A fair and reasonable question for Jehovah's Witnesses (page 4)

avengers

I have browsed this place for a while and frankly many of you I would not consider apostates.

Question:

If anybody would affiliate themselves with the Scarlet Colored Wild Beast would they be considered apostate in your book?

Andy

Black Sheep

Why are you forbade to read or discuss anything that disagrees with your belief?

My father brought up a book he had read that had been suppressed by the Catholic church, that he had obtained and read.

I pointed out that the latest OKM discouraged researching anything other than a few named WT publications and certainly discouraged talking to other people who had been researching other publications.

He always has WT litterature on display on his coffee table when I visit them and I am sure that one of the new Cult Member Only mags will be on it when I visit.

Me........... pocketing new mag, ''I haven't seen this one. I'll take it with me!" (I already have them in PDF)

Him" ..... Well, we will just have to see what he comes up with after 55 years of trying to get me to study the WT.

I have a few replies to his possible answers already practiced in my head.

Cheers

Chris

cognizant dissident

Welcome yourmomma!

You mentioned that you thought it was wrong for apostates to broadcast their beliefs with bullhorns or signs outside of assembly places. I'm assuming they were on public property or no doubt the brothers would have them removed.

I'm wondering why you think this crosses the line? Witnesses disseminate their beliefs publicly and openly on the street. Do you also think this is wrong? If not, why is it OK for them to do so but not apostates? In the past, Witnesses have used the very same methods, bullhorns on soundcars and sandwich board signs picketing right outside churches. Do you feel this was crossing the line when those early witnesses used those methods? Why or why not?

Cog

cognizant dissident

Had another question for yourmomma

You mentioned that Witnesses with questions have to be careful which elders they talk to. I agree by the way. I was not naive enough to ask any elders my questions. When I was in university, I was known for raising my hand and asking teachers the tough questions, sometimes openly disagreeing with them and getting the class started on some heated discussions (don't all you regulars here act so surprised!) We often had visiting speakers that I would question about their subjects. Respectfully, of course. One time, we had the hospital liason committee come to talk to our class about JW beliefs on blood. I had many things I didn't understand about this doctrine. Other classmates were also nudgeing me to ask question for them because they were too shy. But I was afraid to put up my hand and ask anything. (I knew these elders personally). Afterwards, I asked myself, why I should have this fear? I knew the answer why I had it but I contrasted it to the situation I found in university, a forum for free discussion and searching for further knowledge. As a woman, I was publicly commended for this at university by the very instructors I was questioning. Yet, I had no voice at the Kingdom Hall, except to parrot the party line.

I have no doctrinal question to ask you, but I ask if you think this climate of fear to ask question is conducive to finding truth? Do you personally believe that controlling information through guilt and fear is morally correct? If not, and you acknowledge that this fear exists (as demonstrated by your comment about the need to be careful who you talk to) do you feel that the fear many feel is solely their own or do you believe the society intentionally places it there as a mechanism of controlling information and others behaviour?

Cog

Dansk

Since when has a JW responded with a fair and reasonable answer? A programmed one, yes! A fair and reasonably thought-out one, never!

Ian

Seeker4

Welcome, yourmomma.

Glad to have you here. I hope you stay and keep talking. This place can be a great one to work out your ideas on. Lots of good minds here.

Welcome!

S4

yourmomma

wow! im going to respond to all of your posts, however i ask you give me some time. this is gonna take a while. hopefully by the end of the day.

nvrgnbk

wow! im going to respond to all of your posts, however i ask you give me some time. this is gonna take a while. hopefully by the end of the day.

Take your time.

It's not like the end is near or anything.

Just messin.

Thanks for your replies, hope you're enjoying your visits here, ym.

Barbie Doll

Forbidden to listen to questions about faith.

Its all about Control,

by listing to others, you might learn about the real truth.

Open mind

Hey yourmomma,

Just wanted to say thanks for having the courage to speak your mind in here. I'm sure it must be difficult.

You've got plenty to digest and answer (if you're so inclined) so I'll not add anymore to your load. For now.

If there were 12 more people like you on the GB, who knows, I might actually ENJOY my current "active" status. Wishful thinking.

Peace to you,

Open Mind

A fair and reasonable question for Jehovah's Witnesses

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