"Worldly" what does it mean?

by msconcerned 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  notjustyet

  My family and I have been out going on 2 years and last year when one of my sons teachers ( who knows our story about leaving this cult) told my wife

  " It's great getting to know him, he is so worldy" She saw my wifes face change to concern ( and then added ) "Oh,.. I mean worldy in a good way, well rounded, travelled and an impressive vocabulary for his age" (I'm paraphrasing here a bit, but you get the gest)

  My wife then understood that she meant "wordly" in a good way, the way that non cult members see it. They both had a chuckle at that.

  It does go to show that there sometimes can be some cobwebs that stick in the mind as far as the cults definition of certain words.

  We were glad to hear that our child is considered "wordly" on both levels really,...

  NJY
• 

  Narcissistic Supply

  Worldy means you don't believe any of the nonsense they try to tell you. It's a badge of honor.
• 

  snare&racket

  Whats amazing, is that they took words that represented threats to the cult and made those words negative connotations despite them having a positive meaning. Repeated enough times, people just accept it.

  Think about your watchtower trained reactions evoked when these POSITIVE terms are used to describe someone..... ..

  Ambitious (I hate how they made this a negative trait)

  Educated

  Wealthy

  Financially Secure

  Driven

  Open minded

  Independant thinker

  Questioning everything

  Inquisitive

  Self reliant

  Independant

  Scientific

  Career minded

  Planns for the future

  Competitive

  The phrase : "Nicer than some withnesees I know"

  Pacifist

  Liberal

  PoliticallyCorrect

  Democractic

  Only respecting those that I deem worthy of it (instead of demanding it)

  snare x
• 

  rmt1

  I highly recommend Dan Simmon's Hyperion, which is a space-age Canterbury Tales. The first chapter is about a parasite that does anything and everything to preserve itself, including preventing the host from leaving a specific small area sufficient to find enough tubers to live. The host's entire former human and intelligent self is truncated, amputated into a pale shadow with no memory, no future, only a permanent now. The parasite is in the shape of a tiny cross, and its preferred spot to attach to the host is on the sternum.
• 

  blondie

  I noticed that the WTS has backed off almost entirely attaching the adjective "worldly" to people, things but not people, unless directly quoting a jw. (4x in 2010)(1x 2005)

  The new term seems to be non-witnesses.

  *** w12 12/15 p. 23 par. 18 Maintaining Our Position as “Temporary Residents” ***

  Such brotherly love, which is so rare in today’s selfish society, comes at times as a surprise to non-Witnesses.

  *** w10 7/1 p. 25 Why Did Jesus Not Get Involved in Politics? ***

  They are involved in disaster relief around the world, rendering aid to Witnesses and non-Witnesses.

  *** w10 8/15 p. 19 An Open Invitation! ***

  Masahiko recalls: “One day our family and a few Christian friends decided to tour Bethel. At my family’s insistence, I went along. Touring Bethel, I felt refreshed as never before. The enjoyment I got from association with other Christians during the trip was something I never experienced with my non-Witness friends. The desire to live the Christian way of life grew in me, and I decided to ask for a Bible study.” Masahiko now serves as a full-time minister in his congregation.

  A Witness from France moved to Moscow to work. There she lost contact with Jehovah’s people and became spiritually weak. She became involved in wrongdoing and eventually married a non-Witness.

  *** w10 9/1 p. 27 Trust in Jehovah—He Will Really Help You ***

  In the 1930’s, the Witnesses also produced phonographs and records at their Brooklyn factory. We used them in our ministry and reported how many times we played Bible talks to non-Witnesses and how many people listened to them.

