Jehovah's Witnesses don't use Socratic Method

by MsDucky 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  MsDucky

  I just learned about Socratic Method from my daughter. She was working on a report for one of her classes. She was reading the report to me to get my view point. . .anyway, she said that "Othello didn't use Socratic Method, which could of prevented him from murdering Desdemona (his mate), and which would of prevented him from committing suicide". . .Okay??? Hmmm???

  I asked her about "Socratic Method"; and she said it was different from using "Rote Memorization". She said Othello had used "Rote Memorization", ie, listening to the story that Lago had told him and believing it without question.

  Anyway, I thought this was interesting. It reminded me of being a Jehovah's Witness. The Witnesses teach the householders to "be like the Beroeans"; but you are not to question "the Witnesses" teachings. They want you to use rote memorization of what they teach you, and not to question any of it.

  Oh well, I just thought that I'd share that.
• 

  snowbird

  Thank you.

  *off to research Socratic method which I haven't thought about since scollege*

  Sylvia
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  Terry

  As the Jesus stories got passed around orally throughout the decades and reached the Greek speaking pagans an overlay of Greek thinking

  got fused into it. Jesus became the peripetetic Socrates answering a question with a question of his own. Early Christianity was essentially neo-Platonic. Plato is responsible for the Socrates stories.

  Socrates is famous for saying " I only know that I know nothing." He was put to death by his peers for corrupting the youth of his day and his impiety in questioning the existence of the gods.

  When Jesus was questioned about his identity he doesn't simply give a binary answer (Yes or No). "Who do YOU say I am?" her replies just as Socrates would have.

  Socrates didn't have a central location for teaching. He wandered about and stopped people in the streets to query them about what they believed and why they believed it. He delighted in pointing out contradictions in their answers.

  Modern day JW's borrow this tactic from Socrates.
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  BabaYaga

  Great thoughts, all.

  MsDucky said

  The Witnesses teach the householders to "be like the Beroeans"; but you are not to question "the Witnesses" teachings. They want you to use rote memorization of what they teach you, and not to question any of it.

  Indeed.

  ...

  And Terry said

  When Jesus was questioned about his identity he doesn't simply give a binary answer (Yes or No). "Who do YOU say I am?" he replies just as Socrates would have.

  But then, we have often discussed how the Watchtower Organization has very, very little in common with Jesus!
• 

  MsDucky

  Modern day JW's borrow this tactic from Socrates

  .

  Yes, they skillfully use rote memorization and "Reasoning from the Scriptures". They really don't know anything. But, alas, the householder, generally, doesn't know anything at all about the bible; so they (householder) do not know that they are being told a story/lie.
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  blondie

  I thought it sounded like Jeopardy.
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  MsDucky

  I thought it sounded like Jeopardy.

  Blondie if I was asked that question, the only thing I could do is give a blank stare!