Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-13-04 WT Study (5-1-04 WT) (Abbreviated) Review comments will be in black and parentheses ()
WT quotes
will be in red and quotes ""Quotes from other sources
will be in blueYOUTHS, ARE YOU BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE?
"I myself well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you? (is the utterance of Jehovah) thoughts of peace, and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope."?Jeremiah 29:11
I will bless you with a future filled with hope--a future of success, not of suffering.?Jeremiah 29:11 (Contemporary English Version)
www.biblegateway.com /cgi-bin/bible
Opening Comments
People are slipping away from the JW congregations. How can we tell? First, last week?s article on discouragement, not tiring out, being corrupted by bad associations, "polluted thinking," withdrawing from "Jehovah?s service," losing "spiritual balance," losing heart. Then this week?s article targets the lemminglike flood of "youths" leaving the organization. Even baptizing them younger and younger no longer guarantees keeping them in even with the underlying threat of being disfellowshipped and cut off from one?s family if they choose to drift away later. I was glancing through the July 1 WT and there are 2 guilt-inducing articles on preaching commenting on an alarming trend of JWs drifting away.
Ask yourself, outside the WTS, do you often hear the words "young ones" or "youths"?
START OF ARTICLE
Paragraphs 1 and 2
Most adults think of youth as a wonderful time of life?far fewer responsibilities?had a lot of fun and a whole lifetime of opportunities lay ahead of them.
Those of you who are young likely see things differently.
Huh!!!
You may have problems handling the emotional and physical changes of youth?strong peer pressure?have to put up a determined effort to resist drug abuse, alcohol and immorality?neutrality issue?yes, youth can be a difficult time.
Enjoy Your Youth
Paragraphs 3-6
In just a few years, your youth will be behind you. So enjoy it while you have it!
So when does the WTS think youth ends, 16, 18, 21, 25?
Think of a young person who receives a large gift?much like the prodigal son of Jesus? parable?spent all his money on having a good time in his youth.
You can waste all that energy and enthusiasm on self-indulgence, just going from one good time to another with no thought to the future?will indeed prove to be "vanity."
The key to success?listen to Jehovah (the WTS) and do his will (as interpreted in the WT).
"Draw Close to God"
Paragraphs 7-11
We draw close to Jehovah (not Jesus) in a number of ways?cultivate the habit of praying. Do not be satisfied with merely saying amen after your father or a fellow Christian (why not brother since no woman will be saying a prayer, ever?) in the congregation has represented you in prayer.No doubt you regularly attend Christian meetings and listen to the program parts.No doubt, indeed!
Also, you "honor your father and your mother" (an interesting snippet segue) by being present at the family Bible study (assuming your mother or father conduct one?one of the biggest failings in many congregations)."Buy out the time" (another interesting snippet segue) to prepare for the meetings, to read the Bible regularly, to do research?Do you try to apply what you read?The average teenager is not reading the Bible at all, not preparing (except for random underlining), let alone doing research (except on those rare occasions when they have a talk on the school and mom and/or dad does the research for them.)
Is it unreasonable to expect a young person to act wisely in this way (that is consult the scriptures before making a decision)? No, for many young Christians (only JWs are meant here) do so. As a result others respect them (other young Christians?).Make Good ChoicesParagraphs 12-17
Youth is a time for making choices, some of which have lasting consequences?choices..affect you for many years to come?wise choices?unwise choices can blemish a whole lifetime.Whom do you choose to associate with? (Proverbs 13:20)Eventually we get to be like those with whom we associate?either wise or stupid.Can you guess what associating with those at the KH who are taught to follow what the WT teaches rather than Bible will make you---wise or stupid?
When you watch a television program, listen to music, read a novel, go to a movie, or use certain resources on the Internet, you have having association.If that association panders to violent and immoral inclinations or encourages drug abuse, drunkenness, or anything else contrary to Bible principles, you are keeping company with "the senseless one."Is football a violent sport? Has the WTS condemned it?Pictures (page 15)
- 2 boys paying soccer in soccer gear (Hispanic and black)
- Asian boy playing video game rapt look on his face
- Asian girl playing piano
I have seen this reasoning put forth by many "adults" at the KH.
