Why Did Romania's Jehovah's Witnesses Disfellowship The Governing Body For Apostasy?

by Bubblegum Apotheosis 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Bubblegum Apotheosis

  There is a large group of Jehovah's Witnesses that broke away from the Watchtower Society in the 1990s. Can someone explain to all the interested JWN lurkers and faders, why these Romanian and other Eastern European Witnesses Disfellowshiped The Governing Body In New York?

  I received a email from a member claiming to be part of this group, I was told they "Disfellowshiped The Governing Body" for disobedience to Jehovah God and not following the fine examples of Brother Russell, Rutherford and Knorr. Is this true?
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  wha happened?

  I'd like to know
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  Hoffnung

  In 1962 the society changed the viewpoint concerning the "superior authorities". As Romania was under communist rule, this cause a lot of problems for the Romanians, and a first schism occurred. What happened in the nineties, I do not know, but Ray Franz was invited for a meeting and speech, and I think this had to do with it. You can find the videos of that speech on YouTube.

  Hoffnung
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  tornapart

  I read about this recently (but forget the link). Apparently it said that Romania was cut off from the organisation for a very long time as they were under ban and only had very old WTs that were hidden. Once the ban was lifted they discovered so many things had changed from the things they learned from their old WTs that they thought the GB had gone apostate.
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  JWdaughter

  Which begs the question-were they following the Bible THEN or NOW?
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  teel

  The schism happened over Romans 13:1-2 "Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. 2 Therefore he who opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves." The Society changed its doctrine in 1962, that the authorities are the country and its laws. Romanians being under communis oppression back then thought, this was caused by a communist infiltration among the highest ranks, and some members severed all links to the GB, because they had no reliable source of verifying the information. Then it evolved to a full distrust to the core JW teachings. They stuck on the '60s level of the teaching, making them even more weird than the mainstream JW sect we know now.

  A couple of their weird teachings: women always cover their head, when in public, they think, printing in color is against the Bible principles (because the Bible has no color images), and they call themselves "The True Jehovah's Witnesses".
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  Balaamsass

  Wow- THIS is interesting. Simply being isolated from Watchtower for a period of years and all the constant changes essentially creates a different religion.
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  designs

  In one of the former Eastern bloc countries there are followers of Rutherford who reject all teachings from the Wt. after the Judge's death. Maybe some here have the background information.
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  00DAD

  tornapart: so many things had changed from the things they learned from their old WTs that they thought the GB had gone apostate.

  They thought right.

  It's interesting how the GB thinks they can change doctrines with impunity, but if a R&F member has a question or doubt it is that individual that is the problem.

  The GB members are no different than the Pharisees of Jesus' day. They are drunk with their own authority and blind to the fact that they lost the thread long ago.

  Adroitly YOU set aside the commandment of God in order to retain YOUR tradition. ... YOU make the word of God invalid by YOUR tradition - Mark 7:9, 13
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  designs

  00DAD- Actually the Pharisees were the Liberals of their day and the good guys.