Dan Sydlik dies, the last of the moderating forces.

by SadElder 126 Replies latest jw friends

  • zagor
    zagor
    I remember a tape of a special talk he gave, and described his visit to Poland and the, then, USSR. It was a great talk. I was on the edge of my seat listening to it.

    I've still got that tape somewhere I believe. I never met him so I can't comment first hand; though he was the only one I wanted to meet from GB based on several of his talks on tapes I heard at the time.
    Looking back now and considering how he spoke I think he genuinely believed in it all. Whether he could do more for rank and file, I don't know - he probably could. Before starting to read CoC book I would have answered differently to that question myself. But even Ray Franz admitts he went along with majority many times partly because of pressure to conform partly to be there as long as possible to have opportunity to change things slowly or at least to make them think - not hard to imagine that Sydlik would try doing something similar particularly if he genuinely believed it all.

    In any case it think it is a great loss for JW worldwide because from now on their ass will be kicked with even more force.

  • Amazing1914
    Amazing1914

    Thanks for the update. It is too bad. I have it on good authority that Dan Sydlik did not believe most or all of Watchtower doctrines. I have some audio tapes of him giving some really good talks. He was unique in the organization. All I can say is that I feel sorry for the JWs who will have to endure the tyranny of Jaracz & Company. To sum it up. OH SHIT!

    Jim Whitney

  • SadElder
    SadElder
    I have it on good authority that Dan Sydlik did not believe most or all of Watchtower doctrines

    I remember him saying that we need to throw everything we teach out and start over.

    Yes he's guilty of not doing many things, or doing many things. I think perhaps he felt trapped with no where to run after all these years. No means of support, poor health, etc. I mak no excuses for him. But he like many here was my friend. I will remember him fondly along with those many discussions we had about today's Watchtower Society.

    Dan, wherever you are, I raise my Glenlivet filled glass to you one last time.

  • Poztate
    Poztate
    He was unique in the organization. All I can say is that I feel sorry for the JWs who will have to endure the tyranny of Jaracz & Company. To sum it up. OH SHIT!

    Jim Whitney

    Thanks for the insight Jim...It looks like things will go more into the toilet more than ever now...Maybe that is a good thing..

  • ObservingTexan
    ObservingTexan

    If he could come back right now I know what he would say......... GB boys..... WE GOT IT ALL WRONG!

  • Amazing1914
    Amazing1914

    In addition to my comments about Dan above, I think we can also equate the death of Dan Sydlik to the last of the Jedi Knights running for his life as Darth [Jaracz] Vader leads the Empire [Society] deeper to the dark side. - Jim Whitney

  • zagor
    zagor

    Ray Franz quite eloquently describes how most of those on GB are not that well versed in Scriptures so I'm not surprised that one who are would have quite opposing view.

    Following is taken for Crisis of Conscience book
    ...Many Governing Body members admitted that they found themselves so preoccupied with various matters that there was little time for bible study. It is no exaggeration to say that the average member spent no more time, and sometimes less, in such study than many witnesses among the so-called "rank and file".....[speaking of new material aka new light to be published in watchtower, he further describes] The subject was often one that had originated and developed in the mind of the writer without consultation with the Body, even thought it represented some "new" understanding of Scripture, and often the writer had then worked up all his arguments and put the material in final form without having talked things over, tested his thinking, with even one other person...
    The argumentation was frequently complex, involved, of a kind that no superficial reading could ever allow for sufficient analysis to test its validity and determine if it was Scripturally sold or just a case of 'acrobatical logic', a skillful juggling of text that made them say something other than what they really said. Those who had only read the material usually voted in favor; those who had done extra study and research were the most likely to raise serious questions….
    Thus after one discussion of an article by Fred Franz which presented the view that the “festival of the harvest ingathering” .. Pictured a circumstance I in the history of the Witnesses as the start of their spiritual harvesting, sufficient [number of] members voted in favor voted in favor for it to be accepted.
    Lyman Swingle, who had not voted in favor and who was currently serving as Coordinator of the Writing Committee, then said: “All right, if that’s what you want to do I’ll send it over to the factory for printing. But that does not mean that I believe it. It is just one more stone piled on the enormous monument of testimony that Watchtower is not infallible.”
    A second reason for lack of Bible discussion follows obviously, I believe, from the preceding one. And that is that most of the Body were actually not that well versed in the Scriptures (Raymond Franz (2002) 4th ed, Crisis of Conscience pages 112-113.)

    I think that vividly describes reality of the matter and I'm not surprised a bit that some of them would over time (especially if they did any study of their own) develop completely opposing views.

  • Blueblades
    Blueblades

    He gave a talk: Don't lose heart, one of the best I ever heard.

    Blueblades

  • upside/down
    upside/down

    Visited Bethel once... bumped into ...got to "kiss the ring"...Must admit he was nice to my kids...

    He was just another "imperfect son of Adam"...just like you and me...

    u/d

  • Breakfast at Cranberrys
    Breakfast at Cranberrys
    Remember??? "It's good to be alive and to serve the only true and living God Jehovah" ????

    One of the few things I still remember vividly from my days at Bethel. He may have been misguided, but I have to admit that memory puts a smile on my face. Sorry to hear of his death.

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