Gumby...I respectfully suggest that you have done what many of us did and modified the doctrine to satisfy your own feelings on the subject. My wife and I likewise actually taught and began to believe the WT had said that some nonJWs will survive Armagedon, but we were lying to ourselves and the public. Maybe like Alan said we were asshamed of the official teaching. I can remember no instance where they said anything that could be understood as superceeding the hardline answer that unless you are baptised and active "marked for survival" you will be toast. To suggest that some would be judged favorably dispite practicing "false religion" would dilute even absolve the RandF from the 'bloodguilt' trip that effectively compells them to waste their Saturday mornings. I opened by saying, like Alan, that they don't come clean on this point at the JW official website but even there they never suggest that non-JWs will survive Armagedon.
JW'S and God's Justice?
by micheal 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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worldlygirl
When this question comes up, my husband usually says that the published information is very strong so as to "encourage the brothers to keep doing what they are doing" and doesn't necessarily mean that the Organization feels only baptized Witnesses will survive the Big A. I think he's just telling me what he thinks I want to hear . . .
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peacefulpete
And what he wants to hear.
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gumby
I respectfully suggest that you have done what many of us did and modified the doctrine to satisfy your own feelings on the subject
Wrong.......
I'll find it myself.
Gumby
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mizpah
M M: Romans 2 was always a chapter that impressed me, too. I was always uncomfortable with the thought that only Jehovah's Witnesses were going to be saved at Armageddon. This teaching seemed arrogant and presumptuous.
Of course, the writer of Romans was putting it in the context of the "law." But the principle remains valid. Just as there are those who "do by nature things required by law" even though they don't have the law. ( The law is "written on their hearts." ) Among the billions of mankind, there are those who abide by the priniciples of Christ even though they have never heard of him.
The real danger of any person or organization making judgments about others in regard to salvation is that they take upon themselves the role of God or Christ. Christ's words are a warning: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged."
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AlanF
Hi Peacefulpete,
I'm not really sure what you're saying here in certain respects, but the point of my essay was to show that the Society has two separate teachings on the matter of salvation -- one for internal consumption and another to maintain a good public image. As gumby said, they're talking out of both sides of their mouth at the same time.
Having been raised a JW, I know perfectly well about these two teachings. I was taught that active JWs, and only active JWs and their minor children, would get salvation through Armageddon. That's why there was a big push in the late 1960s through the early 1970s to get children baptized as young as possible, since older children "shouldn't expect to ride through Armageddon on mommy and daddy's coattails" if they were of "the age of responsibility". At the same time, we were taught to hide this "truth" from non-JWs so as not to overtly offend them. I remember on a number of occasions, even as a child, doing what I was taught and engaging in this "theocratic strategy". And I also remember feeling crappy about myself because I knew that I was lying to these people. But I overcame my conscience because of the standard Orwellian doublthink.
AlanF
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peacefulpete
I agree Alan as you very capably poited out they do use double speak. But NEVER did they say that non-witnesses will survive Armagedon. They skirt the question by implying as much while actually saying that because some may yet BECOME JWs more than those presently JWs will be saved. The research you have done is much appreciated.