This Year's Memorial (page 3)

undercover

The memorial I attended had a Bethel speaker. He was polished and actually easy to listen to...not that anything he said was any more coherent. There's only so much you can do when handed a pile of dung for a script...

He did carry on too much about the spring equinox thing, and how the date is confirmed. He recited the experience of some old anointed missionary who was in prison for years and years, and how he knew how to pick the proper date based on the moon phases. He obviously was in a John of Revelation state of mind, 'cause he observed the last meal by partaking of the emblems by nibbling on a piece of rice, and sipping whatever liquid he had.

This served two purposes: one - you too should know how to figure the memorial date on your own, you know, for when you're thrown in prison for your religious beliefs. Two - it impressed upon the weak minded, just how undeserving they are compared to this old guy who stayed faithful watching moon phases instead of digging a tunnel. If they want to be accepted by Jah, then they better be more like that deranged fool.

eyeuse2badub

Not only the was talk hollow, but the entire proceedings were mind numbing! God how did we put up with that for so long? Stupid ceremony of passing a plate and goblet around. What a crock!

just saying!

eyeuse2badub

TD

has the organizations teaching on the great crowd and other sheep changed in the last 10 years? are they still interchangeable terms referring to the same group?

The two terms have never been completely interchangeable inasmuch as 'Other Sheep' includes the faithful living prior to the Christian Era. (e.g. Noah, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, Samuel, etc.)

JW theology holds that Christ opened up a heavenly calling and that from Pentecost clear up until well into the 'Time of the End' that was the only calling. (cf. United In Worship of the Only True God p. 111;) So prior to the 'Time of the End,' 'Other Sheep' simply do not exist in the Christian Era.

In 1935, when the 'Great Crowd' was identified, it was thought that the 'Great Tribulation' had already started, but had been cut short in a manner similar to the relative calm in the eye of a tornado. (i.e. It would start up again shortly.)

There was therefore no equivocation whatsoever about the status of the 'Great Crowd' because it was clear that they had already come out of the 'Great Tribulation.' The terms 'Modern-Day Other Sheep' and 'Great Crowd' were therefore completely synonymous.

In the year 1970, the 'Great Tribulation' was relocated to some indeterminate point in future. (cf. The Watchtower, January 15, 1970 pp. 52-53) This resulted in the demotion of those with the 'Earthly Hope' from actual members of the 'Great Crowd' to only 'Prospective' members of the 'Great Crowd.'

Another upshot of that change is that it became possible for JW's with the 'Earthly Hope' to lose their status as 'Prospective' members of the 'Great Crowd' through accidents, illness and other forms of untimely death and be fully demoted to only, 'Other Sheep.'

However it's one thing for someone with the 'Earthly Hope' to lose their status as a prospective member of the 'Great Crowd' via premature death. It would be quite another thing for JW's to admit that someone with the 'Earthly Hope' was not a prospective member of the 'Great Crowed' even while alive.

As time goes on, this is going to become more and more of a problem which is one possible explanation for why the speaker avoided the term, 'Great Crowd' altogether.

yogosans14

The memorial I attended quoted John 3:5 about being born again only applying to 144,000 while giving NO credible reasoning for this interpertation...I was so done with it at that point.

also at the end he said those attending should start going to meetings and study the bible with JWs to draw close to God...ugh they have no shame in advertising there religion.

TD

He recited the experience of some old anointed missionary who was in prison for years and years, and how he knew how to pick the proper date based on the moon phases.

If I'm not mistaken, that was the story of Stanley Jones, who spent seven years in solitary confinement in China. That story is inspiring (To me at least) in the same way that Dolgun and Solzhenitsyn are inspiring. Those methods have broken stronger people than most of us way before the seven year point.

At the Memorial I attended the speaker mentioned this too, but then proceeded to shoot himself in the foot by revealing that he would have no clue how to arrive at the date if he had been in Jone's shoes.

problemaddict 2

Hey! I watch the moon too!

Well.....only sometimes. Not that often really. I like the eclipses but sometimes they happen early in the morning. In fact come to think of it, I don't really look at the moon much.

I guess I'm just not governing body material.

compound complex

Hi DT:

When I passed the glass back to the MS serving us, the stem stuck to my fingers. My greatest fear has always been spilling the wine . . .

Regards.

CC

Island Man

"..the governing body watches the moon."

They're werewolves in sheep's clothing. lol.

Oubliette

CoCo: My greatest fear has always been spilling the wine . . .
Eric Burdon and War - Spill the Wine (1970 )

janusfulcrum

A brother passing the "bread" dropped a piece. I whispered to my seat mate "don't look now, but there's Jesus' leg on the floor." A few minutes later he picked it up. We had 150, down 20 from last year.

This Year's Memorial

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