OK, I'm going to try to phrase this as articulately as I can - I'm not completely sure what I'm asking here, but if you have any thoughts on the matter please comment.
My question is this: Do you ever feel like all that WT prophecy about the fall of Babylon makes sense when you watch the news or read the newspaper? Sometimes a member of my family or a friend will rattle off on some bit of news they heard regarding the pope or a country's leader that seems to fall in line with the Watchtower's take on Revelation and I get all alarmed and alert - sort of a subconscious reaction. This person will then say something like "praise Jehovah," "we need the new world..." "Satan's time is up..." and other such apocalyptic rhetoric. Sometimes I get all panicky and actually begin to think 'maybe the world is going to end,' but then I try to remind myself that people will look for anything that seems to fall in line with what they want to hear. - I guess I would just like to hear your ideas on HOW and WHY people do this and how common it is.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
by daniel-p 13 Replies latest jw friends
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daniel-p
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stillajwexelder
but it has been the case for 2000 years now - what you hear is nothing new. A bit like reading stars/horoscope -- they phrase things so vaguely there is bound to be something that fits you
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garybuss
I like that which agrees with that which I agree. -
JamesThomas
I guess I would just like to hear your ideas on HOW and WHY people do this and how common it is.
It's very common. Christianity, is a death cult, were the highest form of love is to sacrifice your favorite child, and kill of all the others you don't like so that those who adore your murderous ways can covet the land. It's religious insanity.
You are having problems with it because there is innate wisdom in your heart which has not yet been numbed by all the craziness.
There are far more gentle and kindly ways to go.
j
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Honesty
Do you ever feel like all that WT prophecy about the fall of Babylon makes sense when you watch the news or read the newspaper?
Define Babylon.
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Sheepish
For one thing, the JWs take stuff from the Bible and use it to their purposes.So, some of it is going to ring true on the surface. We are in a very interesting time in history. If you don't believe in the Bible and only look to history you can see the place the US is in the rise and fall of a nation (ie Rome). The government of the world is definitely moving towards a one world gov't. It definitely gives you pause to think, unless you prefer to ignore it and say, "everything is continuing as it has from the beginning." There is lots of info on prophecy apart from the JWs they don't have the corner on the market.
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blakky
yes yes yes. i agree amen sister.
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Navigator
One of the great things about predicting the end of the world is that eventually you will be correct. The "signs of the end times" seem familiar because history keeps repeating itself. So far the WT is batting about 0 for 5 on accuracy. What does the bible say about false prophets?
We are one major asteroid strike from the end at any time. So what! This place is not our home and our "life" will not end when this earth ceases to be. In terms of specifics, I would rather trust Nostradamus or the ancient Mayans than the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society.
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drew sagan
Many people have associated the Papacy with Babylon the Great, as well as the "Great Apostacy". This goes back hundreds of years.
You must remember though that just because one group of people is wrong, dosn't make another group right. This is the entire draw of the Witnesses. It is a totally physical movement. If you believe that God has no particular organization, then many of their arguments go out the window. They are very dependent upon people believing that God has some physical place here on earth with some specific group. -
AlmostAtheist
>> people will look for anything that seems to fall in line with what they want to hear.
That's it exactly. It isn't limited to JW's or even religion. Smokers poo-poo the statistics for smoking deaths, with accompanying explanations. Creationist's scoff at the evidence supporting evolution, while atheists scoff at the evidence the theist's put forth.
The sad and dangerous truth is that we are able to figure out when anybody is lying to us, except us. When *we* lie to us, it's almost impossible to catch it independantly.
The problem is worse in a uniform culture like JW's though, since there's no dissenting opinion to be heard. Here on JWD I can spout atheist garbage and somebody will call me on it. But in JW-land, they can cry "doomsday!" and everyone will just join in the chorus.
Dave