Elder School and trained to believe about c.1980

by thewiz 12 Replies latest jw experiences

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  thewiz

  I have only suspicions about this, and an elder at the hall over 2 -1/2 years ago tipped me off to this and kind of semi-verified my long held suspicions. I never did get to Elder school or even MS school because I never kissed enough ass, so I can't emphatically prove it myself.

  He basically inferred or implied that nearly ALL the WTB&TS late 20th century problems had something to do with the "great" apostacy (witch hunt) of c.1980.

  I have also talked to my brother-in-law about this matter a couple of times and he seems to be of the same bend or thinking.

  It's kind of like the borginazational culture that everyone "believes" or it's "known" that the troubles were rooted out when Ray Franz and friends were booted.

  Can anyone verify this? Exactly what do they teach at those schools about what happened and who is to blame for c.1980 and similar problems?

  My Dad even said that the "1975" problem was probably caused by Raymond Franz (rather than the true culprit, Fred Franz).
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  Quotes

  Great question, but I can't provide any insight (was never an elder) but I will see if I can arrange an opportunity to ask my long-time elder father if/when I ever see him again!

  ===========================
  For interesting Watchtower Society literature quotes, complete with references but without any editorial, check out: http://Quotes.JehovahsWitnesses.com
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  TheOldHippie

  Although living on the other side of the Atlantic, I remember the circuit overseer gave a special talk at the elders' meeting during his visit, where he warned that we were to expect difficulties from within during the next years, as apostates had tried to gain control over the Society but had been ousted. We were asked to take notes, and then to give the main points of his talk as a special talk after the second book study to be held after he had left. At the first book study, we were to ask everybody to make sure to be present at the next study because of that talk. It was a gloomy talk, warning about apostates and drop-outs, but no specifics were given, nothing about what were really the issues. We were told to make good use of the "Commentary on the Letter of James" book, as it was said to deal with this - but only later did I find out that that study book was in fact written by one of the very "apostates".
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  Alana

  My father was the PO for many years, and was the Assembly Overseer for the entire Circuit, so he went to all those Elders' Schools, etc. Anyway, while I have nothing in writing per se, I do remember him saying almost the exact thing. He said that it was 'those Apostates and Ray Franz' who tried to slip things into the literature to mislead and cause divisions in these "last days", but that they were discovered and ousted....but that after that, faithful ones would need to be careful at what they read regarding 'old information', etc. So, rather than the Society having to take the blame for things, in my opinion, they found scapegoats to take the blame.
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  Matty

  This is an interesting period, and as I was very young at the time I just accepted what I was told. I do remember some odd changes in the book study schedule in the early eighties that I would appreciate a little clarity on. I remember asking why we had to study the “Gods kingdom of a thousand years” book again all of a sudden and also the “Mans Salvation” book, and halfway through too, and I was told that we needed to “study them again for clarification, because there had been some apostasy at Bethel.”. Was this the correct reason? And if so, what was specifically in the books that we all needed to know?
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  SYN

  He said that it was 'those Apostates and Ray Franz' who tried to slip things into the literature to mislead and cause divisions in these "last days",

  So, Miracle Wheat and Aluminium Hysteria and Organ Donations Being Cannabilism doesn't count as "misleading" then? Yeesh, but these people only have DOUBLE STANDARDS!
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  OUTLAW

  The 1975 problem was caused by WBTS writing articles like:The April 5 1968 Awake article"1975 What do`s it mean to you".WBTS advertised the hell out of 1975.It was one of the hottest topics in Kingdom Halls around the world,until 1976.(LOL)...OUTLAW
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  ignored_one

  Outlaw:

  That's exactly the kinda thing I need to show my mum. She believes the general myth that the society never said anything about it.

  It'll be nice to point these things out to her.

  Ignored One. (Iggy).
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  Lady Lee

  Try showing her some of what is here

  http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1975.htm

  A not-so-silent lamb
  
  Aspire to inspire before you expire
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  MacHislopp

  Hello TheWiz,

  thanks for the question and relevant informations.
  Just few lines.

  It waas after 1980 - disfellowshipping - of Ray Franz
  the the WTBS, in successive years introduced many more
  - rules and requirements ...scripturally based (?) -
  to make sure that the R&F would not associate with the
  disfellowshipped ones. The same 'treatment ' was later
  used against the "dissociated ones".
  There wer specific watchtower articles, in 1981, 1982,
  1984 and 1986 . Also specific instructions in the
  "ks"(elders manual).
  All this was intensified in the 90' when the words
  "apostate, apostates " and similar expression were
  continually used in the watchtower articles, and this
  trend is growing even more after the year 200O.

  Of course a nice research, with correct quotes , will
  be made in the future.

  Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp