Idolatry Redux--"Where else shall we go?" in 9/15/10 WT

by sd-7 12 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  sd-7

  Page 18:

  Jehovah’s spirit and blessings

  are linked to the one association of

  brothers that God is using. Even if someone

  in the congregation upsets us, where else

  can we turn? Nowhere else can we hear the

  sayings of everlasting life.—John 6:68.

  The organization has--again--emphasized that it assumes the role of Jesus Christ for those who wish to be true worshippers of God. "Lord, WHOM shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life," Peter said to Jesus. We, in turn, are being encouraged to say to the organization (which ultimately means the Governing Body), Lord, where shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life.

  This is blasphemy and idolatry--it's been repeated often, but combining it with every other self-aggrandizing quote in this issue, it's that much more disgusting.

  --sd-7
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  sir82

  It's really kind of an odd argument: "Yeah, we suck, we're oppressive, we'll drain your very soul from you....but hey, where else ya gonna go?"

  Most people join/stick with a religion, a group, a marriage, whatever, because they positively enjoy belonging, not because "there's nowhere else to go."

  And people wonder why JWs are dysfunctional.
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  NiceDream

  I don't know how many times I've been told to "ignore the people, go for Jehovah!" Isn't love supposed to be the identifying mark?

  sir82, most Witnesses I know are dysfunctional and on antidepressants or anxiety medication.

  "WHOM shall we go away to?," sd-7, I didn't know this until I looked on JWN. It's Jesus...not an organization! Imagine actually reading what the Bible says without WT reasoning. Thanks for posting this falsehood.
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  serenitynow!

  "Most people join/stick with a religion, a group, a marriage, whatever, because they positively enjoy belonging, not because "there's nowhere else to go.""

  You just illustrated what happens in an abusive relationship. What I have both experienced firsthand and observed, is that first an abusive person damages his/her partner's self-esteem/self-worth. They let the person know that no one is going to love them, they are not worth it. So now your mind is all messed up to where you actually believe it. Don't forget, the WTBTS has done a pretty good job of making the R&F as dependent on them as infants. The thought of not having others calling the shots is scary to them.
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  WTWizard

  Where else are we to go? Anywhere else. One person in the congregation that upsets us is not in itself a reason to leave (you are always going to find that, no matter what), but when it's the whole damn congregation, those taking the lead (pio-sneers and hounders alike are guilty of this), or the organization itself, you know something is wrong.

  There are plenty of places for us to go. We have regular church, these forums, the Internet, support groups, college, political parties (not all of them among the mainstream corrupt ones--I would recommend checking out the upstart political parties first), volunteer work, and plenty of clubs and groups within the world. You are certain to find at least one that suits your wants and needs--generally, with the exception of a 98 year old "sister" who has been a witless all her life, better than the witlesses.

  And, there is such a thing as fully integrated thinking. You can simply use this to read your Bible, completely independent of any group of people. You might be surprised to find out what you learn about God if you use fully integrated thinking and read the Bible with it.
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  wobble

  A similar piece of thinking, emotional blackmail really, was used by one of my sisters when she learned I had left, she wrote :

  "Only people in the Congregation really care about you "

  I did not at the time have many friends "outside", but in fact the majority of the Congo.did not give a flying f**k that we had left, they did not call or visit ( a few did-once)

  For me I did wonder if there was somewhere else I might go, perhaps a bible discussion group, I never did, and now would not, but as has been pointed out there are endless places to go, and you could learn true explanations of scripture at many, not like at the K.H

  Their idea of Bible Study is B.S

  If anyone is afraid of getting out because of where to go, don't be, you can find love and support in all sorts of places, JUST RUN !
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  sd-7

  "WHOM shall we go away to?," sd-7, I didn't know this until I looked on JWN. It's Jesus...not an organization! Imagine actually reading what the Bible says without WT reasoning. Thanks for posting this falsehood.

  This point was brought to my attention as I read Raymond Franz' books. It's just a prime example of how reading the Watchtower literally rewrites the Bible so that you don't even see the words anymore. Hence why they can encourage Bible reading as much as they do--it doesn't matter how much you read it. If you see only what the WT tells you to see, you don't see the words for what they are.

  I can agree with most of the statements here. I found that it was more than just an isolated individual who happened to rub me the wrong way. I thought the message coming from the org was unstable--the assembly programs in particular seemed disturbing, like they wanted to turn us into robots. But if God wanted robots, he didn't have to create humans and then break them down until they became such. He just needed to make robots. The fact that he didn't means that he wanted us to find answers. Yes, even to questions like "Where else shall we go?"
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  JWoods

  Is it me only, or isn't this 9/15/10 WT practically an all-time world record of Watchtower/GB "worship us" arrogance?

  I can remember when the governing body idea was first floated, and all the elders were constantly told how it was an excercise in humility - so that we were not "following one man" any more. This was even coupled with the notation that the presiding elder of congregations would be rotated each year, and that even the circuit overseer was "just another elder".

  None of that lasted more than a few years, but this is to me a really blatant issue of the WT for GB exaltation.
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  isaacaustin

  If the house is on fire you take yourself and your family and run! You do not stop, wait and ponder over where to go.
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  PSacramento

  Its a horrific view point no matter how you look at it and of course, it is a view point that works against them too:

  For a RC, they would ask the same thing and where would they go? to the WT and their control, manipulation, shunning and no blood doctrine ??

  Better to stay in the RCC !