It's BACK - the 2011 Global Survey of JWs!! (page 3)

cedars

Well-observed Doubting Bro. You could even split those stats to form two hypothetical "apostate" congregations, since the minimum number of elders to form any new congregation is 3, and we now have 9 active elders who have participated in the survey - although one of those 9 elders ticked that he agreed with the Governing Body.

Here are the comments received from active elders (spelling mistakes not mine):

i appreciate them
They were sincere men just trying to do their best. But as Jehovah had to discipline ancient Israel - and her kings - for 'going beyond the things written', so today he will discipline the Governing Body. I am very sad to see how these once sincere men have become so filled with their own importance that they "strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel". (Matt 23:24)
People have made life decisions based on their writings - then things change. No apologizes or acknowledgement. The tone of the magazines is very harsh and unloving.
I wish and pray that the Governing Body will stop putting themselves in the place of Jesus. I am trapped. I want to leave the organization but cannot for fear of being disfellowshipped and losing my family. Thank you for this survey and I hope it reaches the ears of the media
I think they are sincere believing men, not able to see the mistakes of their precursors.
The GB has created an organization that represses individual expression and free thinking. Members are stifled and must conform to the many written and unwritten rules or be labeled weak or unspiritual.
Our Governing Body need to walk in our shoes for a while!

james_woods

I am surprised at the relatively low number reporting disagreement with this issue:

Only anointed partake of emblems…………………….63.5%…..380

Given that the survey also reports this:

Christ only a mediator for 144,000……………………80.9%…..484

Aren't the two, if not exactly the same thing, very closely related?

Taken on face value - this means that 104 respondents think that Christ is their mediator, but do not care if they partake of the emblems -

cedars

Very well observed James. The two issues are atleast very closely related depending on your viewpoint. Possibly those that ticked only the latter of those two boxes hadn't considered the issues fully, and don't feel that being of a heavenly calling and having Christ as mediator are one and the same thing. It's also possible that many DA'd or DF'd didn't tick the first box simply because they no longer go to memorials.

james_woods

Very well observed James. The two issues are atleast very closely related depending on your viewpoint. Possibly those that ticked only the latter of those two boxes hadn't considered the issues fully, and don't feel that being of a heavenly calling and having Christ as mediator are one and the same thing.

I thought when I saw it, that probably it is more a reflection on the completely confused doctrinal teachings by the JWs about this issue than anything else. Perhaps, as you say, they still think that "partaking" somehow is related to "heavenly" versus "earthly" calling rather than just being in the body of Christ. Maybe a lot of newly departed ex-JWs have not had time to fully work out the complications. BTW - Ed Dunlap told me that this very issue was his primary difference with the Governing Body and their teachings - not (as I would have expected) the Freddy Franz false prophecy about 1975. He thought that this completely unscriptural distinction of the "two classes" lay at the very root of what was wrong with the Watchtower Society. Of course, if the "two classes" falls, then the entire foundation of the organization falls with it.

Iamallcool

I hope that Kool Aid Man is not toying with your survey results. One D.O. and one special pioneer did the survey?????

cedars

Thanks James, perhaps we can have a question in the 2012 survey that deals with the "two-tier christianity" issue more 'head-on'. I'll give it some thought. I appreciate you flagging this!

lamallcool - the DO and the Special Pioneer were one and the same person. He ticked that he agrees with the Governing Body's teachings, and left no comment. Evidently we have a DO frequenting the site, possibly on a covert basis, who can see no irony in his actions given recent admonition from the Watchtower.

Franklin Massey

Wow. These comments are fascinating. I can't even fathom the God of the Israelites being real anymore. With that goes the idea that that God is running the Watchtower Organization. It's interesting to see how some believe that God will "correct" the situation with the GB the way he "corrected" the situation with the Israelites. A close examination of any Judeo-Christian religious movement shows me that God isn't a very good CEO. But that's off topic.

As for the difference between the partking and mediator questions, I answered that the partaking issue didn't bother me but the mediator issue did. My reasons for this are: Partaking is a ritual. It's symbolic. To me, I could take it or leave it. No offense, but it seems silly. As for the mediator issue, even though I don't personally believe in the divinity of Christ, I would like to know that if I chose to accept Christ, he would be my personal mediator, as 1 Timothy 2:5 says he is. My heart goes out to those attempting to be true Christians within the JW religion who want Jesus to be their mediator, but are told they can't get it directly. No, they have to go through the "middle man," the annointed, who, as we know, have no real role in the WT Org, which shifts the control to the GB. As I type this, I can't help but feel that the GB have a Playground King sense of superiority. They make the rules. They decide who gets to hang with Jesus. Everyone else should just be lucky to be in the schoolyard.

I wish I could have filled the survey out as an elder but I stepped down recently and now I'm just a humble, low hour publisher ;)

cedars

Franklin - It doesn't really make a difference whether you are an elder now or not. The main thing is, you now know more than most elders, and it is YOUR opinions about the Governing Body and its doctrines that count more than those who are completely in the dark as to the Society's subterfuge.

It is sad that the Governing Body (or FDS, more accurately) claim a monopoly on Christ's mediatorship - and even sadder that most Witnesses don't even realise this.

james_woods

I answered that the partaking issue didn't bother me but the mediator issue did. My reasons for this are: Partaking is a ritual. It's symbolic. To me, I could take it or leave it. No offense, but it seems silly. As for the mediator issue, even though I don't personally believe in the divinity of Christ,

Very interesting.

I would have assumed that anyone convinced in the "mediator" doctrine would also be dead set on performing the "ritual", as it is the one and only such ritual actually described in the new testament and directly commanded by Jesus himself.

But, it did cause me to realize something: To many JWs and exJWs, partaking of the emblems is actually an anathema - simply because the watchtower has told them not to for so very long now.

cedars

We're on 620 responses at present. I think I'll wait until we hit 650 before posting the results-to-date.

I may post some more of the comments in a short while...

It's BACK - the 2011 Global Survey of JWs!!

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