***What is involved in bringing up children in the "mental-regulating of Jehovah,"***
The term "mental-regulating" is disturbing. Regulating is something one does to a machine, not a child. But maybe that is the intent of the article -- to turn out uniform, "regulated" little Jehovah machines.
(BTW, Blondie, I took your advice. I'm not going to let a few hotheads run me off this board. Thank you so much.)
Comments You Will Not Hear at the 8-13-06 WT Study (YOUTHS CHOICE)
by blondie 26 Replies latest watchtower bible
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parakeet
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SirNose586
I get the feeling that they included the paragraph comparing themselves to atheist parents, or Catholic parents, due to the lawsuits. That's pretty shady, though.
Overriding message of the whole thing: quit fooling around and get baptized, you sinning little heathens!! You don't wanna end up just like the poor saps in the armageddon pictures, do you??
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calico
I'm glad my son won't be at the meeting tomorrow
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blondie
Hi hartstrings. Yes, 13 is too young. It makes me wonder if there weren’t laws against it in the US and other countries, if JW parents would be forcing their children to get married at 13 to protect them from fornication? I’m glad your children have a reprieve. But remember, the elders and other adults do use hard and soft pressure on children of JWs to "think about" baptism and more so as they approach 18.
Hi xjwms, have to increase the numbers some how. If they get them baptized when they are too young, they can hold the fear of Dfing over their head.
Very nice, mrsjones.
and a comedian
Most KHs have a comedian every Sunday…he’s called the public speaker.
Hello, pistoff.
First, a blast at the Catholics and other so-called christian religions. Hmm. Thought we were over hating the Catholics, I guess not.
Based on the comments I got from Catholics who would read the magazines, they saw the bashing loud and clear. Even the Protestants didn’t like being called "so-called" Christian religions.
Good point, pete
I doubt there are many Atheist parents spending 6-10 hours a week telling their kids there is no god, or threatening to shun them if they decide to believe in one.
In fact, the atheists I know don’t push atheism on their children but let them make up their own mind. One had a daughter that was confirmed into the Lutheran religion at 24 and married in the church about 2 years later. The parents happily went to the wedding and enjoyed the social aspects.
Hey, TheListener.
I want so badly for them to see that it is all CRAP.
The best thing to do is model a good but alternative life and to asking thought provoking questions, get them to explain what they believe from the Bible. My eyes were opened to several points by just straight Bible reading. I would have questions, would research and see that the WTS did not use the Bible.
Hi, Ingenuous.
I wonder if part of this is in response to those who've tried to nullify their baptisms based on their having been baptized before they turned 18.
Actually, these points have been brought out before. Things go in cycles in the articles. Another posted on JWD said that a visiting Bethel speaker said that the 19 year olds showing up at Bethel do not have any Bible knowledge base. I think they just see children of JWs just no longer attending after they hit 18. I had 7 first cousins who did that years ago…as soon as they were no longer minors living at home, they were gone. It is pretty much the same now.
Hello, freedomlover,
I can't believe they actually lump witnesses in with atheists and roman catholics! basically they gave me permission to tell my meddling jw relatives that they have no business trying to "lure" my kids back to jw land! I'm saving this article and that paragraph in case I need it later....
I can remember when I was studying with a 15-year-old girl. Her parents wanted her to stop. I asked the elders what I should do: encourage her to disobey her parents and study behind their back. 2 elders said yes, 1 said no and used some compelling scriptures as to why I should not interfere with the parents’ authority. That showed me that the elders did not agree and that their advice was useless.
Good point, Fleur,
My mother was baptized at 8 and didn't even know what fornication was and went up to an elder and asked him after she was baptized because she didn't want to accidently do it.
The questions today pointedly address this but many elders just jump over it because it is too embarrassing…but not too embarrassing to ask a sister later in a JC the specific details of their sexual activity.
I’m glad you stayed, parakeet.
The term "mental-regulating" is disturbing. Regulating is something one does to a machine, not a child
Actually, I found it disturbing that no other Bible translations even used a similar word; nor could I find that in the definition in the reference work they quoted. If anyone has research this, please share.
I can remember when this was "adjusted" in the NWT and the WT started telling parents they could control the thoughts of their children. Maybe that is why the WTS thinks they can control the thoughts of the rank and file.
