by cedars 166 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
As a parent raising children in the Org, this type of information plays on the fears of parents, too.
It sends the message that if your children aren't obedient little robots, you are failing as a parent.
Remember years ago, the "experience" of the sister who would splash water onto her toddler's face to keep him awake at the meetings? Suddenly, anyone who let their kid sleep at a meeting or assembly was a bad parent.....
Teletubbies are satan's little helpers. Why can't the Society have a mature discussion on age appropriate toys and films. We made the mistake of taking our daughter to see Snow White when she was around 5, when the witch came on the screen she was running up the aisle into the lobby, oops.
I think the portrayal of the mother is quite realistic. Frustrated, pinched face seemingly without love or encouragement she simply uses the all powerful frightening entity of god to manipulate the liitle boy. We don't want to displease him do we? You know what happens when he gets mad, don't you.
A good lesson in manipulation and control by fear. It summarises the whole strategy really. It is like watching someone taste an addictive substance that seems delicious but enslaves and poisons. Spit it out!
It sends the message that if your children aren't obedient little robots, you are failing as a parent.
This is how I saw it too. To deliberately instil fear into the parents by scripting the worst case scenario with the intention of getting that reaction from any parent doing their best to keep an older child trapped in the cult. Massive guilt for failure on their part for not inculcating indoctrinating their children successfully.
Do they honestly think kids will want to watch this as if it's a cartoon on TV? How deluded are these people? "Hey Timmy do you want to watch the cartoon where the mommy makes the hero feel bad and throw out toys?" "OH BOY DO I!"
The viewer’s side with the kid who obviously does not want to throw it away but is being guilted into it lest they invoke the deadly wrath of god...
To your blog post Cedars I would say only that you seem to have already identified is only flaw, that it's too emotional. I would commend them on what little they got right and encourage parents that even if you ultimately reach the same conclusion with your bible trained conscience, that the way to get there is by reason and scripture not this patronizing tripe and mindless obedience.
The image of the mother on her knees bothered me. There are eaiser ways to mop and wax floors than on your knees. It seems they wanted to convey how hard she worked. I did not allow my young children to watch any cartoons except "scobby do" or somethhing like that. I was a typical 60s wt mother. I now believe that not allowing children to use their imagination thwarts their thinking or critical skills. Without imagination no new innovations can be conceived. Of course, now I see what/how the WTS influenced our thinking. I was smart enough to leave the organization just before my children entered middle school so they engaged in activities such as debate and other competitive activities in school. It is sickening to see how manipulated we were and did not recognize it. If the word "magic" bothers parents what about using words like creative or imagnative; encouraging children to think of new ways to think about a problem or how to approach a problem. It's better to ask them "What do YOU think? How would YOU fix this problem? How many different ways can it be done?" Children should be encourged to ask questions but because JWs are not allowed to ask pertinent questions themselves, I don't know how a person would approach manipulation of childen's minds. The only way to approach this problem with jws is to put it bluntly and say "Think for yourself and investigate. Ask questions. Sometimes I think it is a losing battle. Except for my brothers, no one else in my familylistens to anything except what the GB says.
cedars, I have noticed that more and more it is their "direction" that matters not any scripture that applies. It reminds me more and more of the description of the Jews in Jesus day according to the bible, that the human rules mattered more than God's laws in the bible. So many jws have no "intelligent" understanding of what they believe, just "the Society says." Without the details spelled out, jws are not understanding what the WTS demands. It reminds me of this part of the Talmud, if a chicken lays an egg, is picking it up on the Sabbath considered working. 1) Yes, if you are raising the chicken for eggs, 2) No if you are raising the chicken for meat.
Blondie
I agree with the comments made here.
Thank you Cedars! Very informative and reasonable article and thanks for the links to the new video.
It is sickening too how the mother says"oh, your friend gave it to you" as if his friend is Satan himself.
No scriptural reasons. And obeying the mother is the same as obeying Jehovah? Who did Caleb obey? His Mother! She must be Jehovah!
"The DVD, which is introduced by Governing Body member Anthony Morris III"
Anthony Morris has the mind of a potato!
VM44 - how dare you insult potatoes!
