by hubert 35 Replies latest watchtower bible
Permission is granted only after the student has passed a series of oral examinations given by the local elders (examinations that are largely a CYA product of the WT legal department), you can't just show up at a JW assembly with swim trunks and say that you want to be baptized.
Wow, Dan, I didn't know this.
I thought anyone could get baptized, as long as they quoted the "oath of allegiance" to the Watchtower.
Hubert
You can research all you want...
Just don't tell any body, or ask any questions, or you will be accused of apostacy.
Kind Regards
Acadian
The light started to go on for me when I wrote the almighty Oz the society to report some problems I was having with the elders and also to ask some specific questions. Of course they didn't address the issue with the elders at all, but answered my few questions with old WT articles as if they were the laws for me to follow. I looked up one article from 1961 and then started to read some of the surrounding bizarre articles. I read further and became more confused as the doctrines kept flip-flopping over the years. Studying the old WT articles was the beginning of the end of my WT career.
cybs
Further to Blondie's comment, just this week, I accidentally mentioned Russell's vaccine comments to my mother. Well after looking shocked, and critical, she asked where I got that. I told her from the WT publication. She then asked where I got it as "you know on the Internet there are apostate renditions of them. You do know what an apostate is don't you." (Can I begin to roll my eyes now?) So I guess the official dogma is, don't try and obtain "older" books off of Ebay or any place else, they come from apostates.
Does that kind of limit how far back you can go? It's also quite convenient for the WT to ban obtaining books this way, that makes them near impossible for Joe Publisher to get their hand on them and check for themselves the information. I would think doubting Joe Publisher would be more inclined to look at older issues of the WT publications then for instance any other "apostate" book. Makes you wonder, if the WT really wants publishers to actually research their own history, or just rely on their interpretation of it?
Naa don't bother answering that one, we know the answer already.
On a side note, she also didn't know about accepting blood fractions. Go figure.
Jahna
Reading older WT literature is in my opinion not very productive other than giving one a perspective on how much the doctrine has changed and when. I was warned that it would be a waste of time as many former teachings if believed would make one an apostate.
I was warned that it would be a waste of time as many former teachings if believed would make one an apostate.
So, how did Jesus find the Russell cult AKA IBS/WTBTS to be The Faithful Discreet Slave? Oh, I forgot He received some New Light to pass on to the FDS.
you can't just show up at a JW assembly with swim trunks and say that you want to be baptized.
Sure you can......all you have to do is sit with the bpatismal candidates and recite the oath of allegiance to the WT. It's not like they take a roll or something.
Question is......
Why would you.......
I remember my mom getting jumped on by the PO when he caught her looking at some Watchtowers from the early, early days. I think in the 30's or 40's, somewhere around there. You would think that the "truth" would have nothing to hide. Yeah right.
On a side note, she also didn't know about accepting blood fractions. Go figure.
That is amazing, Jahna, since there was a Question from Readers in 2000, a WT study article recently, and a part on the service meeting as well. Does you mom go to the meetings? Does she read the publications? Hmmmmmmmmm
Blondie
If witnesses studied and "lived by" old material.....they would now be disfellowshipped for Apostacy.
So that would mean Russell, Rutherford etc all shunned as soon as they're resurrected then! ..Just as well they're going/gone to Heaven ....
