For many decades the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been told by the Watchtower organization that its Governing Body headquartered at Brooklyn, New York represents and acts for what it terms the “anointed ones” on earth.
For example, in 1976 Watchtower stated:
In an attempt to explain the apparent disconnect between itself and those whom it supposedly represents, Watchtower states:
All the corporations branch offices and printeries and their personnel serve under the direction of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, a body that represents and acts for all the spirit annointed worsjippers of Jehovah God on earth.
Source:
The Watchtower. May 1, 1976, pg 266
Yet in recent years Watchtower has stated:
Are all of these annointed ones throughout the earth part of a global network that is somehow involved in revealing new spiritual trughts? No.
Source:
The Watchtower, August 15, 2011, pg 24
The Governing Body does not maintain a global network of annointed ones.
Source:
The Watchtower, August 15, 2011, pg 22
At face value it seems absurd that Watchtower’s Governing Body can rightly be understood to represent the “anointed ones” on earth given that it neither has nor maintains a network of those whom it purportedly represents.
In an attempt to explain the apparent disconnect between itself and those whom it supposedly represents, Watchtower states:
Although as a composite body the slave class is responsible for feeding the spiritual household, not all indiiduals of the slave class have the same responsibilities for work assignments (Read 1 Corinthians 12: 14-18.) As noted earlier in the first century, all were involved in the votal preaching work. But only a very limited number were used to write the books of the Bible and oversea the Christian Congregation.
Source:
The Watchtower, June 15. 2009, pg 24
That is an amazing piece of explanation. Why?
Watchtower teaches that the composite “slave class” is the sum total of all “anointed ones” on earth at any given time, and that these "anointed ones" have the assignment to provide spiritual food. Specifically, Watchtower states:
We accept the teaching that all of the annointed ones living on earth at any given time constitute the faithful and discreet slave that Jesus said would provide timely food for his domestics.
Source:
The Watchtower, November 1, 2007, pg 30
According to the above, as recent as year 2007 Watchtower’s Governing Body taught that all of the “anointed ones” would provide spiritual food. Yet Watchtower’s 2009 explanation expresses that some of the “anointed ones” do not have the assignment to provide spiritual food.
Watchtower’s teaching on this point is cloaked in the conundrum of “a composite body”. The apparent theory of this “composite body” is that though it is made up entirely of the “anointed ones” and no one else, and though all of the “anointed ones” comprise this “composite body,” when the “composite body” acts in its singular assignment it is not the whole “composite body” that is acting in that singular assignment, that is to provide spiritual food.
Notwithstanding supposition of various “work assignments,” one can only wonder how an organization can rightly claim to represent persons for whom admittedly it neither has nor maintains a network of.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Is The Watchtower Society Still Living in the 19th Century?
have always sensed a disconnect about the society. Especially the way the rank and file is treated. Is it because they are still operating with a 19th century mentality?
The WT was started in an era when higher education usually meant the 8th grade. When medical practices were often dangerous and harmful or in the case of beneficial treatments, not well understood. When Science had barely penetrated daily life, when communication meant tracts and printing presses. When critical historic study of the Bible was virtually unknown and most people considered every word in the bible inspired from god. When women were in a continuing fight for basic rights. When William Miller and his Adventist movement could reach out from the grave and infuse his simplistic millennium end of the world beliefs into the thinking of the founders and future stewards of the Watchtower Society.
Reviewing the lives of it's Presidents and a sampling of the Governing Body, I noticed that almost every one of them was either born and educated in the 19th century or if not were in turn educated by those who were. And that continued all the way through to the succession of Fred Franz.
Does this extremely limited 19th century thought process still influence the 21st century Watchtower Society?
Is this time warp one of the reasons 67% of born-ins and thousands of converts are abandoning this religion/cult?
Do JW's have more in common with the Amish and Mennonites, less the quaint attire, then with the contemporary population?
