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BASIC FOUNDATION BELIEFS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES


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I do hear occasionally on this forum, the expression of, (oh dear it's gone now), I'll say Basic beliefs, Foundation beliefs, of Jehovah's Witnesses. 

My point being, when were those basic foundations started ?  Yes we have Russell and Rutherford et al. So who decided what was what and when ? 

We have things like 'hell fire' eternal damnation' ' soul in continual punishment' etc. But who basically found the truth from God's word about 'The dead are conscious of nothing at all' ?

Then we have the 'resurrection of the dead',  those being split into heavenly and earthly. Who decided these things from scriptures ? And when ? 

It would probably take me 10 years, which I probably do not have left, to research all the things I wish to know. 

So here is a question. From 1960, what new serious Bible knowledge do we have from those whom regard themselves as the F&DS or top of the tree ?

What have they given to the congregation that is of extreme importance ?  BUT, more importantly what have they given that they haven't changed since giving it ? 

So we've lost the 7,000 year creative days. We've lost Armageddon in 1975, We've lost no blood / replaced with blood fractions. We've lost the Superior Authorities as God and Christ, and probably lots more. BUT what important beliefs have we gained since 1960 ? What IMPORTANT SCRIPTURAL input have those at the top made since 1960 ? 

 

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I think that if there were a lot of new things, many folks would just complain that it represents things we had wrong and had to change. The basic foundational beliefs have been around for quite a whi

I'm sure it's been pointed out under the many prior 1975 topics in this forum. The fact that the prediction was for the 1970's, not 1975 is easily seen from the articles called, for example, "Wha

Here's just a few off the top of my head, and I could include a dozen more: We got back to the higher powers (superior authorities) being secular in the very early 60's. Made smoking a DF offense

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4 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

What IMPORTANT SCRIPTURAL input have those at the top made since 1960 ? 

I think that things LOST are a better topic.  Get rid of all unneccessary baggage so the the truth that we already have becomes brighter and lighter. 

We LOST the habit of smoking for one...... something which is allowed and even promoted by other religions.  Islam allows NO alcohol but members smoke and use drugs.  Many in Sweden smuggle weapons and drugs.........and politics is an integral part of the religion. (I preach to Arab speaking populations and recently moved from Sweden to Rep. Of Georgia.)

The necessity for love is emphasised at meetings and to encourage one another as times become increasingly hard to deal with.  The emphasis of GB is now to assist us to get through the hard times and to maintain ENDURANCE during persecution.  I find this important because my friends and family in South Africa are all enduring a terrible time (dangerous) and do not know how to make a living as the infrastructure of the country is  quickly falling apart.

The need to NOT participate or take sides in politics (not even in your heart) has been emphasized........ In comparison, there is a cold civil war going on in most countries in the West with the " iron and clay"  becoming so extreme -  irreconcileable divided. Satan's propaganda (Rev 16: 14-16)  is leading people to Armageddon and racial and political animosity is growing everywhere! 

The need to NOT choose your own good and bad like Adam and Eve did but remain faithful to Jehovah's moral standards.  This in a world where they are forcing LGBTQ ...... and soon the P on us.  In Scandinavia we received fines for the clip showed at the convention about the pink bow .  Non-muslims go to jail for saying things on Facebook in Scandinavia and UK.

We already have the toolbox and the tools to get us through Armageddon. Now it is just a matter if keeping us clean and functional for Jehovah so we can maintain integrity..

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@Arauna  Quote " I think that things LOST are a better topic " 

But it isn't the topic. You would want it to be because as I've noticed you don't seem to have any things GAINED' 

The GB have lumped great weights onto the shoulders of the congregants and the GB nor Elders lift a finger to help. 

Just as the Pharisees did, adding negativity but nothing positive. 

What I'm showing is that the GB is not motivated by Holy Spirit, and is not moving the CCJW forward. It is stagnant, but wallowing in immorality. 

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3 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I've noticed you don't seem to have any things GAINED' 

It is because you are looking for dogma or new rules or something like that.  Not looking for the right stuff....... one can see and still be blind to something in front of you..

Truths are being refined to get us through Armageddon right now.........we are shedding the unnecessary stuff and weight and 'growing' in support and care of each other. As I said...... you are looking for the answers that can suit your agenda.

