Generation - Prep for bigger change?????

by The Scotsman 54 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  sir82

  The WTS is married to 1914, and not prepared for the damages from a divorce.
  What they want to do is lead a separate life from the 1914 spouse without actual
  separation or divorce.

  Nice analaogy, I like it.

  I suspect that this will be the first step toward de-emphasizing, rather than dropping, 1914. The WTS has been tipping it's hand a bit more obviously lately, telegraphing its upcoming "new light" well in advance.

  For example, regarding the "1935 change" in the 5/1/07 WT: A few years back they stopped pointing out the "diminishing number of truly anointed" as a sign that we are in the "last days". They had been pushing that idea so hard in the previous 10-15 years that its sudden absence was very conspicuous - and the 5/1/07 WT confirmed their change in doctrine.

  Likewise, I think they will begin a gradual de-emphasis on 1914. The date will never officially go away, it will just stop being so prominent. It would be increasingly difficult to convince potential converts of the earth-shattering importance of a date that occurred a century ago, of which no living humans (very shortly) will have any memory at all.

  If I recall correctly, aren't there some SDA groups that still hold that Miller's 1844 was correct <in some manner>, but that date is no longer a cornerstone as it once was? I wouldn't be surprised if, deep in some dark corner of the Bethel library, some lackey has the research assignment of seeing how they wiggled out of their reliance on that date, with the hopes of modifying it for the JWs.
• 

  The Scotsman

  I just wonder though, is their a tipping point, when so much has changed in the belief system that significant doubt starts to filter throughout the org!!

  I totally agree with the points regarding some JWs wont even notice and others had no real attachment to 1914 etc. But, as time goes by their must be a growing skeptacism developing.

  I was talking to an elder last week, he said he asked the CO a few months back "Why has armageddon not arrived yet"? The CO said that due to the continual increase being seen in the ministry we are not quite at that point yet.

  The interesting point - The elder openly disagreed with the CO, saying that for decades JWs have been on a knife edge, waiting for dramatic developments. People have made major sacrifices because of this, choosing not to have kids or not to pursue education etc. The elder "blamed" the wording of WT articles a a contributing part of the problem, convincing people that it was "around the corner" when obviously it was not. The elder seemed quite angry about the whole thing, he seemed tired of waiting.

  I just wonder how many JWs feel like this inside but would never dare verbalise their thoughts?
• 

  stillajwexelder

  This Generation applying to the annointed means they can keep 1914 - I think it is a brilliant Machievellian move by the GB
• 

  WTWizard

  Another attempt on their part to take a confusing position on the generation issue so the average Witless cannot trace it back to 1874. The more they keep changing things around, the more time it buys them to continue scamming people into thinking Armageddon is nigh when it is nowhere near.
• 

  oompa

  Stillaex: This Generation applying to the annointed means they can keep 1914 - I think it is a brilliant Machievellian move by the GB

  I do not get this. Age is age. What dif could this make and how can they make it??????????????????.....oompa
• 

  SnakesInTheTower

  I posted the following on eclipse's thread about her dad's thoughts on this issue...This was how I felt about the whole generation thing when I was in my 20s....now I just dont give a darn.

  SnakesInTheTower (of the "just trying to live THIS life without worrying about WT" Sheep Class)

  Snakes:

  As far back as 1988 I used to study Bible chronology until the wee hours of the morning. (I had no social life). The subject fascinated me, just as math fascinated me (although I am not as good at it now)... My conclusion, back in about 91 or 92, was that if the Society did not hurry up and change their tune on "this generation", they were going to get caught with their pants down.

  Fast forward to a few years and the 1995 WT "generation" study articles.... all focused on one Greek word: tote (sp?, pronounced toe tay). Changing "This generation" from Jesus's contemporaries (in the prophecy of his time), and the 1914 generation (of the 20th century), to any generation of people alive at the time of the event (Jerusalem's topple/modern fulfillment). This produces a floating time line without the restrictions of a bunch of aging/dying people. How convenient for the Society.

  So now the Society has attempted to pull up its trousers from around its feet with this adjustment. Too bad they still have droopy drawers, and they still look just as foolish as the young men who walk around with their oversized trousers hanging off their butts with their boxer shorts showing....the Society's shorts are still showing....Who knows what other foolish style they will attempt to pull on the R&F?
• 

  Doubting Bro

  It has been my personal opinion now for a few months that they will find a way to alter the prophetic meaning of 1914. This would suspend into perpetuity the timing for Armageddon. They can continue to play the doomsday game with no actual date to obstruct. I believe that they are particularly concerned that 2014 will be significant in the minds of their adherants.

  I agree but with a slightly different twist. They need 1914 with the 1919 appointment of the "faithful slave" to keep their power structure in place. However, the 1995 generation took the steam out of the average JW because it really moved Armageddon forward several years and thus with no axe over their heads, the work slowed down. The numbers are suffering (especially in the West) as a result. So, they need to ramp up the pressure on the mostly apathetic JWs in their big money countries. They've been burned too many times on date setting, so that's not an option.

  The more I think about this, the more impressed I am with the diabolical genius that is the WTS. If spun correctly, they can use this new teaching the same way they used the pre-1995 teaching. They will point to the small number of annointed as proof the end is "very close". They will keep reporting the number, if it goes up in the next year or so with the dropping of the 1935 teaching that the door to annointing closed, then that's ok. They will hammer on the small number just like they hammered 1914. Soon, they will deemphasize 1914 (unless they occassionally use it to reinforce their appointment in 1919) and focus on world conditions (you can always find bad if you look hard enough).

  Its date setting without a date and no expiration date. Brilliant
• 

  nvrgnbk

  We know one thing with certainty.

  What the JWs believed five years ago will be very different from what they will be teaching twenty years from now.
• 

  sir82

  They will point to the small number of annointed as proof the end is "very close". They will keep reporting the number, if it goes up in the next year or so with the dropping of the 1935 teaching that the door to annointing closed, then that's ok. They will hammer on the small number just like they hammered 1914.

  Yeah, the number is relatively small, but it isn't going to decrease. There may be slight uptick in the number of partakers in the 2007 Memorial (the 5/1/07 WT came out just a bit too late to have much of an effect this year), but the numbers for 2008 & thereafter could jump upward significantly. In any event, there is no reason to believe the number will decrease - at most, it will hold steady at the 8500 or so level it's been at for the last 2 decades. (!)

  It would be hard to talk about a "shrinking generation" of anointed if the count of partakers starts rising.

  What would be real genius would be to stop reporting the number of partakers altogether, then just blindly assert "the number is going down". JWs are so conditioned to be brain dead and just accept whatever is written that they could easily pull it off.
• 

  journey-on

  Wow! I've read all the comments on this thread. I am always so amazed at our posters' CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS!!!

  The more I think about this, the more impressed I am with the diabolical genius that is the WTS.

  Diabolical is right!

  One more thought about NOT counting the partakers at the Memorial. When people do what Brenda Lee did and make an obvious mockery out of their Memorial ritual, the WTS can point to these incidents and say "See, we've got some apostates sneeking in and mucking up the actual numbers anyway. No use in reporting the numbers. Jehovah will tell us when it's time!"