by Tempest in a Teacup 21 Replies latest jw friends
That is true of Christianity in general. "God so loved the world", but salvation comes from accepting Christ. Yet half the world know nothing of Christ.
But I digress. Your comment is very valid. There are around 200,000 JWs in Asian countries such as Philippines and Japan, over 300,000 in Nigeria and almost 800,000 in Brazil. Why are those countries not represented on the GB?
Village Idiot - "Why should we suggest anything to the Watchtower/Governing Body that will improve them?"
At this point, suggesting anything (especially positive reforms) virtually guarantees a knee-jerk response to do the opposite.
there is no way an American based religious organization can be of use to another nations peoples.
Lol! Not unless you consider the advantages of having a 'politically neutral' group of people smack dab in the middle of political unrest.
A 'politically neutral' position can be the most politically charged position in some countries. And...a politically neutral religion has mobility in areas that are not accessible to other groups.
For that matter, the GB are out of touch with the day-to-day realities of us living in the Western world, too.
And I think the JW TV broadcast bragging about their unity is complete self-deception. The GB publish ideas concocted in bethel and then enforce them worldwide as a "one size fits all" solution.
For example, they've told the dubs that if their jobs don't give them time off for the conventions or the CO visit, or if the work schedule is changed to conflict with meetings, the JW should quit! Then they cite stories of JWs whose bosses begged them to stay or they quit and found better jobs. I've known enough JWs that are barely holding onto jobs and just live from paycheck to paycheck. Telling them to quit is terrible advice. Even in the case where the boss gives in and lets them take the time off, here's what happens behind the scene: The boss sees the JW as unreliable and starts shopping around for a replacement. As soon as a reliable replacement is found, the employer can change the work schedule so that the JW again threatens to quit. This time, the boss is prepared to let the JW go and can deny their request for unemployment benefits because they chose to quit.
Billy the Ex-Bethelite - "...bragging about their unity is complete self-deception."
As I've said before, self-deception is a surprisingly easy habit to fall into when you surround yourself solely with people who are never allowed to disagree with you.
The GB publish ideas concocted in bethel and then enforce them worldwide as a "one size fits all" solution.
Billy, when have they given any good advice? In the 70's, it was a sin to engage in oral sex with your wife. How many couples were DF or broken up over this 'wisdom from above'? The blood issue caused hemophiliacs to reject many clotting factors, that now are allowed under the 'divine inspired' blood percentages. How many died as a result? The latest videos to elders show how to deal with suicidal members...remind them of Job and how hard he had it and give them home work as well. Not one word of seeking professional help! I wonder how many will be adversely affected by this 'inspired' advice.
You are right. One size does not fit all and never will. When will the GB stop over reaching Gods word? Better yet, when will 'the sheep' wake up and start to think for themselves?
@jwfacts:
There are around 200,000 JWs in Asian countries such as Philippines and Japan, over 300,000 in Nigeria and almost 800,000 in Brazil. Why are those countries not represented on the GB?
What you are describing is representation by population. A democracy. This is not a democratic organization. It is a dictatorship.
Billy, when have they given any good advice?
Although they say things like "love your children", there are way too many strings attached. How can it be called "good advice" when they say disfellowshipping is loving?
There was a 2002 Asleep! article about tomatoes. It included a recipe for gazpacho. I think that's about the closest thing to "good advice" I can think of.
Edit to add: I just checked the recipe in Asleep! and they don't instruct to remove the seeds from the tomatoes when making gazpacho. So, I guess WT has never given any good advice.
The WT leadership is not the only self involved group of people. Many people (even here) are blind to the realities of other cultures and have an arrogance and superiority complex that is off-putting to those who have a broader world view. When people are in literal survival mode, it is hard for them to relate to our frustrations with the lines that we stand in to get our licenses updated or how long slow our internet is. I know what an "ugly American" is and have had my moments of being one. Its hard, when we are spoiled by the relative ease of our lives for us to realize how fortunate we are-we take a lot for granted. Many have died to have the right to the difficulties and challenges that send some of us into depression and despair.
Of couse, the GB is supposed to be better than that, right? But they aren't. American WT standards are held for most people across the globe (though I have seen some give in some areas). But seeing native African brothers in suits and ties while IN remote parts of Africa is just incongruous. Even in cosmopolitan Cairo, few men dress in that western fashion (ties, particularly). They are tone deaf.
