Canaries in the Coal Mines of Human Rights!

[Stranger]

I came across this watching television, it was a surprise to me. I have not seen it on the net at least not advertised


.www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQErBs_trVo



Stranger

[Marina]

Hi Stranger

Haven't watch it all but -

Go to 2:40, he identifies some people as Jehovah's Witnesses but were they? When did the Bible Students get named Jehovah's Witnesses and for what reasons did they take that name? Was it really ok for them to take that name?

In the speaker's story he says the group were studying a publication - what was that publication? Was it the unfinished work of C T Russell, which ended up completed by someone else? A work we have never read nor would be encouraged to read? So who was that group of people reading stuff so dodgy the WBTS today would not publish it.

Finally that year 1918 - had they, even by their own narrative, been appointed? Incidentally did you notice that part of their severe persecution involved C T Russell's death. But that just happened. He just died.

Oh and they were saying the harvest had ended. Well the harvest is the conclusion of the system of things or as the King James puts it, the end of the world. (Matthew 13:39)

*** re chap. 21 pp. 130-131 pars. 4-5 Jehovah’s Plagues on Christendom ***

During 1918 and 1919, events on earth harmonized remarkably with the scenario described at Revelation 8:1-4. For 40 years before 1914, the Bible Students—as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called—had been announcing boldly that the times of the Gentiles would end in that year. The distressful events of 1914 proved them correct. (Luke 21:24, King James Version; Matthew 24:3, 7, 8) But many of them also believed that in 1914 they would be taken from this earth to their heavenly inheritance. That did not happen. Instead, during the first world war, they endured a time of severe persecution. On October 31, 1916, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, Charles T. Russell, died. Then, on July 4, 1918, the new president, Joseph F. Rutherford, and seven other representatives of the Society were transported to the Atlanta, Georgia, penitentiary, wrongly sentenced to long years in prison.

5 The sincere Christians of the John class were perplexed. What did God want them to do next? When would they be taken up to heaven? An article entitled “The Harvest Ended—What Shall Follow?” appeared in the May 1, 1919, issue of The Watch Tower. It reflected this state of uncertainty and encouraged the faithful to continued endurance, adding: “We believe it is now a true saying that the harvest of the kingdom class is an accomplished fact, that all such are duly sealed and that the door is closed.” During this difficult period, the fervent prayers of the John class were ascending, as though in the smoke of a large quantity of incense. And their prayers were being heard!

*** yb75 p. 88 Part 1—United States of America ***

Jehovah and his “messenger of the covenant,” Jesus Christ, came to inspect the spiritual temple in 1918 C.E. Judgment then began with the “house of God” and a period of refining and cleansing commenced. (Mal. 3:1-3; 1 Pet. 4:17) Something else also occurred. Men manifesting the marks of an “evil slave” came forward and figuratively began ‘beating’ their fellow slaves. Jesus Christ had foretold how such ones would be dealt with. At the same time he showed that a “faithful and discreet slave” class would be in evidence, dispensing spiritual food.—Matt. 24:45-51.

[apollos0fAlexandria]

Hi Stranger

It's funny that in watching any material that seems to show an advantage conferred on society by JWs my old cognitive bias starts to kick in. I note the little voice in the back of my head that starts to think "is there something special here that I should be a part of?" If I didn't have the ability to pan out to the "big picture" with a supplementary range of knowledge, I would possibly find the gravitational effects hard to resist. It helps me appreciate the "sword of the spirit" which is the real measure of spiritual truth.

Any minority can share something in the discussion of human rights. JWs have specific legal narratives that gel with the first amendment, and therefore garner specific attention - especially among JWs themselves of course.

This is in no way to take away from the points made in the video. "Human rights" is an important subject and we should celebrate the advances that have been made. At the same time it's a train that many have boarded with agendas contrary to mainstream Christianity.

Back to this specific video - here we see an eloquent JW giving a fairly interesting speech on a widely relevant subject. If this guy had been the representative at the ARC what might have been?

I know that's not why you posted the video, but I just thought I'd chip in with some musings anyway.

Apollos

[Stranger]

Apollos wrote,

It's funny that in watching any material that seems to show an advantage conferred on society by JWs my old cognitive bias starts to kick in.

Hi Apollos,

I know exactly what your talking about, even though I was never really in, only by family ties. But I have heard it enough times to know the jist of it.
('You need to be at the KH, You need to get right with Jehovah; You're to worldly", and so on and so forth!)
I always had this song here for them to listen if things got to intense.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHolBAG0Cec


Stranger

[Stranger]

Apollos wrote,

If I didn't have the ability to pan out to the "big picture" with a supplementary range of knowledge, I would possibly find the gravitational effects hard to resist. It helps me appreciate the "sword of the spirit" which is the real measure of spiritual truth.

That's an ability that must be acquired. The only reason I came across that broadcast was because I was doing some "sword fighting" last night and couldn't sleep. Then Lo and Behold I got slapped in the face.

BTW, It was on C-SPAN 3 (American History T.V.) A public affairs channel. That's kinda interesting in itself.



Stranger

[Stranger]

Hi Marina,

I hope you are doing well!

Those are some very interesting questions Marina. We may have to bring Sherlock in to see if he can crack the case or at least get us some clues.

When it comes to these guys, especially the very sharp and very well dressed ones, we are gonna need all the "brain power" we can muster!