Here is a second choice you face?finish school?pressured to grasp the best available (employment)?best of motives, your teachers or your parents might urge you to pursue a career offering financial security, perhaps even wealth.However, training for that career might severely limit the time you can spend serving Jehovah (the WTS).I have seen JWs get around this by not defining their goal as a "career" but a "job." I live in a university town and have seen several JWs send their children to college and excused it with their auxiliary pioneering during the 4 to 5 years which they can do because the parents fund it all, the child never has to get a job.
What is the difference between working 40 hours a week and going to school 40 hours a week?
Secular employment should never become so important that it overshadows our service to Jehovah (WTS). If you can qualify for reasonable employment with a high school education, fine. If you need additional training after high school?discuss with your parents.I can never understand why you would have to discuss it with your parents if you are paying for it???
Do not make the mistake that Baruch (OT example), Jeremiah?s scribe, made. He lost appreciation for his privilege of service and went ?seeking great things for himself??helped him to survive the destruction of Jerusalem.There is a lack of young men getting baptized or staying in the KHs, going to Bethel, reaching out to be MS or elders. No one wants these "privileges of service."
Appreciate Spiritual ThingsParagraphs 18-21
Have you seen pictures in the media of children in famine-stricken countries??Does your heart go out in a similar way to people in your neighborhood??also starving.Most of those suffering from this spiritual starvation are not "conscious of their spiritual need." Many do not feel spiritually hungry. Some might even feel that they are well fed.Of course, the WTS feels they are the only true religion and that these people have not fed at the "real" spiritual food in the WTS. (ha)
They are feeding on the worthless "wisdom of the world," which includes materialism, scientific speculation (not like the prophetic speculation of the WTS 1874, 1878, 1881, 1914, 1925, 1975), opinions about morality (not like the WTS waffling on whether bestiality is grounds for a divorce), and other such things. Some feel that modern "wisdom" makes Bible teachings out-of-date (not like the WTS which replaces their doctrine for what the Bible says).When you look at those pictures of hungry children, do you ever want to be like then? Of course not!This is the second time the WTS brings up this picture and not once suggests the need to provide real food to these people before they can be strong enough physically to study the Bible.
Yes, some youths in Christian (JW only meant here) families have shown a desire to be like the spiritually starving people around them?think that youths in the world are carefree, enjoying life?.forget that those youths are alienated from Jehovah (not Jesus?).They forget, too, the bad effects of spiritual starvation?unwanted teen pregnancies and the physical and emotional effects of immorality, smoking, drunkenness, and drug abuse. Spiritual starvation allows for a rebellious spirit, an underlying hopelessness, and a lack of direction in life.It is hard to believe that there no worthwhile youngsters in the world outside the congregation!!!! I know of too many organizations of young volunteers that willing help their neighbors to believe this unsubstantiated picture by the WTS. Far the majority of young people today are admirable.
When you are at school among ones who are not fellow worshipers of Jehovah (Christians???), do not be overwhelmed by their attitudes.Instead, come to the KH and learn how it is right to lie to each other under certain circumstances, how gossip and backstabbing is not punished, but a smoker is an evil person.
Some will speak disdainfully about spiritual things (are they talking about school or the KH?). In addition, the media will deliver subtle propaganda, imply that it is normal to commit immorality, to get drunk, or to use foul language.Of course, there is the subtle propaganda that there are no child molesters or rapists in JW congregations; worse yet, their identities will be protected by the elders but you, young person, will be tossed out on your ear for smoking.
Continue to associate regularly with people who are "holding faith and a good conscience," (implying they can only be found at the KH and that everyone at the KH is holding faith). Keep busy at the Kingdom Hall and in the field service. During your school years, share in the auxiliary pioneer service from time to time.Picture p. 17
Young white man in white shirt/dress slacks sharing scripture with young white man slouched on bar with backwards cap, shorts, sneakers, holding a skateboard while 2 girls look on.
Caption: Wise young Christian keep their spiritual vision clearConcluding CommentsNothing new under the sun of the WT publications, eh? It does point out that they are trying to close the barn door after the horses have left.
I remember my teen years as a JW. Amazing how nothing changes. I remember the double lives of my contemporaries and how many have grown up and had families and are having the same problems with their teenagers.
As long as the WTS is more concerned with appearance than substance, young people will continue to leave in droves.
Blondie(Everyone have a good weekend. I doubt if I will be able to monitor this until Monday. I know everyone will have good comments.)