by FusionTheism 75 Replies latest watchtower bible
I can imagine the GB will wish to distance themselves from being seen as Pharisees - they are well aware of the feedback, they KNOW what is being said about them.
I suspect a "talk" that somehow places the responsibility on the shoulders of the individual R and F member; whilst somehow distancing the GB from the actions of the loyal R and F....
Just a thought.
Alive!
You may be on to something. The Dark Lords have got to know that many of the rank and file and nearly all of ex-Dubs consider that they are Pharisees. I've pointed out before that the DFing policy isn't in the interest of governments; it has to stress social services, destroys families, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if a liberal EU country banned religions from DFing based on the problems it causes. That would be the first of the dominoes to fall. Such a scenario is not far-fetched and it almost certainly is something that the Dark Tower attorneys or the Dark Lords have considered.
Whatever they say will be PR BS designed to begin building as much plausible deniability around themselves as possible. They are evil men; they do not care about sheep or families, and whatever they say at the convention changes none of that.
I realize that the left hand may not know what the right hand is doing, but the elders school (end of 2014) was about disfellowshipping quicker and reinstating slower. They had videos of staged judicial committee meetings and everything.
This hope for the regional seems exactly opposite of what was taught to elders in my area just 6 months ago.
-TE
The practice of shunning would have to be up there with no blood on the top five list of things people hate about JWs. I can see them being advised by some image consultant to tone it down a notch or two if they want to stop bleeding members and alienating others.
Time will tell, but the way I see it they will have no choice but to water it down eventually.
Follow the $$$$!!!!! LOL!!! I can see some PR rep telling the GB to stop being douche bags.
I can also see the GB spinning EVERYTHING to make it seem like the R&F need to be like Jesus and stop judging. Of course we all know that the R&F take their lead from the GB!
Now "IF" the GB spin things to blame the R&F, won't the Elders eventually say, " WTF?!?!? We have just been doing what YOU told us to do!!"
DD
I wonder if there's anything to this rumour.
I was just reading a FAQ article on the jw website, "Do Jehovah's Witnesses Force people to change Religions?" There were some interesting points made which made me wonder if the writer is "awake"! Regarding Jesus it said, "When some of his disciples stumbled at what he said, he let them leave rather than coerce them into staying.—John 6:60-62, 66-68" (Added italics) I thought this a strange thing to bring up!
Further into the article it said, "The right to change religions is supported by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United Nations has called “the foundation of international human rights law.” That document states that everyone has the “freedom to change his religion or belief” and “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas,” including religious ideas. * Of course, these rights carry with them the obligation to respect the rights of others both to maintain their beliefs and to reject ideas that they disagree with."
Could we possibly see a return to the pre-1980s situation, when a person could disassociate from the org without the threat of being shunned?
I read this in the August 2015 study edition in the article, "Watch Your Association in These Last Days". Paragraph 5 reads, "To avoid spoiling our useful habits, we must not have as close associates those who practice bad things. This applies not only to associating with unbelieving wrongdoers but also to associating with those who claim to worship Jehovah but who deliberately violate his laws. If such professing Christians engage in serious wrongdoing and do not repent, we do not continue to associate with them.—Rom. 16:17, 18."
Paragraph 7 reads in part, "Although we want to be kind even to those who do not follow God’s laws, we should not become their intimate associates or close friends."
I am wondering if this represents the beginning of a shift to a more scriptural approach to the treatment of wrong-doers in the congregation. I am not holding my breath. What do you all think?
This might be what they will refer to as far as imitating Jesus' example on shunning:
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Matthew 18:17 New International Version
Note that 'pagans' and tax collectors were supposed to be ignored to the greatest degree possible.
And here is what the Bible has to say about how Christianity will effect family relationships:
34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. - Matthew 10:34-36 New International Version
Why should the Watchtower be any different?