Stranger, (Mt 16:15 KJV)

[Marina]

Hi Stranger well if they were reading the Finished Mystery its says:-

The Finished Mystery p739-740

Pastor Russell, as Ezekiel's antitype, was commissioned to say to the Hebrews, scattered throughout the world in captivity in Mystic Babylon, Christendom, that the whole Word of God pointed to two great blessings:

(1) the revival of their Zionist hope and its realization in the regathering of many Hebrews to Jerusalem, and the founding there of the world-wide Hebrew dominion over the whole world, into which should be gathered, out of Mystic Babylon, all the Hebrews in the world, wherever they might remain; and

(2) the regathering of the Hebrews of all ages from the captivity of death—the tomb—to live on earth again in the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God, under the invisible spiritual dominion of Christ, Head and Body, and under the visible earthly rulership of the resurrected Ancient Worthies.

Beginning in October, 1910, Pastor Russell called the attention of Hebrews by thousands, throughout the world, to the fact that the whole Old Testament foretold this as the legitimate aspiration of the Hebrews. For the Christian people of the world Pastor Russell has a similar message

1) For believing Christians having the Holy Spirit, he revived their hopes and pointed out clearly their gathering out from captivity in Mystic Babylon and in death, unto the glorious spirit phase of the Kingdom of God.

(2) For the mass of professing Christians, who through some measure of unbelief or of unfaitfulness are not begotten of the Spirit to a change of nature from human to spiritual, He has a Divine message, which in due time will bring strong hope and comfort. As the Time of Trouble progresses, professing Christians by the millions, losing faith, as did the Apostles when, on the arrest of Christ they all forsook Him and fled, will forsake Christianity and all profession of being Christians. They will lose all the hopes they had as Christians.Then Pastor Russell's message will preach to Christendom the necessity of receiving the Holy Spirit in its entirety, in order to realize their hopes; will turn the people to the whole Truth of the Word of God (the four Winds, all the Truth), all the witness of the Spirit for them, that “salvation cometh of the Jew”(John4:22), and that they must connect themselves with the Ancient Worthies, resurrected and reigning at Jerusalem; for without these Worthies their hopes must remain inactive—through them alone hope can be vitalized. Then Christendom will pray to God,“We submit ourselves wholly to Thee in heartfelt consecration. Come, O Spirit, all the Spirit, in the appointed way, and breathe life into our hopes, that they may live at last!”

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46016/46 ... 56eb41c758

Old light eh? Not even one mention of a bunker.

Another point to consider - did any of those reading this literature have a beard?

[Daniel12]

apollos0fAlexandria

If I didn't have the ability to pan out to the "big picture" with a supplementary range of knowledge, I would possibly find the gravitational effects hard to resist.

Aaah---“Supplementary Knowledge”
(additional, extra, supplemental, increased.)

This lack of “Supplementary Knowledge” is sadly what Jehovah’s Witnesses reject.

Proverbs 1:5 the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--

The sad set of circumstances that JWs find themselves is that they are unaware of the biological fact that human learning is a social process.

We have learned in just the past few years that thinking and understanding IS a social process. It emerges from our interactions with other people.

The reason we depend on each other to learn and tackle problems that determine our survival, is because as individuals, none of us know enough to justify anything we believe. As human beings we are not made to store enough information. It has already been proven that humans on average can store about one Gigabyte of “Detailed” knowledge base in a 70 year life span. To appreciate what this means, think about this, you can buy a thumb drive with 15 Gigabytes for about $8 on sale at Walmart.

The Watchtower organization has led their entire membership to believe that decisions and problems must be solve in isolation, far from the ideas of the rest of the world which they believe is in the hands of Satan.

That means that Every problem, every unexpected tragic event that crops up for the membership, is to be solved by a few men in New York who lack critical education that will affect their decisions, and who only have less than 8 Gigabytes “combined” of detailed base knowledge.

The situation with all 8 million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide is a phenomenon called Contagious Understanding. And when “Contagious Understanding” is paired off with individual ignorance, it breeds a toxic environment that leads many of the members into an early, untimely death.

Think of the thousands of children, mothers and fathers that have died since the birth of the Watchtower as a result of stupid ideas coming from a Governing Body whose base knowledge is less than 8 Gigabytes. Foolish ideas like the (no Blood policy, neutrality, unnecessary imprisonment, and encouraging an entire live sacrificed for a man made corporation.

The truth is that if Jehovah’s witnesses hadn’t stood up for those particular civil rights, someone else would have eventually. The early 1900s was already teaming with other people-(Non-JWs) that were starting to fight for a better world with better human rights.

August 18, 1920
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. The 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote.

[Stranger]

Marina wrote,

Old light eh? Not even one mention of a bunker.

Another point to consider - did any of those reading this literature have a beard?

They may call it old light but I call it "constant light", I've said many times I would love to have turned some pages with Brother Taze before someone (excuse the expression), slit his throat.

Russell would not have been the Image he was without the beard. IMO

I don"t have a copy of TFM, but I like the way you point things out, things I've haven't gotten to, or alerted of like in this case, Thank You!

I may be looking for a tutor in this area, you know anyone who could fill the position?



Stranger,(Ps 106:7)

[Bruno]

Hi Stranger,

I see your computer knowledge is progressing in leaps and bounds

What the JWs achieved in fighting for freedom of speech and beliefs is commendable. What is hypocritical is that they don't respect these same principles when is comes to their own member's rights to free speech and beliefs. They come down very hard an anyone who expresses an opinion contrary to their own, or even asks too many questions about controversial subjects. They seek mercy for themselves but then show none to their own people, Matthew 18:23-35

https://discussthetruth.com/viewtopic.p ... 999#p36263