Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions 443 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  AlphaMan

  Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

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  If this is true.....I would surmize that it does have to do with the recent rash of Watchtower pedophile reports in the news.

  I would surmize a Zone meeting like this could a have 2 fold purpose. (1) The Watchtower could annouce what has been going on, but they get to spin it however they want. In the eyes of the R&F it would look like the GB must be telling the truth, because they are showing transparancy. Of course, all the GB has to say is that it is NOT true, and that it is an attack on Jehovah's Organization by Satan in an attempt to cripple it financially in order to stop the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom. (2) After that, all the GB has to say is words to the effect "we need your money to fight Satan's attack" "are you going to let Satan win and stop the preaching work?" "Jehovah is testing your faith....will you give more money or not?" etc, etc, etc.

  I think they could pull in milllions more dollars if they made it sound like a Satanic attack on the Organization, and that giving money could be equated with winning this Satanic attack. So many JW's lead a double life that any hope of giving money and buying a good conscience would be jumped on eagerly. Old witnesses with money would happily sign over estates in order to personally have a hand in the battle against Satan. Many who never had much of a Service Report could easily be suckered into buying their way into Paradise.

  The Watchtower changes so much now, that it's always fun to surmize what the Watchtower could be up to next. LOL
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  sir82

  I've heard the same rumor.

  I am convinced they will eventually roll out some form of tithing (without a different "theocratic" name for it). It could well be that they would do it at this meeting.

  My idealistic, unrealistic side would hope that the "faith-testing" item would be a proclamation of their own guilt for child-abuse muck-ups and an apology.

  But then, I sometimes wish to find a box of gold nuggets buried in my backyard.

  I reckon the odds would be about the same.
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  blondie

  A widow's mite story...........? as the WTS says, she gave out of her need trusting in God.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  I would surmize that it does have to do with the recent rash of Watchtower pedophile reports in the news.

  I have thought of this as well. While WT may think it's a brilliant move to talk about it, IMO it would be a huge mistake to even mention it. 99.9% of JWs are completely clueless as to the extent of the pedophile issue within the Org and the tens of millions $$ WT has paid in lawsuit settlements-published and unpublished.

  The only available outlet to learn more about the issue is the Internet, since WT does not speak about it, and many JWs will go online to find more info. We all know where that will take them. Game over for any JW with two functioning brain cells, as the cat would be out of the bag and WT is fully exposed for it's culpability and secrecy.

  Some, maybe many, JWs would buy WT's song and dance B.S. story, but many will also check it out for themselves.
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  sloppyjoe2

  I think it will be boring, uneventful, and a waste of time. One elder asked in a group if anyone had a clue what they were going to do at the zone visit. He had no idea, and multiple elders couldn't even come up with the length of time it was going to be. No one knows anything. Don't get your hopes up.
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  JustVisting

  Alphaman: really, "Fight the Satanic attack on God's Org. with...money"? How could they scripturally sell this line of reasoning?
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  Oubliette

  JV: How could they scripturally sell this line of reasoning?

  The same way they "sell" any line of "reasoning" in JW-land: They cite a scripture, say "evidently" and then tell everyone what it means and what to believe.

  The Bible is just a prop for JWs. I thought you knew.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  How could they scripturally sell this line of reasoning?

  WT sold the "overlapping generation" nonsense and that the GB is the Faithful Slave, right?

  If WT told JWs the earth was flat they'd believe it...
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  OneEyedJoe

  I sure hope so, I'm quite ready to have my faith tested! Especially if they enact some form of enforced tithing - I could easily draw a line there and have my wife at least understand.

  In the end, though, I suspect that the only thing that will be tested will be my ability to remain awake for 3 hours of the ramblings of old men. JWs are always inventing rumors to keep themselves going. About the last convention, someone said to me "The theme is 'Let your kingdom come!' - they've never had a theme like that before! maybe it means the end is close!" When I (still blind to TTATT at the time) replied that only a few years prior they'd had a similar theme and they'd said the very same thing about it, they couldn't seem to remember. This is probably the same thing - JWs whipping themselves into a froth only to be let down because if they don't they might realize it's all a scam and that's something they're not ready for.
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  Oubliette

  Over the years, the WTBTS has made many announcements and other types of assertions which have tested my faith.

  I am happy to say the results are in: I now have complete faith in MY powers of reason and no faith at all in that of the WT leadership!