Your top 5 most irritating doctrines/practices?

by cedars 68 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  cedars

  Hi everyone

  It's clear that virtually everyone on here is infuriated by WT teachings/doctrines/practices, but I would really like to know what is of most concern to people who frequent this forum.

  Here is my top 5, number 1 being the most significant/infuriating:

  1. The disfellowshipping practice - expanded to include family members (but not parents) who are old enough to leave home. Wrecks families and creates abject fear once people find out the truth about the organization.
  2. The blood issue - another unmerciful teaching, but one that costs lives.
  3. Unquestioned authority of Governing Body - a handful of men make life-altering decisions as representatives of a larger group of people who they never see or speak to, and yet they demand unquestioning obedience on pain of being disfellowshipped.
  4. Failed prophecy - the fulfilment of huge swathes of bible prophecy, including Revelation, has been attributed to the events of the early 20th century, and the actions of a small group of men.
  5. Two-tier christianity - Faithful and Discreet slave are anointed who go to heaven to whom ransom provisions apply directly, whereas remainder, or "Great Crowd" stay on Earth and form a sub-class, only access benefits of ransom through FDS.

  I realise that many of these issues are inter-related, but that's roughly how I would put them. I know that the blood issue should arguably be first on the list since it takes people's lives, but I think the disfellowshipping practice is what screws most people's lives up. If it wasn't for the practice of disfellowshipping, I doubt there would be many people visiting this site! Tell me if I'm wrong. I know there are other things worthy of a place in teh top five (such as rampant child abuse in the organization) but I have been honest in prioritizing the teachings that effect me personally.

  Now it's your turn, please give me your top 5!
• 

  dgp

  From the outside, I find these to be:

  1. Blood

  2. Disfellowshipping

  3. Everything else.

  4. Everything else.

  5. and Everything else.
• 

  ambersun

  My personal top 5 from when I was a dub:

  1. Disfellowshipping and shunning

  2. The blood issue

  3. Not being allowed to celebrate anything involving tinsel or cup cakes.

  4. All females being treated as second class, inferior citizens in subjection to all males, regardless of their maturity, life experience, ability or intellect.

  5. All males being encouraged to devote their young lives reaching out for 'privileges' that would lead to them becoming Elders in their mid 20s and ruling shepherding the congregation, regardless of any possible lack of maturity, life experience, ability, or intellect.
• 

  cedars

  Thanks ambersun - it's interesting to get a female perspective on things!
• 

  ambersun

  You are welcome cedars .

  This is a very interesting topic and I am intrigued to know what other ex dubs found most irritating during their time 'inside'.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  When you list Number One as "The disfellowshipping practise," you are really referring to "shunning."

  That is my number ONE. I don't care what Watchtower would do about my name on some list or if they would condemn me to hell. I just care that my JW family would shun me for being honest about what "the truth" really is about.

  Of course the blood issue has lives at stake. Other than that, I hate the practise of "protecting the organization." They hide pedophiles because of this, they manipulate real truth in their literature studies, they lie to say they are the only ones in the world who don't lie.
• 

  NVR2L8

  All the things you are allowed to do but can't because it would stumble others...how you dress and groom, the type of car you drive, where and what you do during your vacation and the rules they call "principles" because it makes you feel like you made the decision when in fact we all know who decides everything for you...including what goes on behind bedroom doors.
• 

  Band on the Run

  1. Subjugation of women.

  2. Lack of respect for education; diversity; narrow scope; ignorance;

  3. Cult atmosphere. Only WT. Don't read Bible. Only we have truth. Intrusive practices such as oral sex problem.

  4. Hatred of the world. Wanting billions to die horribly,their only sin being not being a Witness.

  5. Blood.

  It is telling to me that these are all related to each other. Their cult aspect affects all their doctrines. I should have included lack of Christian love as no. 1.
• 

  cedars

  Thanks everyone! Some interesting and provocative responses - although at this early stage it appears that disfellowshipping/shunning features prominently.

  Please stick to the 1., 2., 3., 4., 5. system if you can (as many of you are doing) if only to humour me!!

  Hey - once all the results are in I can do a breakdown of the most commonly occurring issues, in case anyone is interested?
• 

  Ding

  I think for me, #1 is the unquestioned authority of the GB.

  Everything else flows from that.

  People shun their families because the GB says Jehovah commands it.

  People die over the blood issue because the GB says Jehovah commands it.

  If the GB got "new light" on any of those other things, those doctrines/practices would change immediately.

  As Ray indicated in CoC, it's the GB's supplanting of Christ that has made the WTS so destructive.