The WT's biggest deception?

by BU2B 34 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Vidiot

  Apognophos - "I chose not to closely examine my religion for many years, precisely because I suspected it would not hold up."

  Interesting.

  x

  I experienced something similar in my 20s, but in my case, I assumed it would hold up.

  Well into my 30s, however, it did finally begin to occur to me that at least some aspects of it might not, and like you, the prospect of testing the veracity of those aspects scared me, for similar reasons.

  x

  It wasn't until well into my fade that I realized I didn't actually have to be scared, for two main reasons...

  a) ...if the evidence really could refute the tenets of my religion, any negative consequences I could possibly experience for privately and honestly investigating that evidence would be, at worst, unjust (which I wasn't afraid of, because frankly, that would simply confirm my suspicions), or at best, nonexistent...

  b) ...if the WTS leadership was so anti-"apostate" that they effectively forbid even considering any evidence that their critics might present, then logically, there must be something to that evidence; in which case, as a grown man capable of making my own decisions, I was perfectly entitled to investigate and consider what that evidence might be.

  X

  And here I am, now.
• 

  jookbeard

  tons really , to claim to being the mouthpiece of God on Earth to holy spirit being responsible for the appointments of sexual abusers and deviants into positions of authority, to the fabled tales on calling out the name of Jeehovah to avert demon attack, madness in all honesty
• 

  Finkelstein

  The WT's biggest deception?

  That the writings in the bible are not fictional story telling contained in mythological beliefs.

  They are !!!

  In spite of that they exploited and commercialized the supposed return of Christ to its fullest extent

  in their established marketing strategy in proliferating their publications.

  .

  The other most prominent deception might very well be that they announced that god has specially chosen their organization over all others,

  because those other Christain based faiths were false teachers.

  A case of the pot calling the kettle black.

  .

  Oh well its all for the power and the money in the long run.

  Its because of the fact that American policies regarding religion is so uncontrolled designated by religious freedom is the reason

  there are so many crooked false and deceiving religious charlatans operating in that country.
• 

  Apognophos

  I experienced something similar in my 20s, but in my case, I assumed it would hold up.

  Well, I want to be clear that I didn't actually believe or suspect it was not the truth -- not on a conscious level. I can't give myself that much credit. I simply meant to say that I didn't want to look into something that would upset the apple cart. When I was around 20, I probably was more confident it was the truth, but by the time I was 30, I'd slowly slid into a middle-ground position where I didn't particularly feel strongly about it being the truth, but didn't have the motivation to learn TTATT since finding out it was false would screw up my life.

  Oddly, I recently re-read some of my high school writings and was reminded of things I'd forgotten I wrote. I was making references to evolution that were not critical of its factualness. I also wrote a 1st-person story about the suspicion that everything in my world was a lie (like the Matrix, but before that came out). Although I presented it as fiction, I remember that I really felt that way.

  And I even wrote a paper for U.S. History where I considered whether 1914 and WWI changed the world fundamentally, and concluded after considering both sides of the argument, "No, they did not." So I think on some level by the time I was in HS I was already suffering badly from cognitive dissonance.
• 

  mana11

  And to think I used to tell students,,,, If you find just one thing wrong in your church it cannot be from the true god!.

  That this should convince you that we have the truth since all things can be tested and proven true.

  Now the Internet is here all things are open, back in the 50's we accepted what was told as far as events inside the truth basically as a "trust"

  and lack of other vital information which simply was not available at the time, it seemed ok.

  We Trusted those in authority as Brothers & genuine and accepted the information handed to us such as the RF ousting etc.

  The Library Card for the UN. The Malawi Card, The Mexican Standoff,

  We had NO Knowledge of the Dirty double tricks play by ruthford to gain control, nor of the other scandles taking place within Bethels.

  To al I cal Brothers WAKE UP, You have been Scammed!...

  It really pains me to think i was so Duped...

  Now to help others wake up...
• 

  Finkelstein

  Retrospectively it would truthful to say that the WTS. leaders had one thing that was more important above anything else and that is making

  sure their articles and publications drew interest and were attractive to the general public.

  Sure they exploited the already established belief in the bible and to a further extent the broad base ignorance of what is actually written

  in the bible within the general population but that was realistically to their advantage.

  Playing off world events was also a means to support their assertion of mankind living in the last days etc.

  .

  One could also easily say they were fear mongering charlatans running their own publishing house.

  .

  By using coercive tactics they lured people into their publishing distribution operation as well.
• 

  Magnum

  Almost before the waters of baptism dried from my sculpted body, I began to wonder why we were so averse to hearing what our critics had to say. I, too, felt that the truth should be able to stand up to anything. In fact, somethings are "trued" or proven to be true by exposing them to fire or things that could show them to not be true if they weren't. If you're Cinderella, then why fear trying on the glass slipper? Only the non-Cinderellas would be nervous about what trying it on was going to show.

  It always made me wonder what the org was trying to hide. It gave me a nagging suspicion - a nagging doubt. And now, I know what they were so scared of and were trying to hide - well, I know a lot of it, I should say. I'm sure there's a lot more to learn, and there's probably a lot that's not even really known yet - only known by a few in the org.

  It makes me wonder, though... Since they go to such great lengths to keep the rank-and-file from reading the apostate stuff, then they (the JW higher-ups) must be aware of it themselves and must know it's accurate. So it seems that they would have to know what we know and believe it. If so, are they just keeping the org going for their own benefit?

  In other words, suppose you had some supposed evidence against me. If I knew I was wrong and believed you had real, accurate evidence, I would probably try to conceal it. However, if I believed I was right and your evidence was wrong, then I would face it. The org tries to conceal the evidence, so it must believe the evidence is right. So are they just deliberately deceiving the rank-and-file and using them for their own selfish reasons?
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Since we do not want our worship to be in vain, it is important for each one of us to examine his religion.

  5 We need to examine, not only what we personally believe, but also what is taught by any religious organization with which we may be associated. Are its teachings in full harmony with God's Word, or are they based on the traditions of men? If we are lovers of the truth, there is nothing to fear from such an examination.

  Every hardcore JW that read that knew that it was meant for the outsiders. They knew that it is important to get them to see the fault with their own beliefs/religion, but that JW's have to be careful to not do the same because SATAN IS SLICK and will prey upon the weak JW that dares to "question" (don't use the word "examine") the Biblical teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Governing Body, God's spirit-directed group on earth.
• 

  kaik

  The biggest deception for me is their reinvention of >Truth<. Whatever "Truth" is, it is always momentary and needed for current explanation of their twisted biblical doctrines. If WT will say that hell is real because of new truth, cult members will say awesome. When WT will deny it later, JW will not even bother with it. Importance is given on temporary explanation radiated from publishing house and this all what is matter.
• 

  Vidiot

  Magnum - "It makes me wonder, though... Since they go to such great lengths to keep the rank-and-file from reading the apostate stuff, then they (the JW higher-ups) must be aware of it themselves and must know it's accurate. So it seems that they would have to know what we know and believe it. If so, are they just keeping the org going for their own benefit?"

  Without the WTS, the men in the JW heirarchy would have nothing.

  They would be nothing.

  x

  And I mentioned in another thread that I don't think authoritarian leaders experience cognitive dissonance like regular people; ie. they are able to know it's wrong, but still believe it's "true" at the same time.