Staying Awake Or Keeping In A Frenzy? (page 3)

minimus

The masses are disconnected. They really don't see the urgency that the Watchtower has been talking about for over 100 yrs. Go to a meeting or assembly. It's just not there.

DannyBear

Valis,

I noticed that you (unlike myself) made the appropriate serious comment to Alan's thread, then you blew it!!!!!!!!!

LMBFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave you gotta answer Valis's in'ur'endos about winning those pagents.

Danny

D8TA

Valis,

You just killed my eternal adoration for Carmen Miranda...muito 'brigado!

D8TA

Boy, did some of you miss a little sub-message in the titles? Look again:

"Now More Than Ever, Stay Awake!" and "Keep on the Watch!"

See it? First one is obvious, second one needs modification.

1) Now More Than Ever, Stay "AWAKE!"

2) Keep on the "WATCH(TOWER)!"

Coincidence? I think not.

seven006

Danny,

Alan is sometimes too serious about all the JW sheet and I am just trying to lighten his brain up a little. His wife pays me to do this, it's not just a job, it's an adventure.

Valis,

You crack me up dude. One of these days you will learn how to properly use Photoshop and no one will be safe. Until then keep on trying.

D

In reguards to this topic I feel as the resident Adventist here an Adventist perspective is called for. Firstly I would say good work to Alanf and if the WT is anything like the Adventists the date of 1914 will be constantly developed to change with the times and so will always be relevent to the faithful. I put myself in the group which says that the power of religious convictions has rarely followed the paths of logic. The Adventists date of 1844 has long passed the generation and is a very contraversial doctrine with adventists it usually causes arguements at bible studies at the churches I attend.
Here is some information you may be able to picture the WT dealing with in the future.
For over a hundred years, loyal Adventist ministers have contended that the supposed prophetic date of 1844 and the theory of the investigative Judgment are contrary to Scripture. They have also pointed out that such teachings are alien to the gospel of Christ. Protester after protester has arisen, been overwhelmed by prejudice, vilified . and passed by. Today they are vindicated by a recent undeniable turn of the tables in Europe.
Kai J Arasola is the son of Finlands best -known SDA evangelist ever, Arvo Arasola. Kai is the current president of East Finland's SDA Canference. His recent doctoral dissertation from Uppsala University is now making its way through the Adventist scholarly world.
The title of Elder Arasola's thesis is 'The End of Historicism ?Hermeneutic of Time Prophecies in the Old Testament'. Arasola writes what the scholars of Adventism in Europe, America and around the world have long known. There is no biblical basis for 1844.
Bible scholars in Millers time and later looked at Millers fifteen proofs and found them without validity. There were few who could be called Bible scholars who were involved in the Great Disappointement of 1844.
Arasola points out the flimsy nature of Millers chronological pillars. Kai emphasises that the whole scholarly world repudiated them. He mentions that only Seventh day adventists, the Worldwide Church of God and the Jehovahs Witnesses cling to Millers Approach in interpreting prophecy. When Arasola mentions Seventh day Adventism he does not mean the scholars of the church. They repudiate such teaching [except for some few dedicated to upholding the traditional positions for reasons other than scholarship]
Letter from a scholar.
'It is a devastating blow not only for Millers speculations and for his methods, but to Adventist theology as well. Very , very little is heard of 1844 from the pulpits. No theologians in our ranks comment on it , only the unschooled. Barry

Edited by - barry on 8 January 2003 6:59:59

blondie

I have to agree with minimus, that the urgency is going, going, and the WTS is afraid it will be gone soon.

1. People are turning in more "fake" hours, either that don't exist, are rounded off generously, or are spent in fruitless driving from one RV to another at times they are most likely not to be home.

2. Territories are being covered less often; less door to door.

3. Elders are seen rarely out on weeknights or Sundays, and many dash off on their own on Bible studies on Saturdays; gone with the wind.

4. The only tool the WTS is using now is trying to shame people into pioneering or more field service.

5. The time unofficial time requirements to be appointed as an elder or ministerial servant are slowly dropping as there are fewer and fewer brothers qualifying and the remaining are stuck with all the work.

Without a date to latch onto, the urgency will never reach 1975, 1984 or even 1994 levels. Since 1995 and the end of the "generation of 1914," apathy reigns and is growing.

Blondie

NewYork44M

Although it is a little early in the year, I would like to nominate Alans post as a "post of the year." You nailed the issue.

The society continually uses circular arguments to get their point across. In the meantime the R&F is worn out and is just playing the game so they can keep in the social club err, I mean, in good standing in the congregation.

minimus

I'm sorry, New York, but Alan has written better posts. Let's not be too hasty about such nominations. The year has just begun.

eyeslice

Excellent thread Alan, with many excellent replies.

I think Blondie has summed up quite correctly the situation in most congregations today.

Just to add another point, there is ever greater reluctance to "prove" many of the doctrinal claims made.

At one time, both in the literature and at meetings, there was an attempt to explain "the deeper things of the truth". But now everything has been dumbed down. Take the new Worship book for instance, its chapter on the Last Days is very vague.

Also, the talk on Sunday was about being a Survivor of the Last Days. The speaker simply dismissed any proof of 1914 as being the date Christs Kingdom was established by stating there was not time in this particular talk to go into how 1914 was arrived at.

Eyeslice

Staying Awake Or Keeping In A Frenzy?

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