so then, we come to the topic of 1914, again.. a lot of us on here have said it, and so i decided to write about it.. http://www.jehovahswitnessblog.com/2010/01/1914-soon-to-be-forgotten.html.
cheers,.
carlos.
I am in two minds about it.
The 1914 doctrine is becoming less and less relevant as the years slip by. On the other hand they just don't seem to be able to drop it, it is still mentioned frequently enough in the literature although these are more vague now a days.
I think that it would be extremely difficult to drop it in the near future without it having a big effect on many.
http://www.jwbrothers.org/play.php?vid=2080.
among jehovahs witnesses, congregation elders work tirelessly to make contact with all members of the congregation to ensure that they are safe or can get to a safe place.
also, the elders check to be sure that each one has lifes necessities, such as clean drinking water, food, clothing, and essential medication.
I am saddened by this natural disaster. Whether, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christians or non-religious, many people have lost their lives.
Where the WTS will fail, as it always does, is once it has seen to the immediate needs of their own, they will be back into 'preaching' mode. They feel that the message is more important than anyone else - remember the World Trade Center - they handed out tracts!
The WTS has no doctors or medics they can offer (they discourage higher education) and they have no infra-structure to handle this sort of situation.
As mentioned before, any donations go to the 'Worldwide Work' - what ever they choose that to be.
a few months ago there was a thread about a couple of elders at the mill hill bethel being disfellowshipped because they disagreed with some wt doctrine (i can't recall exactly what it was) and that several other betheliteswere under 'investigation'.
i haven't heard anything since, does anyone know anything more about this?.
borghater xx.
This incident appears to be a classic illustration of the totally unbending, dogmatic stance taken by the Society and the fact that there is no way that they ever want people to really study the Bible and think for themselves.
There are many if us here, who as elders (aka the Society's enforcers) could not bring ourselves stand up and say that the Society was always right and that we had the absolute truth.
What really gets me is that in a few years time they are likely to produce 'new light' on this subject. What happens to the disfellowshipped ones then?
I remember having a conversation with fellow Witness young men, as we were then, in about 1974 and saying we would be disfellowshipped if we thought that the 1914 generation might well pass away before the end came. How things have changed since then on that topic.
i received this crap from my jw mom today.
i hope it doesn't "encourage" you to go back .
you see, when i left, i immediately felt the relief of not being burned all the time by all of the gossip that occurs within the congregations, circuits, etc.
I too have heard this illustration many times before, and I am sure I have even used it myself.
There is a lot of truth in it though and it is a mechanism used by the WTB&TS to keep its grip on people. If you are at the center, there is lots of activity to keep you 'hot'; field service, meeting parts, lots of association, etc.
What the WTB&TS fail to recognise is that it often themselves who do the cooling by bannishing and cold shouldering members they feel are a threat.
Great synopsis Truman!
The Judge certainly is the most difficult character to get to grips with. He is obviously highly intellectual, a linguist (he seems to know half a dozen different languages) and eloquent, surely traits that separates man from the rest of the animal kingdom, but at the same time is most a vile, evil individual.
I do find McCarthy's style of writing a little unusual in that he does not use quotation marks to distinguish dialogue. Perhaps that is because of that crappy old typewriter he used for nearly all of his working life.
I have just finished reading 'Blood Meridian' in which he paints a very disturbing view of humanity, I should I say specifically men.
It begs the question of just how civilised we really are and easily any pretext on cilivilisation can be replaced with wanton violence.
Looking at the atrocities of the past it is hard to not share his views.
Can't edit my original post - but can this reply. Sorry.
i've been doing some research today on the quakers and so far i quite like what i see.. the main reason is the lack of dogma or creed and the freedom to have views of your own.
however, i am still researching and no way am i considering joining them - i just like what i see so far.. i wondered if anyone else - ex jw, has taken a look at this faith.
if so, what were your conclusions?.
I know very little about Quakers but like you found some of their ideas attractive.
They are know as pacifists and generally appear to be meek and mild people. Their meetings do sound strange, though I must admit much of what I know about them I got from reading 'Notes on an Exhibition' a few years back.
....then why do they not have the time of their services listed??.
so much for their boast about the preaching work in all lands.. .
I agree with kurtbethel. In may parts of the world the Watchtower's operational style doesn't work.
They have no charitable arm and therefore do nothing to attract the sort of people the claim to have an affinity for. In Africa numerous religious organisations are involved in the treatment of AIDs sufferers. These organisatiions often provide medicines and drugs. The Watchtower will offer them a magazine.
i made my way down to the kingdom hall this morning.
i have decided to stay in my own house.
just before armageddon, there were no more than 3 million publishers.. .
When religion thinks and acts like the Taliban the results are indeed frightening.
