by AnonJW 24 Replies latest watchtower bible
That's hysterical.
So "new light" isn't "new" at all - it's just a rehash of what used to be taught.
That's really embarrassing for the GB - I figured that there were no original thinkers in the bunch, but to present a 1978 idea, virtually verbatim, as a "deep new thought" is really pathetic.
Let me guess - the next "new light" will be that the "superior authorities" of Romans 13 are Jehovah and Jesus again?
Maybe you could reply,..
"Son, would you say that if you were buying a car or a house? I just don't care dad ( if the car has been totaled before or if the house has termites) I will just go with what they say" Son this hypothetical Car and House are of very little concern when compared to our lives. I know that I have taught you to "not take someones word for it when it comes to things like a car purchase or a house purchase why would this be any different?
NJY
The "I don't really care" part is encouraging, it's the "I will just go with what they say" bit that is alarming. However, it may be that you're reading meaning into his words that he didn't intend, i.e. it could be, "I don't care about Bible prophecy, so don't care what they say, but whatev..."
More likely though, is that he's been told to mistrust you and your motives when talking down Bible interpretation so as to "safeguard (his) heart". Nevertheless, you have a non-delegatable responsibility to raise a person who is able to critically analyze ALL claims he encounters in life, even if the kid doesn't want to do it! Ironically, going with the flow of the JWs is often the easy way out, a convenient excuse to not think for yourself. Teens are going to be lazy (heck, weren't we all?). Your son is no different...
Heh, I got a chuckle at this:
Tracing the development of the world powers through the image, from head to foot in the stream of time, we see that it begins with Babylon, and progressively goes through Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.
That "World powers" statement only works if one is completely ignorant of history of the rest of the Planet (i.e. a history that's not limited to and centered on the Middle East), ie just overlook Central and South America, China, Japan, Europe, etc.
Also, I had no idea that Babylon WAS a "World power?"
December 1, 1981 Watchtower - page 27.
"At times explanations given by Jehovah's visible organization have shown adjustments, seemingly to previous points of view. But this has not actually been the case. This might be compared to what is known in navigational circles as "tacking." By maneuvering the sails the sailors can cause a ship to go from right to left, back and forth, but all the time making progress toward their destination."
What a fine example of spiritual "tacking".......right back to starting line!
Sounds like your son isn't a gung ho JW; he's just taking the path of least resistance to avoid hassles.
At some point he might decide that the path of least resistance is simply to fade and have a normal life.
King Solomon's aphorism:
Anyone who feels compelled to insist upon possessing truths usually doesn't.
Ahhh, who am I fooling? That's just a simpler rewording of a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "the lady doth protest too much, methinks".
"What most of our brothers and sisters can't/won't reason on, is the fact that "the food at the proper time" is not produced by "heavenly-hopers", it is generated by the thinking abilities of ones who have an earthly hope!! There may well be a "heavenly-hoper" overseeing or reviewing the material, but they do not produceit."
*** w96 6/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***
“The ‘other sheep’ today perform the same preaching work as the remnant, under the same trying conditions, and manifest the same faithfulness and integrity. They feed at the same spiritual table, eating the same food, absorbing the same truths. Being of the earthly class, with earthly hopes and a keen interest in earthly things, they might interest themselves more in scriptures relating to earthly conditions in the new world; whereas the anointed remnant, with heavenly hopes and strong personal interest in the things of the spirit, might study more diligently those things in God’s Word. . . . Yet the fact remains that the same truths and the same understanding are available to both classes, and it is just how the individuals apply themselves in study that determines the comprehension of heavenly and earthly things they acquire. The Lord’s spirit is available in equal portions to both classes, and knowledge and understanding are offered equally to both, with equal opportunities for absorbing it.”
*** w91 3/15 p. 22 Who Really Have a Heavenly Calling? *** In the first century C.E., when a general invitation was going out to seek entrance into the heavenly Kingdom, not all anointed Christians held positions of responsibility as members of the governing body or as elders or ministerial servants. Many were women, and they had no special authority; nor does spirit anointing bring extraordinary understanding of God’s Word, for Paul found it necessary to instruct and counsel certain anointed ones. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:11-14) Those with the heavenly calling do not view themselves as prominent individuals, and they do not draw attention to their being anointed ones. Rather, they manifest the humility rightly expected of those having “the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16) They also realize that God’s righteous requirements must be met by all Christians, whether their hope is heavenly or earthly. Professing to have a heavenly calling does not bring a person special revelations. God has a channel of communication through which he provides spiritual food for his earthly organization. (Matthew 24:45-47) So nobody should think that being an anointed Christian gives him wisdom superior to that of the “great crowd” with the earthly hope. (Revelation 7:9) Spirit anointing is not indicated by proficiency in witnessing, answering Scriptural questions, or giving Bible talks, for Christians with the earthly hope also do very well in these respects. Like anointed ones, they too are living exemplary Christian lives. For that matter, Samson and others of pre-Christian times had God’s spirit and were filled with zeal and understanding. Yet, none of that ‘great cloud of witnesses’ had the heavenly hope.—Hebrews 11:32-38; 12:1; Exodus 35:30, 31; Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 16:13; Ezekiel 2:2.
I found this in another thread. Credit goes to UnDisfellowshipped.
Well, what else can one say? We know that there is absolutely no scriptural reasoning for their identifying the visions as they do. When I was in, I used to think that "Well, I accept, for other reasons, that these people are the ones used by God, . Therefore if they say that certain vision means a certain thing, who am I to argue?"
When a family member was studying the previous Daniel Book at a group study, she tried to raise a discussion on its description of the image of Dan.2 Her elder just said "I go with the flow"......
What a fine example of spiritual "tacking".......right back to starting line!
LOL!!!!!!!!!!
December 1, 1981 Watchtower - page 27.
"At times explanations given by Jehovah's visible organization have shown adjustments, seemingly to previous points of view . But this has not actually been the case. This might be compared to what is known in navigational circles as "tacking." By maneuvering the sails the sailors can cause a ship to go from right to left, back and forth, but all the time making progress toward their destination."
Compare to:
Ephesions 4:14
in order that we should no longer be babes, tossed about as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in contriving error.
