JW.org reports on the Sandy Hook shooting... (page 5)

cedars

scotoma

Most on here didn't like the drugs they were getting from the Watchtower. So what's your new drug? Quit picking at the scab.

My new drug is to try to stop the Watchtower from getting more generations of my family and other families addicted to it any way I can. That's my choice. If others decide to just walk away, that's their choice too.

As you say, life is short. Too short, in my opinion, to let it be consumed in servitude to a damaging and self-absorbed cult. I'm grateful it only consumed a third of my life. If I can stop it from consuming some or even all of the lives of others, even better.

If you have such a strong aversion to my activism, then I sense this isn't the first time we will clash on this forum.

Cedars

Darth Rutherford

I have this observation: I still have a number of JWs on my facebook, although the majority on my friends list are now "worldly" ones. After the tragedy on Friday, immediately I saw an outpouring of sympathy, prayers, and condolences posted from all the non-JWs. Friday and through the weekend, the Witnesses seemed oblivous. They spoke about what restaurants they were visiting and all the other uninteresting stuff they were involved in at the moment - but no heartfelt feelings about the events. It was a striking observation between one group vs. the other. The love that was outpouring from non-Witnesses was overwhelming. It really pissed me off that the "true Christians" were so unmoved - utterly self absorbed. (I say true Christians with utmost sarcasm.)

Finally yesterday one Witness quoted James 1:13 and explained how we should not blame God for the events on Friday. (I'm sure they counted that as FS time.) Another mentioned the JW.org news headline regarding the two Witness kids at Sandy Hook and how those two will need our prayers in the coming days. WTH!

I found the JW news item nauseating. I'm glad the two kids weren't hurt, but it appeared to me as if the organization is just exploiting this tragedy to show how "relevant" they are to regular society. No condolences on behalf of the organization to any of the victims' families. Reminds me of Jesus' words: "Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men." (Mt. 7:19, 20)

I hope I wasn't so aloof back on Sept 11, 2001, but I probably was... at that time I was on the track of becoming a MS with my sights to eventually become an elder. So ashamed now to have been part of this terrible cult. Such hypocrisy!

ziddina

" ..Initial reports indicate that at least two Witness youths were at the school during the shooting but were not injured.... " OP

See!! "jehovah" protects his own!!

And what "Witness My Fury" said...

"Waits for the...."The 2 JWs were protected because of being in a seperate room doing bible study while their classes were doing xmas stuff" scenario to appear in the Awake very soon. ..."

ziddina

Also interesting to compare their reactions to the shooting to the Witnesses' response to the outpourings of sympathy and real, physical offers of material help and assistance in the case of the horrific murder of Whitney Heichel:

It is announced on TV that the Kingdom Hall is going to have an open house the next Friday (October 26th) from 12:00 to5:00 pm for any who wished to meet the family and express their condolences. This is announced as their lead story on all TV stations every night the entire week. Newscasters actually learned to properly pronounce "Jehovah's Witnesses" (instead of Jehovah's or Jehovah's witness, etc.) The Starbucks where Whitney worked has been turned into a memorial, as local people start leaving flowers in front of the coffee shop. On tonight's TV news, one week later, they commented that this is the largest flower display of emotion in Portland's entire history. People in the territory step out from their doors and are hugging the brothers and sisters in field service, and are asking why does God allow things like this to happen? Twelve new Bible studies were started by a car group just this morning!

...

Thursday, October 25th. Someone calls with a large wedding tent that they would like to donate and set up in the Kingdom Hall parking lot for the public memorial on Friday. A floral shop calls and asks if they can donate flowers to the event. They fly in on special order thousands of dollars' worth of floral arrangements from Hawaii and fill the Kingdom Hall. The Society got involved and had the circuit and district overseers come and serve Clint's congregation this week - the district overseer also gave the private memorial talk on Saturday. The friends were frantically working to prepare food for the Friday event, but we didn't have a clue how much food we would need. There was now enough food for 1,400 people. But was that enough? The brother in charge offered a prayer to Jehovah with the group, and as they said "Amen" the telephone rang. It was the manager of Wal-Mart saying he wanted to donate 4,000 sandwiches. Then the telephone rang again and again - from Albertsons and Safeway also wanting to make donations of food.

