.......... trust your mind ! " Yes, they actually said this in a WT study article entitled, " Do Not Look at the Things Behind " . I swear the WT society writers and leaders are getting even MORE controlling and manipulative ! AS most of us here know most mind control cults try to diss or make members forget or put down any past they had before joining the cult. They tell members that NOTHING they did was valuable before becoming a Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, or Scientologist. The WT society is no different in this article in influencing JW's to think that way as well - as you will see. I'll share the most mind altering statements here.
On pg. 25 in this article paragraph 3 & 4 talks about how " selfish " Jesus considered one man to be who wanted to be his disciple but first return to his home to say goodbye to relatives. The article said, " that he ( Jesus ) knew that the man's request was merely an excuse to evade resonsibility. " Maybe the man just wanted to say goodbye to his family ? The article continued, " Either way he ( the man ) is distracted from what he should be doing, and his work may be affected negatively . Rather than turning our attention on the past , we must keep our eyes focused clearly on what is ahead. "
Then comes a doozy in paragraph 6. It states, " One distinct danger is a DISTORTED VIEW of the good old days. Our memory is NOT ALWAYS RELIABLE. We may unwittingly minimize the problems we had in the past and at the same time EXAGGERATE THE JOYS , making it SEEM that things were a lot better than they really were. This DISTORTED recollection can cause us to long for the good old days. " Translation : If you had happy, good times before becoming a JW don't dwell on it , you were really out of your mind and distorting everything you thought as a " worldly " unbeliever. In my opinion the only thing DISTORTED here are the WT clowns who write this information.
In paragraph 10 WT society attacks your pre-Witness days again ! They state, " When faced with difficulties and problems, let us not fixate on what MAY APPEAR to have been POSITIVE things in the past - perhaps even before we came to a knowledge of the truth. Although it is not wrong to meditate on the lessons we have learned from past experiences or SAVOR CHERISHED MEMORIES , we need to maintain a balanced, realistic view of the past. Otherwise, we could accentuate our dissatisfaction with our present circumstances and be tempted to return to our former life. " Translation : ANY experiences you may have had , even positive ones before becoming a JW - don't get too sentimental or attached to them because they WERE NOT REAL ! They were distorted , unrealistic and not balanced ! Even the positive ones ! We CANNOT learn anything from your pre-Witness days - you had NOTHING of value before you became a Jehovah's Witness ! In my opinion the only thing NOT of value is this distorted crappy WT society counsel telling JW's they were all idiots before becoming Witnesses ! Good lord.
Then comes the clincher in paragraph 11. The WT society personally attacks JW's view of earning a living, yet if you know of JW celebrities who donate millions to the WT society and are STILL approved associates - you'll see the hypocrisy in these statements. It states, " Sad to say, some look back on sacrifices they made in the past and view them as missed opportunities. Perhaps you had opportunities for higher education , for prominence, or for financial security, but you decided not to pursue them. Many of our brothers and sisters have LEFT BEHIND lucrative positions in the fields of business, entertainment, education, or sports. ( NO THEY HAVEN"T ! Think Prince, Serena & Venus Williams, Jackson family, etc. ) Now time has passed , and the end has not yet arrived. Do you fantasize about what could have happened had you not made those sacrifices ? ( Hell yes I fantasize about it ! I could be wealthy by now like the people I just mentioned who ARE JW's ! ) Translation : If you are a rank & file JW who doesn't donate a lot of $$$$ to the Kingdom interests you nEED to leave behind any fantasy's you had or aspirations of being wealthy or successful ! If you ARE already wealthy and successful and contributing your wealth to the WT society, it's O.K. though . Jehovah understands you are using your " worldly treasures " to promote Kingdom interests ( i.e. WT society interests ) .
Then they quote the apostle Paul claiming that worldly treasures he considered to be " refuse " or garbage. Then the WT states, " Just as a person who throws away garbage, or trash , ( in case you didn't know what garbage IS ) does not later bemoan his loss, Paul did not regret ANY of the secular opportunities that he had left behind. " I'm speechless. Translation : Any career that would have made you wealthy or comfortable financially is garbage, worthless. Throw it away and be happy you did- don't regret it.
O.K. So that's it. I hope you enjoyed this little WT study telling JW's they are insane for remembering positive pasts, should look at ANY wealth they have as garbage, and that their memnories are distorted and cannot be trusted. The control and deceptive manipulation of JW's in this article is astounding. As always I look forward to your takes, observations and comments on this what I consider to be " mentally abusive garbage ". Take care, have a great weekend ! Peace out to all, Mr. Flipper