..to death of JW junk....here is the summary of the 3 hour discussion we just had with a couple of long term JW's...past Elders - still entrenched with absolute control. A lot of things brought out and here is what they said:
- the WTS is far less rigid than it was ever before. This is because the GB realizes the fraility of humans and so in fact, they even found a way to make it less work for home bounds and disabled to put in time by any means, less time and it's all done with great compassion.
- the latest generation change means nothing. One must go with the flow and simply trust that God knows best. It doesn't matter if people died believing something else, God knows what was in their heart. They can't feel cheated (brought up no kids, no marriage, no education, no money) because they believed and it was a test of their faith. We are here to endure and our only job is to serve God.
- 1975. This was mostly the fault of the Brothers who misunderstood and it was a test of the faith. If you lost or gave up everything and stayed in the organization, then that was good because it showed you were and are faithful. If you walked away after, it means that you only were a JW for selfish reasons and should have been weeded out. This was a time to clean out the society of the unfaithful.
- Disfellowshipping. They are far more lenient now in disfellowshipping - it takes a lot to get disfellowshipped these days. Why - he even knew someone who got disfellowshipped for gluttony, so it proves the WTS is showing fairness in all things. A disfellowshipped one can talk to the Elders of spiritual matters at any time and seek their counsel to help them. He said he was proud to have brothers and sisters avoid him at gatherings because it proved their faith to the WTS.
- the society won't disfellowship you if you go on the internet or go to a library or read books on religion - but if you have doubts you should go to your Elders. They are the learned men and know a lot more.
- the 144,000 are not cut off and that's a wonderful thing because it allows those who have the heavenly calling to not feel guilty - they should partake.
- the generation is now infinity. There is no definite and although it is coming, we don't know when - we know more now and it was all just misunderstood before.
- the generation of 1914 was not doctrine and therefore, it was not a big deal for it to change. When we brought forth that many people were taught that it was doctrine, they disagreed and refused to acknowledge the importance of that doctrine to some people in the WTS. They see it as irrelevant, even though we know for a fact that one of they guys lost privileges because of his argument against it - he lied with such ease. I asked him what doctrine the WTS could change that would make him leave or that would shake him up? He wouldn't answer. I suggested that if the WTS changed it's stance on the Trinity, that he would leave in a heartbeat..he wouldn't agree except to say that they wouldn't do that. I suggested he think about the importance of that doctrine to him, in relation to the 1914 generation change, in the lives of others.
It was pretty worthless. All lies - and lying to our face. I asked them how they knew that this was the 'truth'...after all, using the generation change in 1995, up to that point if the society had the truth, was it the truth for 100 years or is it the truth now with the change? That makes it a crap shoot as far as belief. They said that it was a test of faith - they had to keep believing even if they had some doubts. So in essence I said, Jesus could have chosen the WTS as the faithful and discreet slave in the beginning - but how do you know that Satan isn't running it now?
sammieswife.
