations the "most to be pitied".Think of it, though! Worthy ones of this generation of mankind will be saved alive out of the rest of this world distress so as to survive the worst of it and enter into God's Messianic new system of things and not need a resurrection from the dead to life on earth! This is a valid hope well founded on what was said by Jesus Christ..."
(bold mine)
This is referring to 1 Corinthians 15:18,19 where the apostle Paul is talking about the resurrection of Jesus and it therefore tied to this from (Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand. (1975,WTBTS page 48)
'The glorification of Jesus Christ in heaven after his extraordinary sufferings as a man on earth was good news, Gospel, Evangel. “Nevertheless,” writes the apostle Paul with special reference to his own people , “they did not all obey the good news. For Isaiah says: ‘Jehovah, who put faith in the thing heard from us?” So faith follows the thing heard, In turn the thing heard is through the word about Christ” –Romans 10:16,17'
His resurrection and glorification was good news.
The reason I am showing this is to show that this 'They proclaim the good news that the millennial rule of Christ will begin with this generation' was part of the good news and when Paul says this at Romans 10
Nevertheless, they did not all obey the good news. For Isaiah says: “Jehovah who has put faith in the thing heard from us?17 So faith follows the thing heard (NWT)
and Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand. 1975,WTBTSpage 48 says this
'In the face of the relatively small proportion of the world’s population that has put faith in the “thing heard” from us or proclaimed by us, it can truthfully be said: “They did not all obey the good news.”'
and the good news is from God it wasn't something that was just in the mind,
As the generation teaching was linked to the resurrection teaching of Christ here"Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand" (WTB&TS 1975) on page 29 to me it would be as if Paul after saying what he said in 1Cor. 15 later changed his teaching, if the generation teaching was changed and it wasn't shown to be true, but Paul says in 1Cor. 15:13-15
13 if, indeed, there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised up. 14 But if Christ has not been raised up, our preaching is certainly in vain, and your faith is also in vain. Moreover, we are also found to be false witnesses of God, because we have given witness against God by saying that he raised up the Christ,.. (NWT)
For me it calls into question whether they were commissioned in 1919 and I believe one of the first things they had was a campaign Millions now living will never die my grandfather was alive at that time and lived a long life and died of old age related problems almost 40 years ago.
Isa1961 we can all imagine a lot of things in our mind but having faith in what God's mouthpiece is saying is different.
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
I am not just believing this faith of good news of the new world, but already living this faith. For me new world is not just a promise to be realized in the future; I have made it a reality in my mind. There is no need for external permission for this purpose: every individual can enter into this state by his own decision. I take every incident at which people usually get offended as normal and adjust to it, just as all situations, both pleasant and unpleasant, are accepted within a family. I just universalize this family culture wherever I go, thus making my life already in a new world.
This reminds me of a film I saw where a guy goes on holiday to Mars in his mind.
And no wonder. What good news they have to tell the people! They proclaim the good news that the millennial rule of Christ will begin with this generation and that it will mean ever so many blessings for the people :..Watchtower June 1 1968 page 331
This Watchtower quote is talking about Matthew 28:19,20 which Jehovah's Witnesses were carrying out this commission at the time in 197 lands and islands.
the good news of the millennial rule of Christ is the thousand year reign of Christ not something taking place in your mind.
This occurs after Har-Magedon, Revelation 20:1-3 and not as part of it according to God's Eternal Purpose Now Truimphing for Man's Good page 186
As far as I know this has not taken place and the teaching has been changed on the defining of the generation.
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
Isw1961
No need to feel sorry I had faith
I don't feel that
This shows one should take JW teaching in its essence
would be having faith and if I was like this it would be hypocrisy I think. To tell people the end is coming while I make preparation for it not coming claiming faith. lol
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
Isw1961
Equal monthly pay to all members of the Bethel community
I don't find this makes any difference to my life at all, or to my family or friends.
However, I did find that this did.
And no wonder. What good news they have to tell the people! They proclaim the good news that the millennial rule of Christ will begin with this generation and that it will mean ever so many blessings for the people :..Watchtower June 1 1968 page 331
Especially when linked with this
The good news about the Messianic kingdom of Jehovah’s “Servant” is better news today that it was nineteen hundred years ago, in apostolic times. In the face of the relatively small proportion of the world’s population that has put faith in the “thing heard” from us or proclaimed by us, it can truthfully be said: “They did not all obey the good news.” This explains the saddening state of the world of mankind today.” (Man's Salvation Out Of World Distress At Hand. 1975,WTBTSpage 48)
when it talks about having faith in this good news and prior to this paragraph it mentions Romans 10:16,17
As faith is the, 'assured expectation of things hoped for' I feel it could so easily have been detrimental to my faith when my grandfather and then my father passed away from old age without this good news coming true.
I think this probably overrides any good points in my view at the present time.
Many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings
I was raised as a Witness and although not on a destructive path as far as I'm aware, my life was transformed by their teachings such as the one I mentioned. Influencing my decisions in many areas of my life which have not proved to be a good influence. Those decisions have meant I have lost out on education, work and pensions. My father retired a lot earlier than I will be able to. He wasn't raised a witness as I think you may not have been reading this comment of yours.
'(this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic)'
1) many who were on the destructive path have been transformed by their teachings (this includes me who was once vicious, and presumptuous and atheistic).
2) equal monthly pay to all members of the bethel community regardless of whether they are bc members or sweepers.
this is something that still remains as an unattainable dream for the world.
. At the same time I admit that they also have their weak side which arose unwittingly out of good-intention. Even Apostle Paul taught (in 1 Cor 10:11) that the kingdom would come in the first century.
I think Paul was saying it was the end of the ages with the resurrection of Jesus