leaving_quietly

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Posts by leaving_quietly

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  29

  Notes from Safeguard Your Mind assembly - day 1

  by raxxxx in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  it was an entertaining and incredibly sad experience... anyway!

  here are some notes i have managed to take in between all of the crying and laughing as well as occasional mental breakdown.

  enjoy!

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  leaving_quietly

  I caught two key points:

  Ability to declare something, doesn't make it true.
  
  If Jehovah says something, we should not add to it.
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  9

  Will Don Cameron have to write a new book?

  by tornapart in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in light of the 'new light' recently about the fds not being inspected until later (and not in 1919) does this mean don cameron will have to rewrite his 'captives of a concept'?

  as most of his book is debunking this 'inspection of 1919'.

  any thoughts?.

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  leaving_quietly

  Haha... was thinking the very same thing earlier this week!
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  39

  Well, I talked with two active JWs about the latest understanding of the F&DS.

  by Theocratic Sedition in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know a brother who went to the most recent annual meeting.

  older brother, non-annointed, elder, wife a pioneer, and overall a pretty good dude.

  he let me take a peak at the new awake dropping in 2013, which by the way i have to give credit where it's due as i like the new 16 page format.

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  leaving_quietly

  The term "governing body" has been in use since at least 1944. Mostly in a legal sense, though. Its role changed in the 70s.
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  12

  After a couple of days pondering the "new light" FDS change . . .

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, i've had a chance to ponder this "new light" of the change of definition of fds now for a couple of days.

  the initial reaction was of astonishment, and just plain anger, and i can see that i'm not alone in that.

  however (assuming matt 24:45-47 is prophetic, parable or not):.

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  leaving_quietly

  @perfect1: My point is that we don't have to worry about whether the teaching is right or wrong. Only that they have to answer to a much higher power than us for this action.

  As for taking responsibility for my beliefs: I'm still trying to figure out what I do believe and what I don't believe. Having been taught the WTS way all my life, this waking up is taking quite a long time for me. I do not take anything said here in this forum at face value. I equally do not take anything the WTS says at face value. My last year has been spent in deep study. I research what scholars say on scriptures. I read comments from some very intelligent people here on JWN. I read WTS publications. I compare them all as objectively as I can. After my initial reaction to this "new light," I went back and read Matt 24:45-47 many, many times. I can see where the adjusted understanding is coming from (the point of view that the FDS is a smaller number.) I do not necessarily agree with WHO they say it is. Again, my point is that it's not for me to worry about since they have to answer to Christ for making that claim. I do believe that a change in understanding of this after so many decades is quite telling... if they don't know by now, it's not them.
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  12

  After a couple of days pondering the "new light" FDS change . . .

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, i've had a chance to ponder this "new light" of the change of definition of fds now for a couple of days.

  the initial reaction was of astonishment, and just plain anger, and i can see that i'm not alone in that.

  however (assuming matt 24:45-47 is prophetic, parable or not):.

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  leaving_quietly

  So, I've had a chance to ponder this "new light" of the change of definition of FDS now for a couple of days. The initial reaction was of astonishment, and just plain anger, and I can see that I'm not alone in that. However (assuming Matt 24:45-47 is prophetic, parable or not):

  - It kinda makes sense that a small group would be responsible for feeding. Like waiters in a restaurant. There's just a few.

  - Those who claim this responsibility take upon themselves a HUGE accountability before Christ. So be it. Why worry about it ourselves? They have to answer for their actions. We do not. (This statement, of course, is for those who still believe in God and Christ... those who don't, just ignore.)

  - I'm not sure of the change of the term "domestics". Why? Because the second half of the parable talks about "that evil slave" beating his "fellow slaves." To me, that means that "domestics" = "fellow slaves." That never has included those of the great crowd to my knowledge.

  - While I agree with the change of the "inspection" now being future (haven't we here said that numerous times?), I have a hard time swallowing the fact that it's taken all these decades for them to figure it out. I think this is the single biggest issue I have with these changes. Decades long teachings that made JWs who they are are just swept away, just like that.

