by WinstonSmith 336 Replies latest jw experiences
So it has now been a month since I last went to a meeting. How many elders have visited?
Zero.
How many elders have phoned?
Zero.
How many elders have texted?
Zero.
How many people in the congegation have visited, phoned, or texted?
Zzzzzzzzzzzero.
I don't know if I should be happy or offended!
Count your blessings. Perhaps they are afraid of you...
Open your trap to the wrong person about what you know, and you will get a visit pronto, by 2 Elders with the S77 (? not sure of the no.) form in their pocket, ready to DF you and write "APOSTASY" in the appropriate box.
It sure is odd, and I am of course quite happy that I'm being left alone. It really does show how for the majority of JWs, especially elders, everything needs to be programmed in order to be successful. When they are left on their own, to be motivated by their own will, their focus is inward. This why when the CO comes, post visit there is a flurry of shepherding. Things soon fall back to how they were.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Loose lips sink ships.
Be wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves.
Just came across an interesting quote in one of the books I'm reading at the moment. From 'Prometheus Rising' -
"...most of what domestic primates (humans) are asking their priests to forgive them for consists of what Kinsey calls "normal mammilian behaviour.""
LOL so true. When involved in a religion we spend a lot of time seeking the approval of men claiming to be the intermediary between us and the divine. The divine that gave us this mammilian behaviour in the first place.
So during the Memorial talk, the speaker made a comment. This comment rung a bell with me, but for most there, I'm sure it just resulted in them nodding their head in agreement. The comment was:
"Both groups benefit from the ransom sacrifice, but only those with a heavenly hope partake. This is because Jesus set this covenant with his close followers, those who would be in the kingdom with him. For this reason, we would expect that someone who partakes has a long history of service to Jehovah."
Sound logical? Make sense? It kinda does when spoken from the platform in amongst all the other warbling.
But read it again and parse it.
Here we see the WTS deciding who should, and who should not partake. Nothing in that quote can be backed up with a scripture. What the scriptures say is that the spirit manifests itself with someone that they are God's son (or daughter). What does that mean? No-one knows. The scripture does not elaborate as to exactly how the spirit manifests itself. It places no such arbitrary criteria as needing to have many years of faithful service to God. The spirit will choose whover the heck it wants. If that is someone who has had years of service, awesome. If it is some guy who has recently started comijng to meetings, cool.
There is a difference between partaking and being anointed. Even if everyone in the Hall that night had a sip and a nibble, it does not matter. Being anointed is not determined by drinking some wine and chewing some crackers, it is determined by the spirit in a way that is not known to any of us.
The Memorial talk was more about explaining why there should be little to nil persons partaking, than it was about explaining the meaning of the event.
Why would they expect that "someone who partakes would have a long history of service to Jehovah" ?
The Ethiopian Eunuch was baptised and partook at the very next opportunity, even the Apostles had only "served" about 3 years.
Yet another WT claim that simply does not stand up, apart from the "we would expect" part, what they expect and what Jesus did/does being very different things.
Hi Phizzy, yup, exactly my point! There ain't no evidence in their "primary textbook" to back up the statement they made.
All anointed are partakers, not all partakers are anointed.
It is quite likely that they are wanting more GB members but are having problems finding long serving members that are anointed, they need to plant some seeds like this idea in order for some to meet the criteria.
Some samples for your viewing pleasure:
"No date, but some good pics and tables"
"The clarifications are so exciting!"
"Read most it, and so far veeeeery interesting"
"They have corrected the great tribulation time and when the goats will be judged. The preaching work is more important than ever. There's clarification on what comes first, the governments turning on religion or war among nation. The faithful slave has been clarified. Going to read it again and this time look up the scriptures."
"Its all been explained so clearly! We are so well looked after!"
"1914 has been clarified, and the parables are more closely linked than we thought before."
"There is a new Governing Body member."
"Can't wait until we study this!"
I notice that no-one has said "I don't get it" I'm sure the majority in fact don't get it. They wouldn't want to say they don't get it so as not to appear stupid. "Of course I understand it, its so simple." I expect to hear a lot of "wow so awesome" and "this is amazing" and not a lot of actual discussion on it. People will be holding out for the WT study to come so they can hear the smart people answer up. If they still don't get it, I imagine most will shrug their shoulders and go "doesn't affect me day to day, so I'll figure it out when I need to" and of course never do it.
What strikes me is the word 'clarifications' was used a lot by the commenters. They don't see these as complete changes of direction, and that now a huge amount of what they used to believe and would have died for is totally different. They just see them as minor adjustments.
The Governing Body can pat themselves on the back for sliding another big elephant passed the unsuspecting plebs.