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It is possible to come up with a list of new things learned that are not merely a matter of losing unnecessary doctrine. Even when doctrines are removed, there is a positive reason for them. For example, when the couple-hundred doctrines that highlighted "class distinctions" by turning every parable and narrative in the Bible into a prophecy about various classes of people, we actually gained the ability to see Bible principles that applied to any and all of us.

But there is still a lot to be said for what Arauna is saying about merely removing the focus on less important things. The theme of Love at the last convention was very simple, but additional ideas for opportunities to show love were gained. Even if they hadn't been, that simple focus motivates each of us to look for new ways to show love for one another.

We SHOULD be in a position now to have plenty to think about, and yet allow our Christianity to help us "keep our eye simple."

*** w11 1/15 p. 25 par. 16 Empowered to Fight Temptation and Cope With Discouragement ***
16 Jehovah’s Word urges us to “make sure of the more important things.” (Phil. 1:10) Likening the Christian life course to a long-distance footrace, under inspiration the apostle Paul recommended: “Let us also put off every weight . . . , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1) His point was that we must avoid needless pursuits, needless weights, that will tire us out.

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25 minutes ago, Arauna said:

It is because you are looking for dogma or new rules or something like that.  Not looking for the right stuff....... one can see and still be blind to something in front of you..

Truths are being refined to get us through Armageddon right now.........we are shedding the unnecessary stuff and weight and 'growing' in support and care of each other. As I said...... you are looking for the answers that can suit your agenda.

No you are wrong. The dogma / rules don't need to be looked for, they are forced on JW's, and constantly mentioned on here. 

But i don't see any replies to my original questions yet. 

 BUT what important beliefs have we gained since 1960 ? What IMPORTANT SCRIPTURAL input have those at the top made since 1960 ? 

And I say the Org is stagnant. Hence it make up rubbish, such as the overlapping generations, as it goes bumbling along.  

Quote @Arauna  " you are looking for the answers that can suit your agenda."  Yes, as my Agenda is searching for TRUTH. 

 

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3 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

It is possible to come up with a list of new things learned that are not merely a matter of losing unnecessary doctrine. Even when doctrines are removed, there is a positive reason for them. For example, when the couple-hundred doctrines that highlighted "class distinctions" by turning every parable and narrative in the Bible into a prophecy about various classes of people, we actually gained the ability to see Bible principles that applied to any and all of us.

But there is still a lot to be said for what Arauna is saying about merely removing the focus on less important things. The theme of Love at the last convention was very simple, but additional ideas for opportunities to show love were gained. Even if they hadn't been, that simple focus motivates each of us to look for new ways to show love for one another.

We SHOULD be in a position now to have plenty to think about, and yet allow our Christianity to help us "keep our eye simple."

*** w11 1/15 p. 25 par. 16 Empowered to Fight Temptation and Cope With Discouragement ***
16 Jehovah’s Word urges us to “make sure of the more important things.” (Phil. 1:10) Likening the Christian life course to a long-distance footrace, under inspiration the apostle Paul recommended: “Let us also put off every weight . . . , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1) His point was that we must avoid needless pursuits, needless weights, that will tire us out.

They were saying much the same in the 1970's. But you still are not answering my questions. 

I know JW's  are living on a type of 'mana', just like the Israelites were in the wilderness, but the mana is being obscured by the GB adding pollutants 

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7 minutes ago, 4Jah2me said:

They were saying much the same in the 1970's. But you still are not answering my questions. 

I think that if there were a lot of new things, many folks would just complain that it represents things we had wrong and had to change. The basic foundational beliefs have been around for quite a while, and we wouldn't expect any big changes in any of these. But we've gained a simpler message even though most of the "deeper" ideas are not discarded.

I think that we can be a bit humbler now because we aren't so often trying to compare our level of scholarship with others. We are not into the scholarship that proves the Trinity wrong, or Christmas wrong, even though we understand that our position on these things is much better than Christendom's.

I think we are wrong on a couple of less important doctrines that should be revisited in a scholarly manner. But if the WTS decided to never revisit some of these things, and could help us completely replace our concern instead with showing love to our fellow believers, and then showing love to our neighbor, and helping us learn patience, humility, peace, joy, love, kindness, moral cleanness, I would not care at all about a couple of mistaken doctrines.

