Nothing I've heard is truly novel, but this is a breakthrough for the broader audience who has no idea of the situation and inner workings of Jehovah's Witnesses organization. I expect some shock waves, but until a major news station ( Fox, CBS, CNN, NBC...) picks it up, the effect will be limited and the WTS will try to whistle away and pretend they don't have a problem.
This needs to be pushed further. In any case, well done!
Eden
our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful jw.
as we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children.
we don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort.
Thank you MissFit. And, Scully, how right you are! The "hope of resurrection" is often used as a form of psychological blackmail to keep you in, or at least mentally tied to the JW beliefs, because you don't want to risk letting down your loved ones who expect to see you again when they resurrect. We've heard a lot of those expressions over the past few days, and it just felt sickening.
The funny thing behind this apparently emotionally loaded argument is how cold and judgmental this reasoning is: The person who says: "What will I tell your mother when she resurrects and you're not there?" - is already ruling that: a) He/she will definitely be resurrected, while b) You definitely won't be resurrected. I suppose such person disregards Jesus' own teaching: "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned" - Luke 6:37
Eden
our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful jw.
as we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children.
we don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort.
Thank you. It's actually harder for my wife, as it was her mother. But in fact she was the best mother-in-law I could ever have hoped to have. A true force of nature, an example of bravery, long-suffering through a slow killer disease.
Eden
yes, i'm not kidding!.
this gem was stated today in the talk!
(shortly before i walked out).
Unless we see hard evidence in print, it's dangerous to think of it as anything more than a speaker trying to impress his audience by stating something "shocking" out of his own head. We all know the WTS grooms its most fanatical followers to think that way, but would they be so stupid to actually lay it down in writing like that ...?
Eden
the borg seem to prepare for changes by missing explanations out for a while then presenting a "new understanding" which doesn't contradict the most recent discussion.check out the most recent references to gog - no identification as satan.. in today's wt study, paragraph 15 concerning benefitting from the prodigal son stated "if we meet a person who has strayed from the congregation, will we offer loving and practical help to assist him to return?
" there is no footnote or other qualifier saying not to go to disfellowshipped ones (who are definitely the ones being talked about) which is still the official policy.
i know this isn't an ending to shunning, but it may signal the start of the preparation for a change.
The "stray" are those who became inactive due to life events and also those who once were unbaptized publishers or studied the bible with the Witnesses. Those are potential (re)converts. The instruction on the WT definetively doesn't apply to willing faders nor disfellowshipped ones, especially apostates. Those are to be avoided like the plague.
Eden
our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful jw.
as we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children.
we don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort.
As JWs we've invested so much of our lives into ensuring our ticket into the next life; in most cases, such investment meant giving up things that give meaning to this life - family, children, education, travel, celebrations, careers, hobbies, relationships, and the list goes on - that the idea that there may be no resurrection seems too terrifying to contemplate.
Eden
our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful jw.
as we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children.
we don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort.
I think that trading off the enjoyment of our current life for the unlikeliness of a future one is an awfully bad deal.
Eden
our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful jw.
as we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children.
we don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort.
Our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful JW. As we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children. We don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort. We find solace in the deceased loved one's "good name" and the great memories we keep. How do you personally find comfort when the hope of resurrection has no longer meaning to you?
Eden
call me crazy, but i love to watch seminary classes when sharp teachers are in charge of the instruction.. in the following video, the teacher really nails jehovah's witnesses on john 1:1 with utter simplicity.. begin at 1 hour and 20 minutes in.. i've never seen or heard of this before.. .
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5qkj7tmbg.
await your shepherd; he will give you everlasting rest, because he who will come at the end of the age is close at hand.
be ready for the rewards of the kingdom.
... receive what the lord has entrusted to you and be joyful, giving thanks to him who has called you to heavenly kingdoms..
I meant to say the two first chapters are much more recent .... anyway, I think you got my point.
Eden
