by Sea Breeze 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Rattigan350:
And the problem with this is what?
Well, who decides who is "entitled to" truthful information?
Also, what if the GB decides that R&F JWs aren't entitled to truthful information? Personally, I think that's already the case.
Do you like the idea of someone being purposefully dishonest with you, with the intent of deceiving you into doing things you wouldn't otherwise do?
SeaBreeze:
This passage in the Aid book was exactly what started me on my journey out of the JWs.
Scully, of course, the GB decides and tells the rest of the jws who is "entitled." The WTS uses the concept by not telling its members about child sexual abuse. Even with the letters to the congregation from the GB, don't have the same info as that sent to the elder body. That floored my husband when he became an elder, even asked why they were different. Told that some info was not meant for the rest of the congregation...
SEA BREEZE:
When I was ‘in’ I never really thought too much about it.
I remembered the phrase “you do not owe the truth to somebody who doesn’t deserve it”. This was presented in the scenario of persecution when authorities ‘wanted to know where the brothers were hiding’. So, at the time I didn’t think it was so bad.
Now that I’m Out? Wow. It’s shocking.. Doesn’t matter now, but I think I was a victim of bait & switch all those years ago.. I guess I “didn’t deserve the truth”.. Right? Also, what about all the urban legends/fallacies (false stories) famous in the congregations.. Why do you hear the same cliche remarks from coast to coast - whether you are in California or the East Coast?
I figured it must’ve been company men’s’ jobs to sprinkle these little seeds on their visits everywhere.. Can’t imagine where else these ideas came from.. Why then do you have JWs everywhere believing the same fallacies or parroting the same phrases??
The fallacy that bothers me the most (which still exists) are Witnesses who imagine ‘somebody’ is going to ‘give them something’ if they make personal sacrifices to pioneer. 🙄 This belief refuses to die. Hmm. Wonder where they got this idea from??😉
I remembered the phrase “you do not owe the truth to somebody who doesn’t deserve it”.
@ LHG
I think this is where the average JW lands. JW's are extremely evasive and prefer this tactic to outright lies. However, if they do "need" to lie (for peoples own good of course) I find they will look for alternative definitions of words, or at least see if a double meaning can be derived so as to improve the overall moral character of the lie. If the recipient doesn't understand the double meaning, it isn't the JW's fault, or so they reason.
You make many other good points as well in your post.
Why do you hear the same cliche remarks from coast to coast - whether you are in California or the East Coast?
Downright creepy.
I was most disturbed by this concept and method when I was a fully believing and active J.W.
I felt that telling Lies was wrong in all situations, except where telling the truth endangered someone who did not deserve to be endangered.
But I did use the method prescribed by Jesus in the Gospels , of not casting my "Pearls before Swine."
Thinking back, the issue never felt terribly shocking. I assumed it was intended to save lives, and after all doesn't everyone accept that lies can save lives. Saving reputations however is a different thing. When deception is done to save face or conceal embarrassing facts, then it is no longer noble. It is just plain old lying.