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2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

I think that if there were a lot of new things, many folks would just complain that it represents things we had wrong and had to change. The basic foundational beliefs have been around for quite a while, and we wouldn't expect any big changes in any of these. But we've gained a simpler message even though most of the "deeper" ideas are not discarded.

I think that we can be a bit humbler now because we aren't so often trying to compare our level of scholarship with others. We are not into the scholarship that proves the Trinity wrong, or Christmas wrong, even though we understand that our position on these things is much better than Christendom's.

I think we are wrong on a couple of less important doctrines that should be revisited in a scholarly manner. But if the WTS decided to never revisit some of these things, and could help us completely replace our concern instead with showing love to our fellow believers, and then showing love to our neighbor, and helping us learn patience, humility, peace, joy, love, kindness, moral cleanness, I would not care at all about a couple of mistaken doctrines.

@JW Insider  I think here in the UK we would call that flannel (maybe spelt wrong) but it means using lots of words to say nothing, just to cover over something else. 

As you are one person that always seems to be 'on the button' then I'm presuming NOTHING NEW has been established since 1960. 

I would say even some of the core teachings have gone too. 7,000 year creative days, was a core teaching in the 60's / 70's 

I still don't know the truth about the prediction of 1975 Armageddon, but i do know that JW's sold their houses, left jobs, went full time ministry,  for it.......... So it must have been a pretty serious teaching in it's time. 

God and Jesus Christ being the 'superior authorities' was a core teaching that affected all JWs in WW2.

So, core teachings thrown away, and replaced with nothing, but JWs  still think the GB are anointed and are the F&DS 

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5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

As you are one person that always seems to be 'on the button' then I'm presuming NOTHING NEW has been established since 1960. 

Here's just a few off the top of my head, and I could include a dozen more:

We got back to the higher powers (superior authorities) being secular in the very early 60's. Made smoking a DF offense, which has probably improved the health of thousands. We went back to an elder arrangement. We dropped the District Overseer. We reduced the quotas for various pioneer titles. We replaced the separate meeting for the "book study" to be replaced with personal/family study and more focus on field service. Allowed our consciences to accept blood fractions, which has probably improved health or even saved 1,000. We opened up the possibility of the first resurrection from 1918 to a wider range of dates between 1914 and 1935 with the possibility that it could be even as late as the great tribulation. We opened up our understanding of the first resurrection to include the possibility of a "rapture" (as long as we don't use the word). We now see the cleansing of the temple as no longer tied to the situation in the organization in 1918. We now read several prophetic concepts that were once tied to 1914, 1918 and 1919 as no longer fixed to those years, with one now reaching back to the end of the first century, and a couple others now tied to the time surrounding the great tribulation. We got a much more accurate Watchtower history book which helps researchers understand the context of several of the major accomplishments along with several of the mistakes in our history. We now tell parents and guardians that they are free to inform authorities about child sexual abuse without concern for anyone's reputation. We now include elders informing authorities as part of the process wherever it is the law to do so.

5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I would say even some of the core teachings have gone too. 7,000 year creative days, was a core teaching in the 60's / 70's 

It was a core concept with Frederick Franz. Everyone else knew that our chronology doctrines were always the most susceptible to change. Changing, moveable doctrines can hardly be core.

5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I still don't know the truth about the prediction of 1975 Armageddon, but i do know that JW's sold their houses, left jobs, went full time ministry,  for it.......... So it must have been a pretty serious teaching in it's time.

It was serious. But many are too embarrassed to admit it was serious, and are happy to repress their own reactions, or the fact that it came from the WTS, not rank-and-file members of the congregation who were pushing ahead. But you should know that there never was a "prediction of 1975 Armageddon." The prediction was for the 1970's based on 1975 being the end of the 7,000 years since Adam. When that failed, the prediction was for the period up to the year 2000. There never was a specific 1975 prediction.

5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

So, core teachings thrown away, and replaced with nothing, but JWs  still think the GB are anointed and are the F&DS 

I see nothing wrong with thinking of the GB as anointed. Saul was anointed. David was anointed. Judas was anointed. Peter was anointed. Thomas was anointed. I'm sure they diligently try to live up to the reputation of a faithful and discreet slave. I think Jesus meant for the phrase to apply to all of us, including them. Most JWs probably know that we all need to be faithful and discreet slaves, but that this is a way of seeing their particular ministry as special.

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