  *** w09 2/15 p. 30 Christian Funerals—Dignified, Modest, and Pleasing to God ***

  When a representative of the Christian congregation is asked to conduct a funeral, the appointed elders can offer helpful suggestions and provide spiritual support so that all the arrangements harmonize with Scriptural guidelines. If some non-Witnesses desire to introduce unclean practices, it is vital to stand firm and courageously explain our Christian position in a kind and respectful manner. (1 Pet. 3:15) But what if unbelieving relatives still insist on introducing unclean rites into the arrangements? Then the believing family may decide to withdraw from the funeral.
• 

  LostGeneration

  Just another "loaded language" term used by a high control group.

  From the following site: http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cultinfo.html

  The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand. This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés, which serve to alter members thought processes to conform to the groups way of thinking.

  The language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliché. [Slogans] The most far-reaching and complex of human problems are compressed into brief, highly reductive, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed.

  The cult invents a new vocabulary, giving well-known words special new meanings, making them into trite clichés. The clichés become "ultimate terms", either "god terms", representative of ultimate good, or "devil terms", representative of ultimate evil. Totalist language, then, is repetitiously centered on all-encompassing jargon, prematurely abstract, highly categorical, relentlessly judging, and to anyone but its most devoted advocate, deadly dull: the language of non-thought. (Page 429.)

  Controlling words helps to control people's thoughts.

  The group uses black-or-white thinking and thought-terminating clichés.

  The special words constrict rather than expand human understanding.

  Non-members cannot simply comprehend what cult members are talking about.
• 

  Laika

  I think they used to call non-Witnesses Worldlings? Has anyone heard that phrase?
• 

  blondie

  *** w95 7/1 p. 22 par. 11 Dwellers Together in a Restored “Land” ***

  However, according to the words of Zechariah, some Philistines had a change of heart, and this foreshadowed that some worldlings today would not remain at enmity with Jehovah. They would cease religious idolatry with its abominable rites and disgusting sacrifices and be cleansed in Jehovah’s eyes. In our day such reformed “Philistines” are found in the great crowd.

  *** w93 3/1 p. 9 par. 6 Be Transformed in Mind and Enlightened in Heart ***

  The situation is similar today. We also live in a world of twisted values, bankrupt morals, and false religious practices. Many among us once lived according to the system of things of this world. Others of us have to rub shoulders with worldlings day in and day out.

  *** w93 4/15 p. 15 par. 7 Youths—What Are You Pursuing? ***

  Now if association with certain anointed Christians could have been harmful for Timothy, how much more so would association with worldlings be damaging to a Christian youth today! (1 Corinthians 15:33)

  *** w91 6/1 p. 16 par. 5 Their Refuge—A Lie! ***

  Not at all! Rather, she turned to human political rulers for help. But her reliance on worldly allies was a delusion, a lie. The worldlings she trusted could not save her. And since she abandoned Jehovah, Jehovah abandoned Jerusalem

  *** g98 6/22 p. 30 From Our Readers ***

  No Part of the World I just loved the article “The Bible’s Viewpoint: ‘No Part of the World’—What Does It Mean?” (September 8, 1997) After studying it, I decided to stop using the expression “worldling” to describe non-Christians. After all, 30 years ago, I myself was not yet a Christian. If the person who first introduced me to the Bible had taken a supercilious attitude, then I might never have wanted to speak with a Witness again!

  B. G., United States
• 

  OUTLAW

  Worldly = Not a JW,who are very Important!..

  JW`s are so much more special than any other life form on Earth!..

  They dress up and sit in a windowless Kingdom Hall for most of their lives..

  They also dress up and knock on strangers doors to tell them..

  "They`re too busy to talk to them"..

  They have to get to the next strangers door!..

  If you like to Dress Up and Ignore People..

  This could be the life for you!..

  
  

  ................. ...OUTLAW
• 

  Mum

  When I googled "definition of worldly," here's what I got:

  1. Of or concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than a spiritual existence

  2. Experienced and sophisticated

  For most of us (including Jehovah's witnesses), it's necessary to be "worldly" in order to feed, house and clothe ourselves. Experience and sophistication are the long-term benefits.