Problem for WT is is that they built entire theology around the 1914 year. They wasted 100 years and millions of people's lives on preaching that the invisible kingdom is present. They assurred thousands of people born before 1914 that they will never die. One by one in that generation has left the Earth. They also created two-tier christian groups, one with heavenly calling, one the Great Crowd, where almost anyone before 1914 was a part of the first one. To eliminate the 1914 nonsense, they would need to destroy majority of their theology. They will need to stick to it for some times, until they came with better date, or close the soul fishing business for good. Either way, they had cornered themselves with false teaching and they need to eat it up.
The 1914 generation is still going strong 100 years later - 2014 study article.
by THE GLADIATOR 443 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Finkelstein
The historical events surrounding the WTS/JWS tells a story of deceit and corruption involving this organization's self empowerment of itself
and its blatantly corrupt commercialization of its published goods.
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It started as a small religious publishing house by some idealogical con man C T Russell, who plagiarized other people's thoughts
and ideas to promote his own published literature, from there it was taken over by another con man J Rutherford who started
to really build up a Publishing Kingdom of his own with a lot more constraining power and control over devoted members.
This assuming power though was not granted by any other outside source other than what they built up by themselves
and this too was a part of this commercialized fraud presented to the public.
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The power and control was not to protect the true preaching work of the Gospel but to protect the power and authority
of which this organization built up around itself and the men at the controlling top.
JWS are not doing the work set out in the bible , they are blindly doing the work set out and created by this
very corrupt and dangerous Watchtower Corporation.
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Fisherman
TD,
You are asking the wrong person for samples.
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THE GLADIATOR
When I was a Jehovah's Witnesses, spirituality was a word much used by the Watchtower Society. They had built an organization based on the invisible return of Christ in 1914. This event led to invisible fulfilment of prophecy upon a spiritual nation, living in an invisible spiritual paradise. The rewards that the members were so proud of could only be seen with invisible eyes of faith. It occurred to me that I was involved in a religion that, despite its appearance of being a spiritual organization, was material in its outlook. Although believing in a spiritual world, members were told they had no soul, just a physical body, and that was all they were ever going to have. They could only look forward to living forever as humans. Out of all the people that had ever lived on earth, only 144,000 were destined for heaven.
There was much speculation about what the new world would be like. This prize had to be earned through physical effort, in the form of a strict regime of canvassing and literature selling. The Society would boast about how many hundreds of millions of magazines and books they had produced. Kingdom Hall meetings did not involve silent meditation or group contemplation. Instead, they were comprised of lectures and question-and-answer programmes. All answers were pre-supplied in printed literature. There was no room for personal insight or intuition. There were no mysteries or unanswered questions. Answers to all questions could be found in indexed Watchtower Society volumes.
As the years passed, answers and rules constantly changed. The Society’s approach was more like that of a simplistic law school than that of a spiritual movement. The main requirement for continued membership was unquestioning obedience to their authority. Acceptance of its explanations and dictates was deemed to be obedience to Jehovah God. Nothing has changed in the years since I left this corrupt organization. In order to keep their status as a charity they stopped charging for literature many years ago. It is my belief, that this will utimately be their undoing.
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TD
You are asking the wrong person for samples.
I understand and would say the same thing about myself. But just as an observer, it's easy to notice that Orthodox flavors of Christianity provide a spiritual experience via the sympathetic magic of communion. Members of the LDS faith have their testimony and are proud to give it. Born Again and Charismatic flavors of Christiany have their spiritual rebirth, while JW's (At least the ones I know) ridicule such things.
Even the JW view of paradise leans towards the material via cozy little gabled, shingled, lapsided, wood frame houses tastefully situated in front of clear mountain lakes and away from singing hosannas at the base of God's throne as some sort of spiritual creature.
JW's use the word, "Spiritual" a lot, but it's hard to know what they mean when they say it because they always seem to be talking about something material.
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Fisherman
What reason would anyone have for being a JW? --None whatsoever.
I thought that you were asking, why do JWs continue serving God, or, why do JW's serve God. But looking back at what you said, the reason I gave you was partial.
Here is the other part
Take for example, a fictional JW family. The grandparents were baptized as adults in the late 1930's and never considered themselves to be anointed. They were the only members of their respective families to become JW's. They've been dead for 20 years now. How is their fate any different than all their "Unbelieving" brothers and sisters and cousins that never bothered with the JW faith? In JW theology, there is no difference. They're all going to be resurrected.
If there is no reason for anyone to want so serve God, then again you are asking (telling) the wrong person.
Obviously, you understand that there is a difference between imagined, emotion and material (real),in line with that, jws teach that the "Kingdom of God" is not something that can be seen with a ruler. If that was the case then anyone could measure it. As you know, they teach that its ruler can be discerned but not seen.
If you want to understand how the WTS defines "spiritual", consider the examples below.
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Fisherman
they always seem to be talking about something material.
I do not know what you mean. Give examples where the wts uses the term spiritual to apply it to something material?
It seems to me that you know WTS teaching. What are you really asking?
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William Penwell
I have heard this this same "end of system"message, 50 years ago. The urgency was needed, that it was only a matter of months, weeks or even hours to the end of the system. That we should sell out homes and go into the full time service.
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THE GLADIATOR
Fisherman 'Give examples where the wts uses the term spiritual to apply it to something material?'
The Watchtower Society confuses material things, such as congregation meetings and Bible knowledge, with spirituality.
Contributing to the Spiritual Paradise
Most people enjoy visiting a park or garden. They like to walk through it or perhaps sit on a bench and enjoy the surroundings. In a similar way, many enjoy associating with Jehovah’s Witnesses. They find the fellowship refreshing, peaceful, and restorative. However, a beautiful garden needs to be tended if it is to continue to be paradisaic. Similarly, the spiritual paradise exists in this very nonparadisaic world only because Jehovah’s Witnesses cultivate it, and God blesses their efforts. How, then, can one make a meaningful contribution to that paradise?
First, you need to associate with a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, study the Bible with them, and acquire the Bible knowledge that is the basis of the spiritual paradise. Carla noted: “There is no spiritual paradise without spiritual food.” This includes reading God’s Word regularly and thinking about what you read. The knowledge acquired will draw you closer to Jehovah God, and you will come to love him.
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Fisherman
Glad,
I do not know if the example you gave is what TD had in mind. Nevertheless, it is an example of wts application of the term spiritual. Regarding your commentary, JWs disagree with you.