(2 Corinthians 10:5) For we are overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ;
*** w05 1/1 pp. 24-25 How to Protect Your Children by Means of Godly Wisdom ***
Peer pressure will not go away, so parents will likely face a constant struggle to ‘overturn worldly reasonings’ and help their children to bring their thoughts ‘into captivity, in obedience to the Christ.’ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Hello, SirNose586,
Overriding message of the whole thing: quit fooling around and get baptized, you sinning little heathens!! You don't wanna end up just like the poor saps in the armageddon pictures, do you??
Try and get an elder to say how old is too old and when children start being accountable for their own actions.
Hi, calico. Remember though that the WTS exposes children of JWs in many ways to the idea that unless they are baptized they will die at Armageddon. I can remember several families badgering the elders for a commitment to a specific age cutoff for the "age of accountability." They forced their children to get baptized. Three are now DF’d and one has been inactive for 20 years….but they are baptized.
Good points everyone, Blondie
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BluesBrother
Oh boy! They are plumbing the depths with this one ..Are they looking to boost next years report with a load of baptisms ? Short term thinking surely , if they grow up and stop serving .
Firstly - I always hated the expression "Mental regulating" I checked Vines and this translation seems nearer the thought found there , and is more typical of current translations.
Ephesians 6:4 (New International Version)
"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Also can they justify changing Lord to Jehovah in the NWT?In para 6 at the KH I attended, the word brainwashing was introduced . They seemed proud to be "brainwashed" thinking it safer than thinking for oneself (shades of Jonestown?)
p7 " the young person's peers? If the latter are pressuring the youngster to take drugs, drink heavily, or engage in immoral conduct, should the parents be criticized for trying to adjust their child's thinking and help him or her realize the consequences of such dangerous conduct?"
Surely a straw man argument? Criticism is against dubs indoctrinating kids, not teaching them right from wrong? The illustration is not of the same thing at all.
p9"Instead, he dignified them with free will. Our God desires willing subjects
Freewill is the freedom to say "No" but see later paragraphs
p14. Examples of bible characters who got baptized quickly, but they were all adults, not children. The examples are not relevant in a discussion of youths.
p15"Would you refuse to apply for a driver's license simply because you were afraid that some day you might have an accident Of course not! Neither should you hesitate to get baptized if you qualify.
Yes . I would hesitate to drive if there were any reason to think I was not ready for it. Would you allow your 13 year old to drive? Apparently, qualification is the ability to read back to the elders the answers to the questions in the Organization book, and memorize how to present 2 mags at the doorstep
p15" Young ones, please do not think that by postponing baptism you avoid accountability"
So there it is, get baptized or become birdfood . The choice is yours , you have freewill...
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nsrn
Do I attend meetings and share in the preaching work because my parents expect me to do so or because I want to please Jehovah?
Reading this made my stomach hurt just like it did 30 years ago. Of course I was doing it because my parents expected it. Remember the guilt of seeing that in print and knowing they were talking about YOU?
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truthseeker
Jehovah Invites You To Choose
That's right you have a CHOICE!
But really, it's Hobson's choice - serve the Watchtower or die.
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mama1119
This is just so crazy, what they do to kids. They rob them of their childhood. I saw a group yesterday dragging around a 3 year old door to door. I felt to sorry ofr her, she is the same aga as my daughter.
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Room 215
Hi Blondie,
I found the references in paragraph six to both atheists and Catholics and their respective influences on their childrens' perspectives and how they are not called to task for imparting their views on their offspring, whereas Jehovah's Witnesses are.
The reason, of course is that whatever their views, these folks don't turn their kids into paranoid social misfits, intolerant of any who don't instantaenously fall victim to their self-centered worldview, who, whatever their protestation to the contrary disparage all non-JWs (or 99.99% of the rest of humanity, down to the last infant) as unworthy of any future life in God's New World.
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heathen
Jehovah's Witnesses should not be accused of manipulating the minds of their children when they raise them to adopt Jehovah's thinking on basic truths and moral principles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I think we can accuse them of child abuse . How many meetings have I sat through where somebody was beating the hell out a kid because they can't sit through a 2hr meeting and be quiet . I agree it's a parents decision on what religion to raise their kid with but they could be a little easier while doing it .