by Monsieur 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I agree, wallsofjericho.
1914 is definitely on the chopping block.
The WTS is morphing into a more 'acceptable' mainstream 'Christian' church. They have made some rapid changes in a very short time.
Soon, the Rutherford years, and the Knorr and Franz years, will read as ancient history.
All ye behold - the new arisen jw..org is here!
The serpent is shedding its skin yet again.
It should be realized that the Watchtower Corporation bought and sold the return of Christ as its fundamentally largest doctrine and exploited this all throughout the 20th century.
The actual name of the Watchtower was conceived from seeing and proclaiming thing to come by interpretation via the bible..
Trying to keep the doctrine of 1914 as something viable is going to be bit of a struggle, equally as well in trying to remove it, but my instincts tell me that they will as a means to appeal to the continuation of the organization and the continuance of support from its devoted adherents.
finklestein: It should be realized that the Watchtower Corporation bought and sold the return of Christ as its fundamentally largest doctrine and exploited this all throughout the 20th century.
That is true, Finklestein, however, the Watchtower has done some major flips in doctrine and were successful in the past in making radical doctrinal shifts.
For example, the dramatic shift from the WTS' pro Zionist stance prior to 1925 to a 'replacement theology' was a very significant shift. And the Watchtower survived - they just did a makeover. A new name, a new structure, the old guard was thinned out, and voila! the Jehovah's witnesses was born.
Today, the same thing is happening...major doctrinal changes and shifts are part of the changing landscape. And, besides, the WTS has always been politically savvy, and frankly, the notion of a Messiah returning to lead a special group of people just isn't very politically current for global financial concerns.
Don't count on such conclusion. Remind you of the 1/14 WT study, paragraphs 14-16.1914 is definitely on the chopping block.
Monsieur I agree with you I think this is leading up to ditching 1914. People keep saying the GB can't drop 1914 because how can the religion carry on if they do that. The emerging Protestant churches said the Church of Rome was Babylon the Great because of its corruption and this signified the end of all things as described in Revelation. This didn't come true but those religions survived and are thriving. Now they believe their hope is in heaven. Somehow they changed their views radically and have kept going for 500 years.
JWs are just another Protestant religion who used the same old diatribe as Luther et al, let's get back to what the Bible really says, then we will find the truth. All the Protestant religions rejected a priesthood and advocated a personal relationship with God, just like the JWs. Most of them ended up with their own clergy elite and being told what to believe, just like the JWs. If all Protestant religions can prophecy the imminent fulfilment of Revelation and yet survive 500 years after its failure so can the JWs.
1914 is the Org's "foundation" and as such, it cannot abandon this date, because even their hierarchical structure - aka FDS/GB - is rooted in 1914!
As for the "thorny" issue of d/f & shunning, it's their greatest weapon/power over the sheep. Only a legal intervention citing human rights would force the Org to change this in any way - and only if faced with the threat of losing charitable status by governments.
I am not sure what the long term position on 1914 & 607 will be but I am sure there is a long term succession plan for the generation teaching and the length of the time of the end. I can't believe they have not addressed the elephant in the room when it comes to what happens if the big A is not here within the next 5-10 years. I suspect they have already determined what the doctrinal changes will be over that period to allow people to just think the last days can be ongoing without giving it a second thought. I think they will have to accept that they cannot foster a long term view of the last days without compromising a sense of urgency.
I think the current changes to try and secure cashflow are there to pre-empt a drop in attendance as the urgency diminishes.
I predict increasing emphasis on texts such as the "love of the greater number cooling off" and application made to directly to Witnesses.
I suspect that they will seek to manage any decline by playing on the fears and cognitive dissonance of those left, shored up with the threat of DFing as a stick to keep people toeing the line. You cannot under estimate the strength of the pure psychology of people wanting to feel accepted by family and long term friends.
It could be that the seeming encouraging to get young ones baptised is part of the plan to get them ingrained in the system as early as possible.
I am sure this year's memorial figures will be down in many areas based on anecdotal reports which may be the first sign of a shift in attitudes and why the GB will be thinking about the plan for the next decade.
Fisherman9 hours ago1914 is definitely on the chopping block.And let me remind you of the mountains of changed doctrines and prophecies ever since the Watchtower's inception back in the late 1800s.Just because the WTS printed something on such and such a date is pretty meaningless in the whole big picture, Fisherman. They have flipped doctrines before and they will do it again.
Don't count on such conclusion. Remind you of the 1/14 WT study, paragraphs 14-16.