Friday, October 26th. All the departments have been put together. Outdoor parking attendants, Indoor parking attendants, Greeters, Food service, Sound, Restroom monitors, Cleaning crew, Literature, Press (TV & newspaper). The clouds were dark and low, 80% chance of heavy rain predicted. A Brother said, "With all of Jehovah's direction and support this week, he isn't about to let it rain." Sure enough, it didn't rain that day! The family gathered to the front of the Kingdom Hall to greet our guests. At 12:00pm we were ready and opened the doors. A line soon formed out the door, down the driveway and down the street. At 5:00pm the line was still out to the street, so the local meetings had to be canceled for that evening. Finally, the last person was welcomed in just after 7:00pm. Starbucks employees came with three large boxes filled to the top with money they had collected to help the family with funeral expenses. Strangers came with gifts of flowers, cards and money. It was indescribable, an incredible experience for all of us.

From: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/241653/1/JW-spin-on-the-lady-that-got-murderd-my-Holt OP

But have you EVER seen the Watchtower Society organize - or allow local congregations to organize charitable acts for "worldlies" that would donate: a large wedding tent, mounds of flowers at the place of work, thousands of dollars of flowers for the victims' funerals, sandwiches and other food donations, and "three large boxes filled to the top with money"; "gifts of flowers, cards and money"???

trailerfitter

I watched a DVD about the purple triangles with my wife and she was so excited that the JWs had told this story that they had been involved.. Although it is a real tragedy which involved all manner of people in society not just the JWs it was so sad to see it as just an opportunity for the WTBT$ to self promote.

It is the same as the statement that cedars put up there at the start of this thread... the watchtower are only concerned with thier own and like many religious organisations who have already expressed their thoughts on this tragedy it is just an opportunity to self promote.

How many athiest children would have been missed by the bullets? proportionally a high amount since they are even a smaller minority than the JWs in the school system.

trailerfitter

Cedars, although i have never been a JW the organisation affects my life through my child and i respect your views and attempts to stop the disease spreading.

Darth Rutherford

ziddina... nice point! The contrast between WT and the World is so obvious... true, unprejudiced love for neighbor is among those NOT associated with the organization. Reminds me of Jesus' parable about the good Samaritan... Watch Tower would be just like the self-righteous priest and Levite who passed by on the opposite side of the road, unlike the Samaritan who stopped and helped the poor, beaten soul out. What should we expect from a religion that will even shun their own!

d

Yes you are right.Some are already using this tragedy a marketing tool which is just sick. I saw some witness's recently and they were discussing how the market and things will get worse and how the Arabic goverments are falling as signs of the last days.

I think to myself these people cannot be happy if they are always thinking like this.

scotoma

Cedars,

You certainly have set a big agenda.

Preaching to the choir isn't going to persuade significant numbers of people to abandon JW's.

The silent majority of observers of these forums only see the foam on your lips.

It is better to keep your attacks to concrete doctrinal issues. Attacking an organization's culture is a distraction. It only affects those who already have left. Outlaw's support is a good paradigm for the people you are reaching.

Don't feel too encouraged by the people whose comments on this thread echo your feelings. They are the minority.

If you really have a goal of getting everyone to abandon the Watchtower you are going to have to give up the trite, sniping of an idealist.

It is transparent that you are merely exploiting a niche that is already in agreement with you.

I feel bad that you consider this a "clash". I read a lot of your writing and believe it is effective. I am merely offering advice so you don't stray from your "factual" style into the combative parochial style that tends to turn off many who are on the fence.

tiki

regarding ziddina's info about the flowers and memorials for whitney....a few years back i went to a witness funeral and had sent flowers. they were not allowed into the hall....i asked and was told that jw funerals don't have flowers because of some pagan background....the petals covering up the odor of decaying flesh was the real reason....at any rate, i was still in at the time and had no clue about it, but apparently the was a questions from readers and the "suggestion" was that the wise or mature thing is to send them to the family at a later date.....i guess it was considered a "showy display"......so my question.....why allow all those $thousands$ of flowers for that particular memorial?

JW.org reports on the Sandy Hook shooting...

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