4th Generation Witnesses and Maybe more ?

out4good3

Just read a thread about a guy being a forth generation witness and a question came to mind. How is it that Jw's can rationalize the end being always "just around the corner" when there is soon to be 4th, 5th, and maybe 6th generation witnesses? Just how is it that the previous generations can continue to follow so blindly after one failed prediction after another of never getting old in this "system of things"?

I ask this because in the few years that I've known that the WT or JW's even existed, that their interpretive "truth" of the last generation has changed at least four times that I know of. First it was those that understand the significance of 1914, to those who saw the events of 1914, to those who were born in 1914, to the now current and new improved "truth" of the generation that witnesses bible prophecy as it related to armageddon. This new "understanding" pretty much moves them right in line with most other Christian denominations which negates a large percentage of the other dogma's they whole so dear. At this rate, they'll soon be celebrating Christmas and other Holidays and acting as if the beliefs they held yesterday never happened.

Further, if this is the new "truth" as they see it, what of all those old "truths". Can those old truths be classified as lies now that there is new "understanding" of the issue or is it explained away as understanding by men of good conscious and intentions that has progressed? If everything in the JW world is black or white and never shades of grey, does not yesterdays old discarded truth make it todays forgotten lie? And if it is classified as a lie, aren't they by extension calling God himself a liar since they claim both divine inspiration and of being the only channel of communication between God and man?

Just a few things I've been thinking about.......

stichione

I agree with your reasoning. Just this past weekend I was with the in-laws who are all hardcore Dubs and don't know I know this religion is not the truth anymore.Anyways, they were always making remarks about future projects 10-20 years down the road and always adding rather ritualistically "If the end doesn't come first".

Hearing such remarks sevral times in the course of an evening can be quite irritating, and I would just add to that "Don't worry you have time for that project". Of course they would look at me with that "How dare you say that look?". And I would just remind them that with the unlinking of the 1914 from the "this generation" teaching in 1995, the end can come next year or in 10 years or in 100 years or in 1000 years. They of course look at me dumbfounded, and I get a chuckle out of it.

RunningMan

I think the answer to your observation is inherent in the question: How can 4th generation Witnesses still believe the end is near?

The desire to believe something is directly proportional to the investment in the belief. Persons who have been Witnesses all their life, and all of their friends and family are also JW, have a huge investment in Armageddon. To actually face the facts would devastate their life.

Therefore, the inertia of multiple generations in the organization is what keeps them there. Most of them, like Stichione's relatives, know this on some level. They plan for the distant future, knowing full well it will come before the big A hits. The urgency of the times only gets lip service - almost superstitiously.

pomegranate

How is it that Jw's can rationalize the end being always "just around the corner"

It's a really huge corner.

No Apologies

You have raised some good points. Here is a religion whose main idea is that "the end is near, we are in the last days" then after a date like 1975, some leave the organization, they will say, "well, they were just serving a date" Of course they were, that was the whole point of the religion in the first place!!

acting as if the beliefs they held yesterday never happened

That is so true, not just the fact that the belief has changed, but somehow convincing the followers there was no change. Straight out of Orwell's 1984. "We have always believed this way. We never said college was bad. We said that 1914 would mark Jesus presence, and the beginning of the end. Vaccines, did we say vaccines were bad? Homosexuality not grounds for divorce, when was that? We have for many years encouraged victims of child abuse to report such abuse to the proper authorities."

Brummie

Out...after the 1st world war proved NOT to be the armaggedon of Scripture they shifted armaggedon to being ...Just on the horizen, then plenty of dates came and went. Then it was...just around the corner...now its..on the doorstep. its all evolutionary, next we will be told that its in the living room and quickly passing out through the back door (as usual).

Lies....they dont really understand what "lies" means, its a complicated word for them, they prefer to call them "readjusted truths"

Brummie

pomegranate

I've been told three lefts make a right. (Think about it. )

BluesBrother

Straight out of Orwell's 1984.

The more that I think on that statement the more true it seems. "Big Brother is always right even when ,to a rational person, he is patently wrong. He demands unswerving loyalty , has spies to report wrongdoing, even "Thought crimes". He keeps his followers alert to a constant state of warfare ,no one else can be trusted. I am sure I could go on and on.

Yes of course it is a contradiction for 3rd & 4th generatins of dubs to keep believing in the imminent end, strange thing is that when you are within it , you do not seem to mind too much .. "If Jehovah allows it ..............." seems to be the attitude,with a shrug of the shoulders. No one wants to face the nasty questions because that would be too traumatic , and be disloyal to "Big Brother "

Perry

Running Man is right on target with the investment analysis. There are now 6th generation witnesses in my immediate family. Not one has left. The bigger the family, the more a person has to lose to face truth.

The bigger the family, the bigger the whallop with the shunning stick. The blackmailing bastards.

A Paduan

How is it that Jw's can rationalize the end being always "just around the corner"

By always going around in circles.

Q. - what happens to all the s**t your carrying when you go round and round in circles?

Edited by - a paduan on 24 October 2002 4:12:23

4th Generation Witnesses and Maybe more ?

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