Do you appreciate our spiritual heritage?

by never a jw 12 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  never a jw

  That is the title of the second study of the Feb. 15, 2013 magazine (page 8). To the left of the title a picture appears showing three people holding very old Watchtower magazines from the early 1900's

  I have been studying JW's history and doctrines for less than a year and I already have far more knowledge than most C.O.'s or even D.O.'s. Is it because I know too much?, or is it because JW's know too little? I have brothers who are JW's and have been in the truth for over 20 years. The farthest back their knowledge of their history can go is 1975, and they actually believe the explanation given by the WT (it was the fault of the rank-and-file)

  I just wonder if the picture of the three persons holding old magazines is a way to encourage JW's to read their own history through those old magazines. Sometimes I wonder if these articles are written by people who have awakened and are subtly trying to undermine the WT? I suspect that this year is going to be even more interesting than last year.
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  yknot

  ....well as a born-in my observations are that converts make emotional decisions to join and we immediately put them on the hamsterwheel of FS and meeting routines where keeping (or appearing to keep) active in all things FS-Meeting equates deep spirituality and often times popularity .......from there the mags, talks etc just keep feeding them a constant stream of reinforcement of end times and the need to be reaching out and asserting oneself in the ministry......

  Yes you know too much and they too little..... in my lifetime we have had to two intense dumbing down periods, both were instituted by Ted Jaracz and both 'simplified' things by shifting away from 'staying awake and alert' to the groanings of this dying system of things to handing over thought and giving blindfaith complete trust to the Org...

  As for the pic.... its twofold, it is a wink to the conscious class JWs (the CC can if opportunity arises use the pic to plant a seed or two of TATT) and a blind reinforcement to the unawake JWs who are old enough (and often the generation donating the most consistently and leaving estates to the WTS) to have some emotional connection to the picture and feel their life dedication to the WTS hasn't been a total bust........ The WTS has political/ideological divisions and this is just where they are meeting in the middle. Yes there are conscious class JWs in the Writing Dept and in the others as well.....

  BTW in 2009 the GB decided to fully own 1975 by saying they were over-eager via DC talk.....
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  FuzzyPaul

  Traditional Christian Churches are not pagan in origin or in their teaching. They emphasis JESUS and HE is not a pagan deity. Celebrating his birth or resurrection are not pagan as He is not a pagan deity. His image on a cross in a church does not violate the second commandment as HE is not a pagan deity and we are commanded to serve Jesus.

  Salvation belongs to JESUS and the Bible by itself teaches enough by itself. The Watchtower wants "exclusive devotion" which is "worship".

  And I left when I learned that they, the leadership of the Watchtower, joined the United Nations as an NGO agreeing to support the agenda of informing about UN activity which means publishing United Nations propaganda. Which they did for ten years. Arm in arrm with the Image of The Wild Beast they are.

  And they teach that an Image of Jesus representing the truth of his death for us, HIS dying for us to pay the penalty for our sins, is pagan. I refuse that WT nonsense and the rest of Watchtower teaching. All the Watchtower's teachings seem designed and intended to contradict traditional, historic Christianity.

  Charles Russell only wanted to teach what he called "The Free-Masonry of the Bible." Whatever Masonry is, its not of the Bible. Mason people are to be respected.
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  never a jw

  Thanks Yknot,

  I was unaware of the 2009 admission of responsibility by the WT regarding 1975. Can you provide more details, the magazine, date, page?
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  Separation of Powers

  Not surprising. David Splane is the newly self-appointed historian of the WTS. He is very enthusiastic about the historical foundation of the organization. Being somewhat familiar with many in the writing department and somewhat of an historian myself, it was not difficult over the years to determine precisely who wrote what. From a purely editorial perspective, one could easily surmise who was in the doctrinal camp of JFR and those loyal to the FWF position. With this article, you have the opportunity to capture the writing style of Splane and quite possibly the foundational doctrinal position of the man.
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  BU2B

  The irony is if you truly do look into the history of the organization as most here have and not the fluffy witewash version, even just using publications, you will see all of the changed teachings, illogcal things, and hypocrisy and well on your way to "apostasy" lol at my dad who told me very little has changed doctrinally from Russels time to now. He dosent know because he hasnt looked.
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  slimboyfat

  This was also the title of a tract that was released a number of years ago to encourage young people to go to bethel. That was before the major downsizing and closures began. Has anyone got a copy to upload?
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  prologos

  re 1975. The society has tried to deal with this before 2009 , perhaps late 70s, at a convention in Grand Falls MI a speaker said: "--we regret having published that--" of course, it was regrettable, rather would have liked to recall it. but no apology, just an acknowledgement that it gave a certain negative feeling to them. expect the same for the NL to come.
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  *lost*
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  Mum

  JW's don't have a spiritual heritage. The Society is making an attempt to make them feel they do because they're a young, upstart organization. They contend that they started with C.T. Russell, but the facts say otherwise. When Rutherford took over, he instituted the Roman hierarchical model and discarded the congregational model started by Russell.

  I don't think the dubs really want the rank and file to have a clear view of their own history because of the nonsense of flip-flops, hate, negativity, medical quackery, false prophecy and other issues. Old publications are destroyed, but some have survived, probably to the great chagrin of the GB.

  At this time I have no JW family members (praise the Lord!). I was the first in 1963, then my cousin about 1968. After I exited the borg, my dad, my mom and my niece became dubs. Amazingly, none of my family ever shunned me. My parents died. Just a couple of years ago, my niece went "apostate." A few years ago, my niece and I were discussing 1975. She told me (mind, she was born in 1977) that the 1975 frenzy was because of individual witnesses' getting themselves worked up. I told her I was there, and I knew better. Her mom, my sister, agreed with me, because my sister was not a JW, but she was studying at that time.

  If the GB wants to reveal more of its history to the r&f, it had better be prepared to tell them what to think about it, too. There could be a mass exodus into apostasy either way.