What is wrong with the Memorial date this year?

by Cindi_67 29 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Darklighter

  For the first time in my life... This really seems weird to me.

  Did Jesus say

  "Keep doing this in rememberance of me" ?

  OR

  "Keep doing this in rememberance of me. And, BTW you better get the fracking day and time right, or I'll be angry."

  Using JW logic, shouldn't the emphasis be on the meaning and not on the ritual itself?
• 

  LayingLow

  A little clarification: In the article posted above reference was made to the month of Nissan starting on a new moon, not a full moon. Two weeks (14 days) from a new moon is always close to the full moon. Actually, as the Jews approached Jerusalem for the passover each night would get progressively brighter and closer to the full moon. I know that at times the calendar allows for an extra month to be inserted. If the Jewish calendar did this then it would add thirty days. The WT always goes with the first new moon closest to the spring equinox.

  Appropriately, the date for the Memorial celebration is arrived at as the Jews back then determined the date for the Passover. They began the month of Nisan when they could first see the new moon in the spring nearest the equinox. Passover came fourteen days later.

  Since the spring equinox was on March 14 this year that was only about seven days away from the new moon. Therefore, according to their method, they picked the right day.
  
  I just thought that deserved some clarification. If anyone has any information as to why that doesn't match the Jewish calendar I would be interested to find out why. I know some years they are very close.
  
  I remember reading from one of the church fathers about Polycarp taking a trip to Rome to meet with their bishop at the time. They had an argument over the times for the calendar to celebrate Pascha. I know Polycarp went with Nissan 14 as John instructed him and that the Bishop of Rome went with a different method (maybe the one they still use, I'm not sure.) Anyways, they argued and couldn't come to an agreement because Polycarp knew what he had been taught by John and the Bishop of Rome knew what he had been taught as passed down from Peter, Clement, Linus, etc... (Not sure of the order.) Long story short, they each continued to do it the way they did before they met. They still had communion together and didn't break the church up over it.
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  jamiebowers

  The gb probably decided to have the memorial in March, because Armageddon will surely be here by April.
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  Maddie

  All Jesus said was to keep doing it in remembrance of him, so all the hype about the right or wrong date is ridiculous IMO

  Maddie
• 

  AnnOMaly

  If anyone has any information as to why that doesn't match the Jewish calendar I would be interested to find out why.

  Blondie answered that above. The Jews have an intercalary 12th month (an Adar II) during March this year which has knocked the Passover on a month. The usual Christian method is to use the first full moon after equinox (20th March) as a rough guide, so that's why for most Christians Easter (and JWs' LEM) is next weekend.
• 

  sacrebleu

  I don't think all the "hype" about the date is ridiculous at all since the STUPID JWs have always made a big deal about the "fact" that they observe it on the correct date! THAT is what the flack is about.

  As for when we are supposed to "do this in remembrance of Me" THAT is supposed to be "as oft as you do it" in other words, as often as we like.

  The JWs are the ones who make fools of themselves by claiming to do it correctly on the correct date. I used to be so proud on memorial night, thinking we were doing it on Nisan 14th like the Jewish calendar. What a crock of crap, just like all the other crap.

  AND THAT folks is what all the FLAK is about. Once again, the JWs are WRONG!!!! Big surprise.

  sacrebleu
• 

  Honesty

  Maybe the "Light gets brighter" in March better than it does in April.
• 

  Sarah Smiles

  Everything!

  Sorry! I had to read Blondies notes it should be on April 27th. I always had a funny feeling the JW were not using the right dates. For one thing they claim it should be on the 14th but in Leviticus is on the 15th.

  I can understand their reasoning but Jesus was preparing for the first day of the passover festival and that would have been on Nisan15th. I can see they are taking the 14th as the prepartion day as the first day of celebration. But God commanded that they come together for a prepartion evening to talk about the first day of the festival.

  Can anyone tell me if all the Jewish people partake in the room with a mix group of people? Perhaps just some partake?
• 

  Essen

  Hi l am new to this. I too queried the fact that the Passover was being held on the Easter Weekend, as Nissan the 14th falls in April this year.

  But l was told that it wasn't my place to question this, that the association knew what they were doing and who was l to question it and that l should be going. Even though l left sometime ago.

  Needless to say, l will not be attending this year or any other.
• 

  MidwichCuckoo

  Hmmmm...

  http://studiesintheword.org/jewish_calendar_2008.htm

  No guilt for me anymore on missing this - and THAT'S progress!! What I used to regard as the most sacred night of year, I now regard as a joke (not the 'Remembrance', but the Watchtower's bastardisation of it)