"Our Reader's Ask" November 2012 Public WT

by dontplaceliterature 41 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Quendi

  One thing to bear in mind are the target readers of this piece. In other words, is this intended for the rank-and-file to read and consider or is it pabulum for the masses? It seems to me that the public edition of The Watchtower is mainly for the general public and the articles it contains are written with them in mind. There have been exceptions, like the two-part series on Jerusalem’s destruction last year. Those clearly were for veteran Witnesses and their purpose was to shore up support for the WTS interpretation of Daniel 2 and wipe out any doubts about the 607 BC date.

  I think this particular article is aimed at the general public. Witnesses are already convinced they have “the truth”, so they would feel no need to examine their religion critically. Doubters in other religions, however, are considered fair game by the WTS, so articles like this are to be used as a way of enticing the reader to accept the offer of the free home Bible study when it is made. Once the study has been initiated, the student can be convinced to surrender his free will and “power of reason” to the WTS leadership.

  Quendi
• 

  clarity

  This cult cooks up a 'mind boggling religion' as FOOD,

  and then gives the instructions to swallow it ...even if it tastes

  bad ... .

  Do not throw-up. Do not tell others that it tastes bad.

  It is good .... stop THINKING that it could be poison. Stop Thinking.

  Of course now if you are going to THINK ...well that will just

  ruin everything ... so stop it! We said stop it ...or else!!!!!

  No more wirecoathangers THINKING!!!!!!!! STTTooppp you're

  spoiling all our stuff!!! (gb run screaming&wailing from the room )

  Omg ... this borg is so ridiculous... everybody needs to think,...

  except its own followers! Nice catch Don'tPlaceLit ..thanks.

  >

  Here's a whole whack of their 'don't think junk' .......>

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/42180/1/NO-Independent-Thinking-Allowed

  clarity
• 

  Leolaia

  Complete and utter "war is peace" doubletalk. Here the Society tells us to not be "gullible or naive", don't be "mentally lazy", it is "foolish to accept an idea as true without checking the facts", we need to use our "power of reason", to "reason on evidence and reach sound conclusions that are based on facts", and not just believe because someone in authority (like the apostle Paul) tells them so. Cool. But they also say elsewhere to "fight against independent thinking", that it is prideful to "get to thinking that we know better than the organization" (the presumed authority here), that those who do so "rebel" against the organization and against God, that when the organization changes what is taught we should "rejoice" over the refinements rather than question them, that it is improper to "pursue an independent group study of biblical Hebrew and Greek so as to analyze the accuracy of the New World Translation" or to "explore scientific subjects related to the Bible", and that instead, one should simply read the publications of the Watchtower Society if one wants to do "extra Bible study and research".

  The net effect is this: It is only valid to thinking ability and "power of reason" if you already accept what we say as true; otherwise if you disagree you make yourself independent and a rebel against the organization. It is foolish to accept an idea as true without checking the facts unless it is one of our own ideas, in which case you better agree with what we say or else!
• 

  MrFreeze

  Question your faith... unless you are a JW. What are you, weak in the faith?
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I have to type this out and try to remember it:

  Really, how foolish it would be for us to accept an idea as true without checking the facts. That would be like covering our eyes and trying to cross a busy street just because someone tells us to do it.

  .....the Bible urges us to keep our figurative eyes open so that we are not deceived.

  The article could easily be renamed : Is Faith in the Watchtower an Emotional Crutch?
  
  Plenty of WTS doctrines could be put in a box over to the side.
• 

  perfect1

  on the next page:

  How to avoid independent thinking.
• 

  00DAD

  Leolaia, nice concise summary of the WT doublespeak!
• 

  Finkelstein

  Maybe this is an indirect ploy to get people inside their organization to openly start questioning the WTS. doctrines as a means to

  locate and clamp down on weak (spiritually) minded ones.

  A chance to locate those mentally infected with doubt.

  You know this religion likes to know what their members are doing and behaving, as well what they are thinking.

  No wonder someone wrote a book comparing the JW organization with George Orwell's novel 1984 and its entailing thought crime
• 

  dontplaceliterature

  A friend of mine mad a good comment regarding the comparison to alcoholism. They encouraged those who feel they may be using their faith as a crutch to turn to The Bible. So...

  "Using that mentality, but applied to their alcohol example, lets get hammered and sober up by drinking beer."
• 

  00DAD

  DPL: They encouraged those who feel they may be using their faith as a crutch to turn to The Bible.

  You don't need a crutch, try a wheelchair instead!