A New "Class"?

by Pathofthorns 25 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Pathofthorns

  (Edited for Waiting :)

  In 1935 a "new class" was "discerned" when the Great Crowd was understood to have an earthly hope and survive Armageddon.

  Could there be a new "class" of Witnesses surfacing today? The articles, such as those on blood, feature a "some" whose conscience permits this and that. The Society seems to constantly be making changes to suit this "some".

  There seems to be a dividing between the "hardcore" Witness and this new "some" class which seems to be concientiously accepting some things and rejecting others. The speed at which the thinking of Witnesses is shifting from one group to the other possibly suggests either massive changes to tolerance, or a future rift in the Organization.

  Any thoughts?

  Path

  Edited by - Pathofthorns on 26 June 2000 20:25:5
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  waiting

  Hey, Thorn,

  "When a new "class" of Witnesses was identified in 1935, the "other sheep" class, it is said this new understanding was due in part to several not feeling comfortable taking the emblems."

  I've not heard of this before. Where are getting this thought. It's interesting. I read that Judge Rutherford got hit with New Light in the middle of the night.

  waiting
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  Pathofthorns

  I could quite likely be mistaken in saying that some who did not conscientiously partake had any bearing on the change. The Society's material suggests that the due to the understanding several stopped partaking when they realized they were of the Great Crowd.

  I guess the likely reason for the 1935 "new light" is that since Rutherford believe the 144,000 to be a literal number having began to be selected after Christ, he out of necessity had to realize some sort of "new light" if he expects the Organiztion to grow beyond that number.

  Path
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  waiting

  Wow, you're so cute, Thorn,

  No one has changed a sentence for me before.....

  waiting
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  Prisca

  Just to add a thought on this matter...

  My grandmother became involved with the witnesses in 1931, baptised in 32. She said she and many others she knew felt "relief" when this new teaching about the Great Crowd class came out, as she never really thought she was destined for heaven. Her hopes had always been stuck here on earth.

  Personally, I don't think it's up to us to decide. The scriptures show that heavenly life is an option, but it's Jehovah's choice as to what happens to us when we die.

  On Path's point about a "New Class", if you look through the entire life of the Society's history, there have always been groups of people that disagreed with the Society's doctrines or way of doing things. The increasing numbers of "dissenters" or those that question the Society is more as a result of freely available information, as well as the trend in general society today to question the status quo. As well, as the numbers of witnesses increase, the number of ex-witnesses will also increase in like matter.

  i really don't think the Society will be making any significant changes in doctrine for a while yet. Certainly not while the current GB are still alive. But who knows in the next 20-30 years' time?
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  RR

  Actually, the new class was invented to support the numbers. It seemed that by 1935, there were more than the allotted 144,000 witnesses, so a change had to be made, a new class. Paul Johnson, who formed the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement in 1918 after being kicked out by Rutherford, created an "unbegotten" class by claiming the door was officially shut in 1916. Another group formed in 1919, the Standfast Bible Students Association claimed the door was closed in 1914 and that Jehovah rejected the Society in 1918. Rutherford toyed with the idea and finally created the class in 1935.

  Interestingly, it was in the early 1920s that Testimony meetings and character development studies were touted as "tools of the devil," Rutheford stated that preaching was of the utmost importance, not character development of Christ. Thus with this being lost, and the advocating of preaching stressed and Watchtower/book studies replaced actual Bible Studies, much was lost sight of.

  If anyone has ever read Rutherford's books in chronological order one would see a progression of "new light" each book contradicting the last, is it any wonder the friends knew anything?

  Eventually this was the start of the Society breeding a class of idiots, who hanged on every word of the Society. At the same time those Bible Students who refuse to give up their Christian freedom, defected and formed independent congregations, by 1931, some three-quarters of the orginal Bible Students were now organizaed outside of the Society and this prompted Rutherford to change the name to "Jehovah's witnesses," so as not to be confused with the independent Bible Students.

  One of the funny stories I was told is that in the 1930s and 1940s when the new class was formed, the halls were divided into two, the anointed ones all sat together. In fact the name "Jehovah's witnesses [small "w"] was only indicative of the anointed ones, the great crowd had no designation. Some of the older convention reports and annoucements were dubbed "Jehovah's witnesses and thier Companions."

  Franz, under Knorrs presidency made the change to reflect ALL members of the Society were "Jehovah's witnesses."

  _______________
  Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill on the same night.
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  Frenchy

  Hey, RR. I see that your picture has changed somewhat. This one looks better.

  -Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it-
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  waiting

  Well, I must concur with Frenchy,

  An improvement. I have a son who look astonishing like this picture - only a lot younger, thank you.

  My son is extremely handsome.

  waiting
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  RR

  Why thank you! :)

  _______________
  Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill on the same night.
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  eyesalve