by Scott77 27 Replies latest social humour
So when Steve2 states, it was 'unsurprising',I thought he knew already what Cedar's dad would have reacted this way.
Well, no. I know neither son nor father. On the other hand, I can always be surprised when a JW acknowledges factual information and acknowledges they do not have a rational response to it - a rare outcome which is why it surprises me.
Hi John Cedars, if you are reading this post, please can you tell us if your father who is a Jehovah's Witness Elder, appointed by 'god's holly spirit', is now shunning you because of your boldness in sharing with him that infamous, shocking and scandalous Watchtower UN/NGO scandal?
Scott77
"smart one in bible sense not wanting to scritinize his own religion"
Except that there is no scandal here and this is not about religion.
This will make me unpopular. Why confront a believing father? It might be nice to make an informative statement. His father likely had nothing to do with the UN NGO scandal. Confronting people makes them run deeper into the arms of the WT. Also, it is not respectful to a parent. I kept telephoning my mom from the college library to read what the Bible actually said. She was not a Witness any longer. I suppose I was shocked at the divergence between express scripture and Witness beliefs. My classmates could not care less. I never telephoned my grandmother or aunt b/c they were hard core. All I would do is be rejected and, therefore, unable to casually drop info items in the future. Both would have had a mental breakdown if they believed me.
Now I can see confronting the WTBTS. I believe I did by writing a note. They must get truckloads of such letters. My family members had no say in doctrinal development. Both were women. Also, they themselves as active Witnesses would comment away from other Witnesses how the doctrines kept changing. Letters to the newspapers might make sense. I used to leave info out for them. In the long run, I believe I had a deeper impact b/c I respected them as my family elders. They knew my choices. I was not a crazy loony as the WT taught. They risked surviving Armageddon to continue to help me. Sometimes, such as when I had a Bible Study imposed on me, I responded with info. I learned at college. They listened.
The reality is they had no worldly skills. They were old. There is no way they could have weathered leaving the safety of the JWs. I always felt that if Christ wanted them out, He would provide a way. My task was to be able to give them a noncult answer.
| His [John Cedar's] father likely had nothing to do with the UN NGO scandal. | |
| Band on the Run |
Right, you are correct. John Cedar's father was and continue to be a victim. This condition is akin to what rip van winkle refers to as 'Cognitive dissonance'
Scott77
It's kind of ironic, exJWs can be very quick to criticise current JWs including family for not "seeing the truth" when the reality is, if you turned the clock back a year or two, they would equally have not seen the truth before they awoke to things.
Trying to force people to see the truth and to change the instant we do is not realistic and isn't being fair on them.
Would we have woken up if someone had been trying to force change like that on us before we were ready? I doubt it.
IMO it's better to play the long game, explain that you have good reasons that you don't believe the religion any longer and leave it at that. If anything the 'mystery' of "why" will encourage people to ask questions and this is likely to be more acceptable than trying to push our answers on them.
It's normal to sweep the UN NGO under the rug of Bethel secrecy policy still.
It's normal for JWs to deny a judgment for the UN NGO is also coming; (Dan8:13-14). It fits the general pattern of Jerusalem prior to it's final judgment as per Matt24:15 principle now repeating right in Bethel's own "disgusting thing" placement, and the principle effects to come on Bethel, as per Jerusalem's judgment, will simply keep replicating the pattern, as it has already initiated in also a Pharisaic Bethel pattern of organizaed lawlessness leading the organized JW core apostasy; (2Thess2:3-4)
Thus the lie is big (2Thess2:11-12), the implications are big, huge in fact in principles JWs should see instantly, but instead it is so daunting of an implication, most JWs, like Jerusalem of old, like people in Noah's day, will live in denial even into the storm breaking on Bethel first; (1Pet4:17).
It is a common feature of human self-deception and denial that must also be present in JWs, and in time, it is going to turn into far more than just a UN NGO slumber party. It os going to go from bad, to worse, and the central organ of UN inection in the GB, like the Phrisees before them, like their "man of lawlessness" former League of Nations endorsers, also will not admit it, and will not stop until the judgment stops them and expsoes reality as before; (2Thess2:8). It is much less psychologically painful to just ignore it all.
Like 1919 and 1945 UN endorsing Christendom lead clerics, Bethel as UN NGO merely repeats the same recipe for disaster. But since JWs of 1919-1950 did track UN placements twice as prophecy, and now Bethel covers up UN placements 3 and 4 as per Daniel 11:30-45, Bethel must be hit first as per Dan8:13 "trampling" for their own UN NGO "transgression causing desolation" to Bethel first.
| "...IMO it's better to play the long game, explain that you have good reasons that you don't believe the religion any longer and leave it at that..." | |
| Simon |
I do not know if this strategy can work out for the reason that within the WBT$ world,everyone that 'don't believe the religion any longer' is totally shunned, is apostate and therefore, avoidable at all cost.
Scott77
