Theocratic War Strategy & "Phenomenal ...

by Scully 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  Scully

  I called my mother yesterday and for some reason, the conversation drifted into dub-talk. She was upset that some of my siblings were still at home, not concerned about looking for jobs or pursuing some kind of job training (the acceptable term for "going back to school", apparently). None of these siblings are baptized, so pioneering is not even an issue.

  Anyway, I suggested that maybe they were discouraged because people around them (dubs, in particular) were harping on the idea that Armageddon was "just around the corner" and that it seemed like a waste of time to pursue those activities. I said that it really bugged me when I was making plans to go back to school and people were critical of that choice, saying that I would be putting my time to better use going out in service, instead of getting a good job and helping to provide for my family.

  Well, she went off on a tangent about how "Armageddon should have come by now!" and "It's so obvious that something is going to happen soon -- just look at what Bush is doing!" and "We've never had such weird weather -- it's a sign that things are falling in place for the government to turn on religion" and "Did you know that the vulture population is increasing??" and "The organization is having such PHENOMENAL GROWTH (0.5% is "phenomenal"??) - they're using the KH Building Fund to build new KHs in Africa (no they aren't, the African JWs can't afford the Building Fund) - and Bethel is expanding (really?? then why are they downsizing and outsourcing and letting 1000 people go at Brooklyn HQ??).... yada yada yada (Why would the WTS bother with all that expansion if Armageddon is so close? Why not concentrate on making sure the JWs that are IN, stay IN, rather than building and dumping money into construction that might not make it through Armageddon??)

  All in all, it was a very frustrating conversation.

  I guess one of the "beautiful things" about Theocratic War Strategy(TM) is that it's especially effective when one is lying to oneself.

  Love, Scully
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  jack2

  I once heard an MS mention that the crazy weather was another sign that the end was near. Uhm, someone ought to tell these people that the occurance bad weather is not something listed in Jesus' sign of the last days.

  Good post Scully - sorry that your conversation turned out to be frustrating.
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  RunningMan

  Well, I thought I had heard every possible sign that Armageddon is nigh. Apparently, I was wrong.

  It never occurred to me to monitor the vulture population. It makes such perfect sense. With all those carcasses soon to be coming available, it is only reasonable that Jah would begin stockpiling vultures. Always thinking ahead, he is. I guess that's why he's the big guy.

  Edited by - RunningMan on 8 October 2002 13:46:35
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  BeautifulGarbage

  "Did you know the vulture population is increasing?

  Uhhhhh mmmmmm HUH?

  No doubt those loathsome creatures will be destroyed once they have picked all the tasty morsels off our dead carasses.

  Another straw grasped at.

  Andee
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  RedhorseWoman

  Or maybe the vulture population is slowly increasing because the captive breeding programs are beginning to pay off and are bringing many types of vultures and condors back from the brink of extinction.
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  RandomTask

  I guess one of the "beautiful things" about Theocratic War Strategy(TM) is that it's especially effective when one is lying to oneself.

  That is the most common way it is used on the dubs, denying the facts. It's another word for what they call faith, which they have twisted into meaning that what the Watchtower says is more true than what your 5 senses may tell you. This is how they keep people trapped, within their own minds.

  And yet, they do have to deal with life's realities. As they get old they look back on how when they were kids they thought they wouldn't even be out of school before the end came, I know I did. But some people have been believing the lie for 20, 30, 40, 50+ years. These people have desperate need for their beliefs to come true, or else they would have wasted their entire life for nothing. No matter what you believe, we hall have the thought, "what if this life is all there is?" They must think that way too from time to time.

  So what do they do? They look for "signs" that the end is coming soon, they grasp at straws, anything to give them some hope that they haven't lived a life of futility, that they didn't put off their dreams for nothing. Because if the end never comes then they have taken the 70-80 years that they have on this earth, years that you don't get a second chance for and they have squandered them. What a shame and I know a lot of dubs feel this deep inside once in awhile.

  Edited by - RandomTask on 8 October 2002 13:51:9
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  SYN

  The vulture population is increasing? DAMN! And here I was wondering why they kept sitting outside my window all day LOLOLOLOL!
• 

  DJ

  Hi Scully,

  My poor mom does the same thing. I'm not sure if she is still trying to convince herself or me. It's sad. My mom has a way of managing to toss in a summary of the nightly news every chance she gets. I try to let her know sometimes, that it is not a good thing to constantly focus her energy on societies evils. I even pointed out scripture where it says to focus on the things that are noble and pure. She heard me that time but soon forgot. How well I remember the depression that comes with being a dub. This is one of the reasons without a doubt.

  My family can whine non-stop about the pollution and the pesticides and the drinking water and the disease and the drought and the earthquakes and the crime and the weather and the wars and the..........need I go on? The one thing that they can't understand is that complaing about it does nothing! These things are disturbing to everyone but to continually talk about it is useless. Have they ever thought about sending a victim of a tragedy some money or aid them in some way? Nope. Just keep complaining in order to convince us that the watchtower has the true religion. Where in the ------ are their good works that are supposed to flow naturally from the heart?. None, I see none. Chronic complainers is what they are.
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  metatron

  I repeat my prediction:

  To survive, the organization MUST get dumber and crazier.

  There's no other way - but to deny reality.

  metatron
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  A Paduan

  Not to make fun your mother, but in all honestly, where I work, if you said, " The vulture population is increasing", they'd probably be looking at involuntary treatment orders.