by insearchoftruth 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
The idea is to isolate kids from an early age so they do not fit in and have no support system outside the witnesses.
I can see that logic.......if a kid is kept away from the fun stuff and only sees the witness stuff, that will be their only frame of reference.....great point
You stop letting the WT do your thinking for you , & decide what you want to celebrate and how now.
What customs meant in the past, is past. You may start your own celebrations.
BF
exactly Insearchoftruth- there is a reason why the GB makes their rules...and then there is the reason they tell their members. The one they tell their members just has to be a reason- does not have to be strongly convincing or biblically based...the members will accept it based on the orgs self-proclaimed authority.
Will some congregations have less restrictive policies than those written, or is it always the case where they may be more restrictive.
Yes, that is why some will post here that their congregation allows certain things and others don't. Especially in areas of dress and grooming.
So what would take precedence to an individual member who is 'fully in the truth', what the local congregation states or what is in the publications.....
Would a good JW listen to the 'higher authority', that higher authority being the GB, and how much of this variance is vetted through the CO?
ISOT, you will find that it is a tossup...you can go to the CO and/or DO or the GB and many times they will defer to the body of elders. I heard of a situation where one congregation said that two piercings in each ear was a no-no for sisters, another congregation said it was not; the first congregation complained to the CO and the second called New York. Both CO and NY said that each congregation elder body could make their own decision. So if you went to one congregation only one piercing per ear was allowed and if you changed to the other you could get 2 piercings....
A practice that costs them too much money or that keeps you from doing field circus (or prevents you from field circus when everyone else is at home) is forbidden, so they can get everyone out in field circus. Some hounders interpret it liberally in order to maintain numbers or because they are leaning toward apostasy; others are stricter because they want to control their flock more.
you can go to the CO and/or DO or the GB and many times they will defer to the body of elders.
How about in situations where there is something printed in the 'bible based literature', would the body of elders then follow the printed word (at least the newest light of the printed word)?
for the most part, yes
So let me see if I get this right, the body of elders seems to have some pretty good power for creating additional restrictions on the members, as long as there is not a conflict with the printed word. But in basically any case, the newest light of the printed word is all but equivalent to the word of Jehovah......
wow, just wow....
