Posts by Number 6

7

The Due Time has Arrived !!!

by Amazing1914 in

jw
friends

the term 'generation' can mean a number of time frames.

it can refer to the time from the birth of one generation to the birth of the next, which is about 20 years.

the society used the psalms to determine the length of a life-span to calculate the "last generation" in making its case that 70 years from 1914 would put us at the threshold of 1975.psalm 90:10 says, "the days of our years are threescore years and ten [70 years]; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years [80 years], yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.".

Number 6

Quote from Watchtower August 1st 2023 (Quarterly US and European Edition)

"Not misled by the past"

"In recent times some of Jehovah's people have made reference to 1914 as being of some biblical significance! In their eagerness to see the Kingdom Work fulfilled they have speculated that somehow 'the faithful and discreet slave' has in the past promoted this date as being tied in with Bible prophecy. How foolish!

True, some over zealous brothers in the mid to late twentieth century indicated that this may be the case, however 'the faithful slave' has at all times 'kept on the watch' (insert out of context scripture here), not knowing the 'day or hour'. We always strive to be 'cautious as sperpents and as innocent as doves'.

How happy we as Jehovah's People are that we are not slavishly bound to some date, but rather spread the good news as Christ's faithful followers!"

Just you watch, 20 years from now they'll be printing stuff like this.

Craig

24

Issues with claiming to be TFDS

by Check_Your_Premises in

i submit the following for your thoughts and comments.

making the claim.

the single most significant problem i have with the jw doctrine, is that they claim that god chose them to be his earthly organization, to the exclusion of all others.

Number 6

The FDS doctrine is the one doctrine they can never ditch no matter what the cost. If they throw that out then all else falls.

41

Going to my first meeting this morning

by Bug in

jw
friends

hi there i'm new here, my name is fiona i am not yet a jw and have not started to study yet.

i am very interested in doing so but since i am still new to all this i thought i should attend some meetings first.

i am going to my first one today at the kelvin hall in glasgow, i am quite nervous as i do not know what to expect but also excited at the same time since it could be the beginning of a huge change in my life.

Number 6

Hi Fiona,

Can't really add much to what has been already said! Run as fast as you can FAR FAR AWAY from these people. You will never regret it.

I live local to you in Glasgow so if you want someone local to talk to feel free to contact me.

Craig

34

Do you tell your friends your were a JW?

by eljefe in

jw
friends

last night i was out with my friends and i ran into another ex-jw.

based on the conversation with this ex-jw, my friends could tell that i was hiding something.

i think i will have to tell my friends that i was a jw.

Number 6

When the occassion arises yes.

It then gives me the opportunity to anti-witness to them thus ensuring that they will forever be a no go area for the Watchtower.

In all my years as a dub I never once studied with anyone to baptism, but as a direct result of my educating people about the dangers of the Watchtower cult I can personally vouch that at least 40 people will never become Jehovah's Witnesses.

:-)

Craig

54

THE GENERATION OF 1914

by Mary in

jw
friends

it makes you wonder when exactly the governing body and their lawyers decided to change the "generation of 1914" doctrine.

the first quotation below is from the 1992 wt and the second one from the 1993 brochure the purpose of life, just two lousy years before they imfamously dropped the whole idea:

*** w92 5/1 p. 7 the 1914 generation?why significant?

Number 6

Hi all, interesting thread,

I personally feel that the damage caused by painting themselves into the corner is already long done; we are just too close to it to see it. At some point towards the end of the 21st century, the religious historians of the time will look back at the period from around 1990-2000 and draw the line saying here marks the beginning of the end for the Watchtower Society.

Irrespective of what the Watchtower does now 'the era of global expansion' (to quote Penton) during the days of Knorr and Franz from the 50's to the 80's are long long gone.

It is, as has been said, just a matter of time.

Just my thoughts.

Craig

20

JW perception of Armageddon's Iminence

by FirstInLine in

i am wondering how iminent did armageddon seem when you were jws?

how iminent does the wts feel it is today?.

i recall that for me it seemed that it could happen at any moment.

Number 6

Hi all,

Back in 1982 when I was a mere 12 year old, a group of us were sitting round after the book study discussing how soon ?it? might be. The general consensus was that it was ?real soon? but a few short years at most away.

My stepfather then chipped in with this comment. ?I tell you all here tonight. If we are all sitting here in the year 2000 then I will have some serious thinking to do, because obviously by then we would know it could not be true!? He said this in all seriousness secure in his own mind that what he was saying was never going to happen, and indeed the nods and smiles of the mindless drones also in the room re-enforced that view. Namely that of course we were never going to wait as long as the year 2000 and how silly to even think such a thing.

When I see my mother and stepfather now I just see burnt out hollow shells of their former selves. Of course they cannot see that they have been sold a dud. They still live for the hope of ?any day now.?

I recently repeated my stepfather?s comments back to him and all he could come back with was a feeble ?well we don?t serve for a specific date and we must have faith that the end will come soon?.

They are going to go to their graves mindless tired and lonely old people.

How sad.

