JW Illustrations Ripped off from Secular Sources

by neverendingjourney 15 Replies latest jw experiences

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  neverendingjourney

  AudeSapere,

  I've also heard that illustration, not directly from the platform, but I heard JWs talk about what a wonderful illustration it was. What a crock!

  Since jw's are discouraged from spending 'useless' time reading non-witness material, most will not know that the concepts are plagerized. Some are likely loopy enough to believe that unscrupulous worldly people have pirated from the org.

  This is exactly on point and another reason why the WTBTS does not want their members going to college. The more educated we become about the world around us, the more we understand that there is very little original material actually emanating from the Tower. In fact, as we now know, the precious "doctrinal truths" that we once cherished were ripped of from the Adventist movement that preceded JWism. The WTBTS prefers to have ignorant members. They're more easily manipulated. The ignorant JW just sits back in awe of the "wisdom" being provided by "Jehovah's people." Unfortunately, they don't understand that they just ripped off most of the material from other places.
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  LongHairGal

  I despise them and their anecdotal stories. Their assemblies and special talks were full of them. And, yes it is true that their members do so little reading of anything other than their publications and hardly ever go to movies, they would have no idea that this illustration could have come from anywhere else. But, they all probably clapped and thought this brother was a genius for telling this story. In any event, he may not even remember where he heard it.

  By the way, I remember seeing that scene about the illustration of the stone in Godfather III, when that cardinal shows it to Corleone. When I saw it I thought how stupid an illustration it was because water should not be able to penetrate your average stone, should it? In any case, I am sure this illustration was used countless times before.

  Nothing is new under the sun, is it?

  LHG
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  ldrnomo

  The only illustration that is probably a borg original is the abstain from alcohol one with the alcoholic tranfusing it into his veins the stupidist illistrations ever.
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  RollerDave

  Aude Sapere said:

  There was an illustration with props at a circuit assembly probably in the early 90's. The speaker (most likely the CO) had two containers on stage. In one container was 4 or 5 balls. In the other was sand. The balls represented our theocratic obligations (meeting attendance, field service, personal study, etc) and the sand represented everything else we have to do in our lives. When he tried to fit the balls into the container of sand, of course, only one would fit and the others rolled off onto the table. However, when he set the balls into the container first and then carefully added the sand (and jiggled it down a little) everything - including the last grain of sand - fit perfectly.

  Good illustration and I was deeply encouraged.

  I felt proud to be part of such a practical organization and so impressed with the illustration.

  Ha!

  2 years ago I saw the EXACT SAME illustration used in a time management training seminar. The difference was that in the training seminar, the facilitator credited Stephen Covey.

  Our circuit overseer came around to each congregation and gave this SAME illustration, only using beans in place of sand.

  At one hall, when the golf balls wouldn't fit because the beans were poured in first -- the C.O. asked "what's the problem here brothers?" -- One wise guy shot up his hand and said, "brother, you're too full of beans!"

  Gopher, I missed that meeting, but Kevin Lijewski actually gathered the stuff for the illustration and brought it to our next weekly study with he and his wife.

  I was suitably impressed.

  RD
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  Mum

  The dear brother (he really was dear, now deceased) who studied with me told me an illustration of water dripping on a rock. If the water doesn't stop, it finally leaves an impression. I think the conclusion I was supposed to reach was that I should stay with the "truth" and keep "serving" Jehovah.

  After I left, I read The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and found that same illustration in that book. The book was written first.

  Regards,

  SandraC
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  B_Deserter

  "I despise them and their anecdotal stories. Their assemblies and special talks were full of them. "
  It always struck me as strange how every convention will have a talk about "not spreading false stories." It'll basically tell you to not believe e-mail forwards even if they're favorable because they're rhetorical and unverified. Yet in the very next talk they will let loose a barrage of unverifiable, anecdotal stories that are no different than those e-mail forwards.