  - Finally, we're all reacting from peoples' notes. They write what they hear, or think they hear. None of this is printed in black and white for all of us to clearly see, analyze and reason on. So, I think it's just prudent to wait and see what they say on the printed page. Then, and only then, does it become an official teaching.
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  22

  Timing of new "faithful & discreet slave class" teaching

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the following is pure, 100% speculation, but i think it's fun to do anyway..... .

  as has been posted on numerous threads, the "biggie" coming out of the annual meeting this past weekend is that now the "faithful and discreet slave" is considered to be the jw governing body only - not "all anointed nes on earth".. and has been posted, it seems that the most recent direct statement of the "old light" - that the fds is composed of "all anointed" - was made in 2009.. so that makes me think - what happened between 2009 & 2012 to elicit such a change?.

  both jack barr & ted jaracz - the last of the "old guard" - died in 2010.. the gb went from 9 members down to 7.. assuming that the "2/3 majority" rule as written about by ray franz was still in effect, this scenario seems plausible:.

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  leaving_quietly

  Maybe to squash these folks? http://anointedjw.org (who, with class and grace, remind their viewers to wait until it is in print, and who feel this is not a real issue because then those who are taking this position are taking sole responsibility before God and are thus solely accountable)
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  45

  Now that they finally admitted that the Faithful & Dicsreet Slave is ONLY the Governing Body what now?

  by baltar447 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  any thoughts on the rammifications of this?.

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  leaving_quietly

  I agree with EE, too, but I think the average JW will have questions in their own minds but, as usual, be afraid to speak about it. I already told a family member of mine who is an uber-JW that this is complete bunk, mainly because of timing. If it's been nearly 90 years since the FDS was appointed, why are they just now figuring it out? If they can't figure out this doctrine that they've held so very dear for years, then what else haven't they been able to figure out. Everything is in question now. This isn't an end-times issue. It's at the heart of who JWs are as an organization.
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  7

  Did they just show themselves to be the "evil slave?"

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  matt 24:48-50: "but if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, 'my master is delaying,' and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards,the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites.

  there is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.".

  notice, the slave only has to say it "in his heart.

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  leaving_quietly

  Matt 24:48-50: " But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, 'My master is delaying,' and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards,the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be."

  Notice, the slave only has to say it "in his heart." Not in print. Not in public. Seems like a beat-down to me.
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  9

  The "Domestics" now include the Great Crowd

  by RubaDub in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just got off the phone with an old friend who attends the annual meeting every year.. in addition to the fds changes, the domestics now include both the remnant and the great crowd.. seems like an easy way of minimizing the importance of those who partake of the emblems today.. rub a dub.

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  leaving_quietly

  It will be interesting to hear how this is spun. A "domestic" is one who lives in the same house, or, in the case of a nation, a natural citizen. If the "domestics" includes the GC, that will call into question whether or not the GC is now part of "Spiritual Israel" as natural citizens, which, of course, leads us to question the doctrive of living forever on earth. If the GC is part of the domestics, then it must be part of Spiritual Israel, and they reside in heaven.

  I suspect, though, they will say that we are ALL part of Jehovah's household since 'the heavens are his throne and the earth is his footstool' (Isa 66:1) thus ALL are domestics.

  It doesn't much matter anymore. In my opinion, if they don't know who Jesus appointed, then it wasn't them.
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  45

  Now that they finally admitted that the Faithful & Dicsreet Slave is ONLY the Governing Body what now?

  by baltar447 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  any thoughts on the rammifications of this?.

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  leaving_quietly

  Well, let's see . . .

  - a reversal of all the publications that stated the F&DS = remnant of 144,000 on earth at any given time

  - some pretty upset anointed folks

  While I think this is a pretty big change, the bigger change is the thought about Jesus inspection being FUTURE. They're some how going to have to explain away the 'being inspected in 1918' stuff that's been taught for decades.

  The change in domestics, too, will be something to watch for. Up to now, these were individual anointed ones, not the anointed as a group. Now, the domestics includes "other sheep?" That makes no sense. A "domestic" is one who lives in a household. Or, in the case of a nation, a natural citizen. To me, this would mean only those who are part of spiritual Israel, which most certainly does not include the "other sheep," according to JW theology. This is a very big one to explain.

  This whole thing brings to mind something Sam Herd said at our DC this year. He said: "This organization's about to ROCK!" No explanation given. Just a hanging statement, though in the connotation of something big about to happen to shake us up. I wondered what he meant by that. Maybe this is it. If so, then he knew this would shake the JWs to the core.

  I can only say this: if they don't even know who the F&DS are and keep changing their tune on that, how could we possibly even trust ANYTHING they say doctrinally? Calls into question EVERY SINGLE DOCTRINE unique to JWs.