I HATE you Watchtower for the hurt you have caused my family.

Craig

30

Are you a blood donor?

by nicolaou in

so many of us on this forum have criticised the watchtower society for their obscene blood transfusion/fractions policies.

quite right too.. it begs the question though; what are you doing about blood now that you have a more tolerant and informed perspective?

it's a rhetorical question.

Number 6

Yep, the knowledge that I am breaking another poxy Watchtower rule being part of the pleasure.

When I first started earlier this year the nurse explained to me that the blood can save up to five different people. It's a really simple act and takes all of 15 minutes followed by free tea and biscuits.

There's no reason why a healthy adult shouldn't donate blood.

6

'A pint? That's nearly and armful!' (added to see how many remeber that sketch)

27

Did You Ever Feel Refreshed As A Jehovah's Witness???

by minimus in

jw
friends

the "truth" is supposed to be sooo "refreshing".

the publications talk about how "happy and refreshed" witnesses always are.

was that your experience?

Number 6

I always felt as if I was missing the trick when they told us how 'refreshed' we were. I used to look around me at the Kingdom Hall and say 'No it must be me. I'm definitely missing something here.' Now I realise what a crock of shit it is I understand that everyone else was pretending too, even if they convinced themselves they were 'refreshed'.

It's one of those JW buzzwords that still gets my goat after all this time. Like how the conventions were supposed to be 'thrilling' . The only thrill I remember was watching the young ladies.

Even as a teenager I felt put upon by the Watchtower. The only refreshment I can recall was going to the pub after the meeting for a few beers.

Craig

22

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang turns 35

by SheilaM in

jw
friends

do you remember the movie lol i remember watching all the time when i was little

Number 6

Hello all,

The evil child catcher, which is my enduring memory of this film was a celebrated theatre and Shakespearean actor called Robert Helpmann.

The Internet Movie Database has the following on him,

Born 9th April 1909, Mount Gambier South Australia. Died 28th September 1986, Sydney, Australia.

Mini Biography.

Son of James Murray Helpmann & Mary (nee Gardiner), he was educated at Prince Alfred's College, Adelaide, South Australia. He first danced solo at the Theatre Royal, Adelaide in The Ugly Duckling in 1922. He went on to become the pricipal dancer at Sadlers Wells ballet from 1933 to 1950. World renowned as a dancer and choreographer, amongst his other achievements he was the director of the Australian Ballet Company. He directed the world tour of Margot Fonteyn in 1963.

Was the person who showed American actress Katharine Hepburn her first Lyrebirds during a working tour of Australia, when they co-starred in Shakespearian plays.

On his "This is Your Life" (in Australia) the guest of honour was Michael Powell who came on with a pair of "Red Shoes".

He was awarded the Scroll of Honour in Norway in 1950.

He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1964.

He was made a KBE (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1968.

He was awarded the Order of the Knight of the North Star in Sweden in 1975.

Personal quotes

"If I told you, you would not know; you simply would have been told."

"Theatre remains the only thing I understand. It is in the community of the theatre that I have my being. In spite of jealousies and fears, emotional conflicts and human tensions; in spite of the penalty of success and the dread of failure; in spite of tears and feverish gaiety -- this is the only life I know. It is the life I love."

"The Trouble with Nude Dancing is that not everything stops when the music does."

Thought you might like to know.

Craig

16

What Happened in 1995?

by missylissy in

i was just reading this post http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/61878/1.ashx.

they were talking about what they felt about what happened in 1995. but, i dont know what happened in 1995.. .

what did happen?.

Number 6

I grew up in the Watchtower religion in the 70’s and 80’s and remember the emphasis on ‘this generation’ very well.

Although I was too young to really remember the fallout from 1975 I have the clearest of memories about the importance of what the phrase ‘this generation’ meant and it’s importance to the whole Watchtower structure. Barely a week went by when we didn’t discuss how the end must be so close due to the dying off of the people who had been born on or before 1914.

Even as a young boy I can remember being taught the mantra:

Jerusalem fell in 607 BCE.
The gentile times were 7 x 360 years (a day for a year) minus no year zero = 1914 CE.
Armageddon would begin before the generation that saw the events of 1914 were all dead.

It was that simple. It was one of ‘the basics’ that new bible studies were taught to ‘prove’ how close the end must be.

The doctrinal investment they made in this in the decades up to the 1980’s cannot be overemphasised. EVERYTHING hinged on this doctrine.

I was gone by 1990 (for non doctrinal reasons) but when I found out about the 1995 change when I got on line in 2000, I was utterly astonished. If there was one doctrine, one piece of theology that I thought was sacrosanct, it was this. That they tossed it out in the passing of one sentence in one paragraph spoke volumes. My opinion is that the gradual fallout they have been experiencing will haemorrhage if they do not try to shore this up soon. In fact, as the recent thread shows they may well be doing this by trying to tie up ‘Noah’s generation’ of 120 years to the 1914 date, but only time will tell.

For me it was proof positive that they make doctrine up as circumstances dictate rather than having a hotline to God.

Just how I saw it

Craig