When you were a jw-new light & the doors?

by carla 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  carla

  When you were a jw and lets say a topic at the door came up and you went into great detail explaining something only to have 'new light' come out shortly aftwards, did you feel any obligation to go back to the door and explain that you have a 'new understanding' or were in error?

  Today we know that there will be new light re: the fds being only the gb and not the anointed. If a householder asked a current jw who the fds is the jw would in all likelyhood say it is the anoited blah, blah, blah...... Now in a few months they will get the news that it is only the gb. Will they feel any obligation to correct this with the previous house/door?

  Did you fret about this when you were a jw? Did you worry that a non jw had a 'wrong' view about current doctrines or did you easily brush it off with leaving it in jah's hands? How did you reconcile this in your own mind? (leaving a householder with 'old light')

  Speaking of new light, did you wonder if the gb had new light but took some time to publish the new news but let jw's continue to teach what would be 'old light'? does that make sense? Did you ever wonder if they were sitting on new light? In my mind if something truly came from God wouldn't you want the news out there immediately? Send a memo or something! Extra! Extra! New Light From Above! wouldn't it be that important?

  (please feel free to correct any misconceptions I have, thank you)
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  Splash

  I had a Bible study who's wife was already a JW.

  He told me she had got annoyed with 'apostates' at an assembly, then he proceeded to berate them for turning against the religion.

  I explained that it might be that they were told not to allow a particular medical procedure for their child and their child died as a result. Then maybe that teaching was changed so that the medical procedure was allowed after all.

  I explained that this has actually happened to some. How would he feel if he needlessly let his child die because of a 'wrong' teaching that was later changed?

  He understood the point and we moved on.

  Splash.
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  ThisFellowCheap

  That's the major reason I started fading. I told my parents, "If something were the truth, it's not gonna change with time. It will always stand the test of time!" Why should I go and tell an householder of the 'unchanging truth' of God's Word when I knew it could change. Those WTS guys are bunch of liars and propagandists, they merely toy on people's selective amnesia! New light my feet! And yet, if you ask them why Science is not as reliable as God, they'd tell you that science, philosophy, human laws always change to accommodate the current understandings, knowledge and trends, and thus could not be relied upon, as something touted as innovative now would be obsolete in a short while, the damned hypocrites! At least, Science mans up to admit its failings: "Yeah, we were wrong, improvement in tech allows us to view things in a new light", would the WTS ever admit they were wrong? No! Bloody spin doctors!
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  ruderedhead

  Awesome post, Carla! I never thought of that. Thank you!
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  BluesBrother

  Speaking of new light, did you wonder if the gb had new light but took some time to publish the new news

  When a flock of sheep are being led along the pathway, do you think that they bleat to each other and discuss whether the shepherd knows where he is going, or if he knows more than he is letting on?

  The whole idea of a faithful Witness questioning the printed page is just as ridiculous. They pride themselves on being obedient sheep who never falter in their devotion to their Master

  [edit..when I said "ridiculous" I was not being aggressive to you - just highlighting my point...peace Blues]
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  Christ Alone

  Honestly, when I was a JW I was always SO EXCITED when "New Light" came out. It wasn't a time to feel guilty or confused. I accepted it 100% everytime. "How awesome that Jehovah is helping us to understand his word better!" was my response.

  Of course, I was young. I didn't live through the 75 fiasco. I didn't have to change views, change them back to the orginal, then change them back again. That may have changed my feelings a bit.

  But I also did not feel obligated to go back to doors and clarify anything. The new light that I lived through was the change to accept donations and not charge for literature, the change that the judging of the sheep and the goats was future not present, the change of the generations, and some smaller minor changes. They weren't really issues that came up at the door.

  This newest change isn't really something that will come up at the door either. As has been brought out, the WT doesn't even talk about the Faithful Slave on their website. And I don't remember talking about it at the door either. The Faithful Slave was invisible to the householder (don't you love that term ). It was an INNER doctrine that was only learned about after you had been studying with a person for a while. If I recall, there is no discussion about the faithful slave in the Require brochure, and it doesn't come up in the Bible Teach book until close to the end of the book.
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  trujw

  Ask any non JW what Good news the JW's are teaching and you will get a blank stare. 99.9% of non witnesses could really care less about any of there doctrine let alone a change. When a church says "...that truth is in only one church today, God's church. Only God's Philadelphia Church has retained God's Law in this end time" Does anyone here really care?
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  sir82

  "New Light" rarely touched on anything you'd speak about going door to door, so it usually was not an issue.

  Door to door was all about "the sign of the last days" and "God's purpose for the earth" and "soon you'll be able to pet a panda in paradise".

  No one talks abouth "the faithful and discreet slave" at a door. You'd just get weird looks and a door slammed in your face.
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  prologos

  its not the fleeting doors, its the bible stdies. our true story of timing: studied the brown "Let God be (almost) True" book; I mean bible with a baptist. topic: Superior Authorities. He berated us as false teachers, but I made a brilliant defense for that untenable position. Coming home to our pioneer home, there was a brown wrapper on the bed a-la bethel.(domestics being fed) first look always: question from readers. wow, He, adherent of the despised BTG was right, we were wrong.

  Never went back, how could he swallow the rest, even if we had adjusted that one. Of course we had it right earlier, then changed. why? perhaps if the churches teached that SA are the governments that must be wrong. we have to be different? So this flickering light is a lack of meaningful biblestudy on GBs part. or reading letters to WT editors, or reading bible dictionaries, Daniel 12 the many have already gone over it.

  its not our job to apologize for them, but have no excuse if we spread what we know, or suspect to be suspect. beabeorean.com
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  punkofnice

  Excellent questions Carla.

  My confession is that on 'first call'(TM) I never encountered 'new light'(TM). I was either citing a Bible verse and then dangling the carrot of 'everlasting life'(TM) or bunging the watchtower(TM) and it's 'companion magazine the Awake!'(TM) under their noses.

  I had a number of studies but no 'new light'(TM) reared it ugly head.

  Darn it....I should have done MORE!!!