Could the latest "anti-porn" campaign by the Society have a 2nd purpose?

by sir82 35 Replies latest members adult

• 

  sir82

  The recent thread by doinmypart about the elder in his congregation who confessed to porn-viewing got me to thinking....

  What if this recent campaign by the Society has a more diabolical purpose?

  The July 15 Watchtower has a big (3 page) Questions From Readers on porn, emphasizing how those in "appointed positions" would be "no longer qualified" if caught viewing porn.

  So, given that JWs are well trained to think the worst of anyone if they lose a "privilege of service", what will the average R&F JW think when he hears future announcements that "Brother Smarmy has been deleted as an elder"?

  A large number of them will think, "Ah, it looks like ol' Brother Smarmy was caught viewing some child porn".

  So, any elder who for any conscientious reason steps down from being an elder will have a"cloud of suspicion" over him. If an elder steps down for some "approved" reason, like caring for an ill relative, the rest of the BOE will be sure to spread that around, so everyone understands.

  But supose he can no longer stomach the demands made on elders. His conscience no longer allows him to support the Society's mandates, but he's not yet ready to DA himself. Wants to fade, but just can't be an elder any more.

  He informs the BOE, and steps down. The BOE will certainly not say "Brother Good-Conscience has a problem with the Slave's teachings". If anyone asks, they'll just say "There's some things that must remain confidential."

  So, in the minds of all the R&F, they're putting 2 and 2 together, thinking, "Hmmm...recent article on hard-core child porn...X weeks or months later, Brother Joe is no longer an elder...yep, that's it."

  We've discussed on this board that that there appears to be something big coming up soon, with all the WT study articles on "loyalty ot the FDS no matter what"...is the "big new light" something so heinous that the Society fears many elders stepping down, and are trying to circumvent that as much as possible, by making them fear being viewed as child-porn-addicts?

  It may sound far-fetched, but as one poster put it, the Society has "cunning to burn".
• 

  Balsam

  I have to agree, it is an effort to cover over all the Elders and MS who are leaving because of reading so called apostate sites. A great cover up wouldn't you say.
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  slimboyfat

  Sounds like an apostate yarn to me. Why should it surprise anyone the Witnesses are down on porn? I can see the headlines:

  "Puritanical Sect Turn Against Smut Shock" - whatever next?

  The governing body can't sneeze without some apostate figuring out that it is some dastardly attempt at germ warfare.

  Slim
• 

  heathen

  We just have to wait and see , I certainly don't want to make blind accusations when there is so much obvious stuff to pull apart by the seams and realize most of the dogma is based on the almighty straw man opinion . I think there are some changes coming tho and I bet alot of elders are thinking they don't want to be caught in the middle . They are already trying to change the generation dogma to some sort of insane crap , it sounds more like an invisible generation than a literal one. IMO they do need to make some big earth shaking changes on alot of the dogma where they are just cut and pasting scripture to try and make it look like they had it right all along , when after scrutiny just looks ridiculous.
• 

  serendipity

  Are these rules on porn the long awaited new light? Are R-rated movies considered soft porn? Is this the set up to remove servants who watch R-rated movies?

  What an opportunity for an elder who wants to step down to fade. He can confess to a porn habit, ask to be removed and then be free. Yes, there will be gossip, but better a porn perv than an apostate, right?
• 

  metatron

  I wouldn't read too much into this. Trust me, they're really not that bright! I haven't heard anything specific about lap dances

  and divorce - which suggests they really are dumb about what goes on in the big bad world.

  metatron
• 

  sir82

  they're really not that bright!

  True enough....I forgot who I was writing about for a moment!
• 

  itsallgoodnow

  It's practically the same as they have always done, by saying most if not all disfellowshippings are due to immorality. I'm sure there is probably some truth to that, but what they are leaving out is the percentage who leave because they no longer believe. If they ever said anything about it, wouldn't that make the sheep wonder a little bit? Of course they have to keep those thoughts from ever entering the minds of their believers.

  I just don't see how making them promise to never surf the apostate sites will work with that idea, I think it is completely desperate.
• 

  Narkissos

  sir,

  I wouldn't buy into your conspiracy theory as you present it but I'd offer a slightly modified version fwiw. What if the real motive was to demonise the Internet altogether as the common medium of both porn and "apostasy"? The general (although often hypocritical) reprobation of the former being the ideal cover for their unavowable fear of the latter... hmm?
• 

  FairMind

  What if the real motive was to demonise the Internet altogether as the common medium of both porn and "apostasy"

  Even if that isn't the real motive it will contribute to their demonization of the internet.