Other Points From the Annual Meeting

by jabberwock 32 Replies latest jw friends

  • jabberwock
    jabberwock

    I realize that the latest clarification of the generation teaching has been discussed quite a bit on this thread.

    But I think that there are at least two other important points from the Annual Meeting that have been, for the most part, overlooked:

    1. The weeds of Matthew 13 are not the churches of Christendom, but apostates.

    2. Showing love to our neighbors involves more than just the preaching work. (Thanks for mentioning this RubaDub)

    I was very surprised to hear these two things were mentioned. What do you all think?

  • yknot
    yknot

    LOL..

    Does that mean Christendom is no longer apostates via their teachings?

    If they did say that than it is desperate and sad!......

  • Cthulhu
    Cthulhu

    I think it's interesting and both points show their desire to appear a bit more main stream (not actually GO main stream, mind you.) Pretty much anyone who knows anything about the crack pot lunatic organization of the JWs is aware that they feel the other religions, particularly other christian ones, are going to be destroyed. With that first point they have taken the emphasis off of that somewhat and, at the same time have furthered the seeming continual focus on the dangers of apostates (thats killing two stones with one bird) The second point seems to indicate that they have finally pulled their heads a bit from their asses (maybe they needed a little air) and realized that people notice how little they do in the way of humanitarian efforts. I mean, as nice as it was for them to walk around ground zero and preach to the physically and emotionally drained workers, people in general think that more practical help is admirable too. Don't get me wrong...I don't think any of us will live to see the day that they actually team up with the Red Cross. "Showing love to our neighbors involves more than just the preaching work" more than likely means that they are eventually going to be able to count their time for being helpful to sick and housebound Witnesses, but, in its own very slight way, it's a step in the right direction.

  • Olin Moyles Ghost
    Olin Moyles Ghost

    If #1 is correct, this would involve a dramatic reworking of the WTS "wheat and the weeds" theology. At one level it makes some sense, right? Apostates and "true Christians" are indistinguishable in the congregation until the wicked apostates show their true colors. Then those apostates are cut down and thrown into the fire (disfellowshiped).

    But how does that affect the traditional WTS view that the wheat and weeds were indistinguishable throughout the middle ages? Wouldn't those weeds have been part of the churches? Perhaps the speaker meant that today the weeds aren't in the churches--rather they're apostate JWs. It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you really analyze it...but what else is new...

    And #2 is nice; kinda reminds me of the late 1970s interpretation of "sacred service," courtesy of Ray Franz. That didn't last too long.

  • zarco
    zarco

    I think that the application of Matthew 13 will change depending on the point that the WTS wants to emphasize. Afterall, in their view Christendom is apostate as are those no longer in the "truth". At the last elders school they made the point that an apostate is not just one who stands against the "truth", rather one who is no longer in the "truth".

    Regarding showing love, it seems that some on the GB are trying to emphasize doing good works. Someday soon, the tax-exempt status of the WTS will be called into question and it will be important that the WTS have a record of doing good works that benefit the community to support its charitable and tax-exempt status.

    Thanks for emphasizing some of the subtle points.

    zarco

  • yknot
    yknot

    Good point Cthulhu!

    But it is so funny!

    I mean really have you ever known a JW who didn't doubt or disagree with some teaching of the WTS? And we all know that an apostate is someone who disagree with the 'bible truths' as taught by the GB!

    As for the doing more than preaching..... we have had several brothers make this point of doing things individually as good deed toward community neighbors since the DC..... hmm maybe that was one of the special talks all the Elders got from the DO.....

  • undercover
    undercover
    At the last elders school they made the point that an apostate is n just one who stands against the "truth", rather one who is no longer in the "".truth

    That's an interesting point. That would mean that they could label inactive ones who won't respond to sheparding as "apostate" and coerce the flock from having any dealings with them. If this is the case, I think it means that they're really running scared. They're not just scared of losing membership but they're afraid of those of us who just quietly quit and won't come back. They're afraid that we can be more subversive than anyone officially DFd/DAd. We can get to our still believing famiy and friends and plant seeds of doubt.

    Regarding showing love, it seems that some on the GB are trying to emphasize doing good works. Someday soon, the tax-exempt status of the WTS will be called into question and it will be important that the WTS have a record of doing good works that benefit the community to support its charitable and tax-exempt status.

    Showing love through good works has been hinted at previously. It's been commented on recently here on the board. I don't remember if it was a convention talk or a CO talk or something else. The tax exempt thing is an interesting point but it's going to be hard to have a record of charitable work to the community when they have insisted that contributions for disaster relief be made to the "Worldwide Work" and they'll decide how to best use the money.

    This is where the Society has shown their greed. Religions that run charities and relief agencies, actually set agencies for those purposes. They keep it seperate from the church business and the monies seperate. The Society doesn't do that...they just take all the donations and dump it in whatever they want. When a relief situation comes up, they'll spend a little on some supplies and then expect local brothers and RBCs to pick up the slack in labor and others costs.

  • daniel-p
    daniel-p

    If #1 is correct, this would involve a dramatic reworking of the WTS "wheat and the weeds" theology. At one level it makes some sense, right? Apostates and "true Christians" are indistinguishable in the congregation until the wicked apostates show their true colors. Then those apostates are cut down and thrown into the fire (disfellowshiped).

    This change would also allow them to collaborate with other religions more freely (legal stuff, mostly) without being labelled as collaborating with apostates.

  • RubaDub
    RubaDub
    2. Showing love to our neighbors involves more than just the preaching work. (Thanks for mentioning this RubaDub)

    Yes, the friend who I spoke with who spoke with the person attending the meeting said that Loesch made it VERY clear that showing love is NOT just preaching, and even gave several examples of how Jesus showed love without preaching to them.

    He gave the example of a tree falling on a neighbors house. We can preach all we want, but the one showing true christian love would be the one with the chainsaw assisting the person.

    My friend said the brother attending was quite shocked on how much Loesch stressed this over and over.

    Rub a Dub

  • minimus
    minimus

    Apostates could be originally from within the congregation like Hymenaus (sp) or Christendom originally as part of Christianity. It's easy to merge.

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