The WT was started in an era when higher education usually meant the 8th grade. When medical practices were often dangerous and harmful or in the case of beneficial treatments, not well understood. When Science had barely penetrated daily life, when communication meant tracts and printing presses. When critical historic study of the Bible was virtually unknown and most people considered every word in the bible inspired from god. When women were in a continuing fight for basic rights. When William Miller and his Adventist movement could reach out from the grave and infuse his simplistic millennium end of the world beliefs into the thinking of the founders and future stewards of the Watchtower Society.
Reviewing the lives of it's Presidents and a sampling of the Governing Body, I noticed that almost every one of them was either born and educated in the 19th century or if not were in turn educated by those who were. And that continued all the way through to the succession of Fred Franz.
Does this extremely limited 19th century thought process still influence the 21st century Watchtower Society?
Is this time warp one of the reasons 67% of born-ins and thousands of converts are abandoning this religion/cult?
Do JW's have more in common with the Amish and Mennonites, less the quaint attire, then with the contemporary population?
Monday, May 2, 2011
Watchtower Study, Sunday May 1, 2011
In today's Watchtower Study, towards the end, you had one of those typical comments by a former Df'ed Witness expressing appreciation for being shunned.
After this kind of nonsense is expressed, you will get a flurry of self righteous comments emphasizing how important it is to shun your disfellowshipped relatives, so that they can come back in the "truth".
Oh, Really? Do any of these people raising their hand realize that, if the "success" of disfellowshipping depends on your shunning, then the "repentant" person is "coming back in the truth" FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR RELATIVES -AND NOT BECAUSE OF FEARING JEHOVAH !!!???
Think about it. If disfellowshipping is openly motivated by getting back with your cultish relatives, then what, pray tell, does that have to do with repentance towards God?
And the second point!
Jehovah's Witnesses keep lying and lying and lying - as this article does - about how disfellowshipping 'keeps the organization clean'.
It does not! This is an endlessly repeated , bold face lie!
How so? The Jews of Jesus' day loved shunning! Did it make them 'clean'? ( see Luke 6: 22)
Does the Watchtower complain about many leading a 'double life'? Is that 'clean'?
Do internet sites, such as this one, manifest documents and confidential information in a steady stream, that comes from Witnesses pretending to be loyal?
Does the Society warm about "apostates" lurking in congregations currently?
Do disfellowshipping cases often manifest serious sins committed over years, sometimes decades, including homosexuality, child molestation, adultery and more?
Out of their own mouth, you can judge them, by their admissions about widespread problems in congregations. They are liars, seeking to deceive others, about a "cleanness" that their own evidence contradicts.
After this kind of nonsense is expressed, you will get a flurry of self righteous comments emphasizing how important it is to shun your disfellowshipped relatives, so that they can come back in the "truth".
Oh, Really? Do any of these people raising their hand realize that, if the "success" of disfellowshipping depends on your shunning, then the "repentant" person is "coming back in the truth" FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR RELATIVES -AND NOT BECAUSE OF FEARING JEHOVAH !!!???
Think about it. If disfellowshipping is openly motivated by getting back with your cultish relatives, then what, pray tell, does that have to do with repentance towards God?
And the second point!
Jehovah's Witnesses keep lying and lying and lying - as this article does - about how disfellowshipping 'keeps the organization clean'.
It does not! This is an endlessly repeated , bold face lie!
How so? The Jews of Jesus' day loved shunning! Did it make them 'clean'? ( see Luke 6: 22)
Does the Watchtower complain about many leading a 'double life'? Is that 'clean'?
Do internet sites, such as this one, manifest documents and confidential information in a steady stream, that comes from Witnesses pretending to be loyal?
Does the Society warm about "apostates" lurking in congregations currently?
Do disfellowshipping cases often manifest serious sins committed over years, sometimes decades, including homosexuality, child molestation, adultery and more?
Out of their own mouth, you can judge them, by their admissions about widespread problems in congregations. They are liars, seeking to deceive others, about a "cleanness" that their own evidence contradicts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)