by Mattieu 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
“We do not dedicate ourselves to an organisation”
That is a direct quote from the memorial speaker during his final comments about our relationship with Jesus. My wife looked straight at me when he said that, as that has been one of my many points I have raised with her as to my angst with the WTBT$.
I was baptised before the change of dedication vows in 1985 and she after the change.
Was my memorial speaker ad-libbing or was that quote in all the memorial outlines worldwide?
Cheers, Mattieu.
He just forgot or has never heard the latest dedication vows.
*** w70 7/1 p. 404 par. 13 Personally Benefiting from the Bible’s Laws and Principles ***Christians must appreciate these facts. Their dedication is not to an organization nor to a work. Neither is it to a human or a government; it is only to the Creator himself, to Jehovah God, through Jesus Christ
*** w66 10/1 p. 603 par. 15 Serving with Everlasting Life in View ***We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization.
*** w59 8/1 p. 465 par. 8 Spiritual Discernment—an Evidence of Christian Maturity ***The one considering dedication must understand first that his dedication is being made, not to some man, nor to please some person, be it husband or wife, mother or father. It is not a dedication to an organization, not even to the New World society.
*** g90 4/8 p. 17 Am I Ready to Get Baptized? ***: You dedicate yourself, not to a work or to a cause, or even to an organization, but to God himself.
Actually the WTS has used this phrase as early as 1959.
Just realize that this is semantics at it's finest.
They say that newbies should have "dedicated" themselves to Jehovah before their baptism.
The baptism is to the Father, the son, and the organization. But the dedication is not to the organization.
Just because they say it doesn't make it true in practice.
Haven't I always said the WTS speaks out of both sides of their mouth and actions speak louder than words. But they do say it on record and it is not a new idea the speaker brought out.
This phrase haunted me for several years . A brother in our hall used it in a talk and emphasized it so much that it made me think . I had never questioned the information we got from the FS . I had been taught well ( brainwashed) to never question their authority ....it was from Jehovah . This statement lingered in the back of my mind during the time when ...the baptismal questions changed .....when the generation definition changed (the one before this last change ) .......the article about pinata's and the reasoning behind it ......
Then came all the unwritten laws in the congregation that have no scriptual backing ,but if you don't follow them your in trouble . Whose rules are they ? An organization rule .
When I finally realized WE were following manmade opinions and rules ......then I felt it was time to leave.
It's the same BS as saying that a persons actions have declared him or herself to no longer be one of JW's. It's a failure to take responsibility for creating unscriptural doctrine.
Thanks for those magazine quotes blondie, and TM, I went through the same thinking process.
I suppose I just found it so hypocritical to hear the speaker say that on their biggest recruitment night. If I was an RV attending the memorial and heard that and started studying the bible, made progress to the point of dedication & baptism, I would feel cheated reading the baptismal questions and then recalling the memorial speaker’s words.
Or is it just conditioning new ones to get used to all the lies.....
A spin of words to divert attention away from the WTS. ( who is by the way god's only solemn organization on earth )
There is only one way to spiritually connect to god and to serve his will and purpose and that way of course is through
Jehovah's Publishing company the WTS. of Brooklyn New York
