It's amazing where a Piano Grade 5 [Distinction] will get you.....
Video: Governing Body Member David Splane Lays Down The Rules To All Jehovah's Witnesses!
by 1975JWExpert 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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JeffT
Trying to summarize what this talk was about is like trying to nail jello to the wall. He spouts some BS about not judging others, then goes through a long rant about outlining various ways we can make poor choices based on our own conscience, but don't stumble new/weak/misinformed people by being to liberal in your choices. Also don't stumble people by being to strict.
Oh, stay away from apostates. He talked a lot about "a forum" that sure sounded like this one. Those apostates are sneaky and want to lure you away.
Overall I would rename this talk "Be all things to Everybody.
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NotFormer
JeffT, it seems like a bunch of contradictory statements. I've been coming to the conclusion that talking out of both sides of their mouths is the default state of the GB. It reminds me of the old Mad Magazine article about "When they say..., they really mean":
https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/02/12/remember-mad-magazines-what-they-say-and-what-it-really-means
This discussion board welcomes any curious JWs influenced by Mr Splane to check out the site. 😸
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Balaamsass2
lol. :) Sounds like this site. Yes PIMI s do show up....regularly. They leave with nagging questions...OH my!
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BluesBrother
These so called “rules” , we used to call counsel. In other words - we knew you were supposed to do it but no real problem if you did.
I practice, if a dub really wants to do something that is not a specific Bible big sin or would get you d/fd … they go ahead and do it ..
Nb I thought the video would have benefited from som references to when and where he spoke the clips.
I would take exception to his first point about sitting quietly ready for the music at a session start ( and the supercilious way he said it ) Who wants to hear such crappy music and people singing often in a foreign language? He has no idea how much effort people have to make to just get there with a family . ……
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DesirousOfChange
Yes PIMI s do show up....regularly.
And we will be here to help them along with their questions and TTATT.
He has no idea how much effort people have to make to just get there with a family .
They live in their own little bubble and none more than the GB who are totally isolated and disconnected from the real world.
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Vidiot
“…don't stumble new/weak/misinformed people by being too liberal in your choices. Also don't stumble people by being too strict…”
Trying to follow direction like that in Watchtowistan:
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Journeyman
I would take exception to his first point about sitting quietly ready for the music at a session start ( and the supercilious way he said it ) Who wants to hear such crappy music and people singing often in a foreign language? He has no idea how much effort people have to make to just get there with a family .
I remember a few years ago when they introduced the musical prelude to the start of convention days, and as usual, the GB managed to mess up something that should be straightforward and make unnecessary "rules" about it.
The whole point of a musical prelude to a main feature is so that people have time to find their seats, get settled, and prepare for what is ahead.
If you "instruct" everyone that they should be "in their seats" to pay attention to it, then what you've really done is brought forward the start of the event to before the opening song and prayer and made the musical prelude part of the programme. What next? A prelude to the musical prelude, so that people can find their seats to be ready for that? It's ridiculous, and another attempt to exaggerate the importance or necessity of something otherwise relatively trivial.
And as BluesBrother says, needlessly burdening the poor R&F who already struggle to get there on time from the car park or coach park with their old granny, a couple of screaming kids and a big cooler bag, all while overdressed for the summer heat and being shuttled from one section to another by attendants trying to find them available seating. -
Journeyman
I decided to review the video mentioned by the OP in the interests of fairness (so I'm not just talking about something I've not seen). These are old clips of Splane from 2014 through to 2022, so they've probably come up before.
However, I do have some observations:
1:10 Splane spends a while talking about all the time, effort and expense put into making, filming and editing the musical preludes.
Yet he completely fails to acknowledge the amount of time, effort and expense many Witnesses - singly or as families - make to travel to a convention, and their sacrifices to be there. They did not ask to have additional material tacked on to the start of the programme which would require them to arrive 10 minutes earlier. Yet Splane expects them to be grateful for this and tries to shame them into having to get there even sooner, just for this "experience".
5:53 The GB showily add themselves to the JW choir - note also that they put themselves at the FRONT of the entire assembly. Can you imagine Jesus interposing himself in that way when the disciples got together to sing to God?
Oh the irony! At 11:52 Splane says: "Very often, when unity is disturbed, it's because we don't respect the ability of other brothers and sisters to decide things for themselves". He could be talking about - and to - his fellow GB at one of their weekly meetings! Some of the most serious and toxic divisions in the JW org have arisen because of dogmatic statements from the GB with no scriptural support, which creates divisions in the congregations between those who respect what the Bible says, and those who hang on every word of the GB even when it oversteps or even contradicts scripture.
At 12:20 Splane adds: "If they're not careful, those who tend to be strict on themselves could impose their conscience on others".
At 17:25 Splane states: "When we're humble, we recognise that our opinion isn't always the right one." When has the GB ever said that? He continues: "Humility will also prevent us from trying to impose our conscience on others as if Jehovah had appointed us to judge them". Therefore, what can we conclude about how well they are exhibiting humility?
Later, he makes another statement which should be food for thought for the GB themselves: "What about mildness? Mildness will help us to think about the effect our words might have on our brothers and sisters."
Finally, from 20:10 Splane makes some points about what makes a good marriage prospect for a single Witness, and makes reference to the usual requirement that they should be involved in "theocratic activities". As always, and as we saw in this week's WT about courtship, what is mentioned first? Knowing the Bible itself? Displaying good personal qualities like the fruitage of the spirit? Well, the org used to mention such things more often, but these days what ALWAYS comes first? Things like pioneering, construction work, Kingdom Hall cleaning. Following JW publications, videos and broadcasts.
For instance, Splane says: "If you mention an article in a recent magazine, does he often say: 'I must have missed that one'?" Notice this takes precedence over actually mentioning whether he knows his Bible. Once again, the implication is that WT material is more important than the scriptures.