This was a comment that was made to me when I expressed that Witnesses shun or disfellowship people and refuse to have any normal contact with them, or that they "mark" them and give a public speech about ones that even date a non-Jehovah's Witness. After the statement was made, I stated that Witnesses were more interested in numbers such as how many knocked on doors or went to a meeting......................It is a sad but true commentary.
"Jehovah's Witnesses Really Don't Love People, Do They?"
by minimus 14 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
minimus
I was thinking about how that statement is true. If an elderly person needed a visit to see how they're doing but you needed to go out in service, the door knocking wins. If a person dies, at least you have the hope of the ressurection. Now, get out and preach. If a Bible student didn't progress to the point of baptism within 6 months, "drop him". If you had to make a choice to give a donation to a "worldly Red Cross agency or the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, you should give your money to those that nees books, not literal food and sustenance.
-
Big Tex
It's always dangerous to generalize about a group of people, so I'll keep my comments limited to the organization itself. Jehovah's Witnesses, as an organization, could not possibly care less about the individual. The Society is only interested in numbers, be it attendance, field service or money. Consider that they are quite willing to post statistics right and left, but how often do they share stories of how one person was helped, not converted, but helped by Christ-like compassion?
Anyone who says otherwise should consider the two witness rule, the rape rule, and the shunning rule just to name three off the top of my head.
All three impact a person's physical and emotional well being dramatically.
All three hurt people badly every day.
All three are completely unnecessary and have nothing to do with Christianity."What do you do speaks so loud I cannot hear what you are saying." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
-
cowhand
perhaps as with sex its those who talk about it the most who are doing the least. Just a thought
-
Sentinel
Alas, I feel that it's just a way to control masses of people--by projecting a false identity. And, I can't help but think about the FreeMasons here. Would we really be surprised to find that the early foundation was a seedling from that mindset? Controlling masses of people and to what end?
People often ask, well what is the purpose of the organization if not to save people from death at Armageddon? Number one, JW's can't save anyone, and are blinded to believe that they are the chosen ones; and the rest of us must rely on that WT or Awake magazine, or a new Bible translation, or new release of some "new light" or a program at the meeting or assembly, to bring us around and find our place among those who have god's blessing?
Most JW's are so paranoid about Armageddon, the fact that it's always dangling out there, like the "hellfire" doctrine they gave up. One fear replaced by another. Everyone is insecure, looking over their shoulder. If god is able to read their hearts, someone needs to let them know, that god is probably very disappointed in how they have misused, misspelled, and mispronounced his name; and how they have abused the teachings in order to corral a bunch of nice people looking for meaning and purpose to life. And, especially how they have taken thousands of people and made them into little JW robots, that believe in the rules and regulations of the JW's supercede anything else.
They really don't have love and compassion, but they say they do. This forum proves that over and over again, from the stories of lives in chaos. People who feel so dejected, so lost, so insecure, that they don't know where to turn. Some even want to be free, but have no foundation to live a different way, and they don't know where or how to begin to be free. People who have been told they are "dead to truth", and that they are doomed to destruction. Cut off from family and friends, labeled and shunned. It's all so barbaric and abnormal and they are a society of slaves to a group of people who run the JW borg.
If it were really truth that they taught, then there would not be the fear among them for members to search and read, and discover for themselves the teachings have merit. They would not have to have such intense control, and so many rules to live by. When all they really do need is love and compassion, and not to feel guilty for wanting to show it.
-
minimus
Sentinel, that was a beautiful post. Big Tex and cowhand, your posts were beautiful, too.
-
Country Girl
"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread."
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)Country Girl
-
minimus
The Watchtower Society's response would be:"If worldly people are hungry, they should get a job and leave God out of it".
-
berylblue
I beg do differ. I believe the WTS would say, "seek first the kingdom, yada yada, and all else, yada yada". That's if they are hungry NON witnesses.
If the hungry are Witnesses, they must have been doing something wrong. More hours of field service and they won't notice the hunger pangs.
I remember one day a sister told me, after I was baptized and I had been giving her daughter and her family food because they were broke, that she had always worried about me while I was studying because I looked so poor and it was pretty obvious I didn't have much to eat. I couldn't help but think, "What good did your (unvoiced) worrying do?" Not a very kind thought, but a very human one.
-
gumby
Controlling masses of people and to what end?
I don't think this idea was on the agenda in a GB meeting at anytime...........but they were forced to control by the monster they created by their own doing.
Many remember in COC or ISOCF (don't remember which ) where an example was given of this.Ray or someone brought up an erronious teaching on a matter. The comment back was to the effect.."we can't change it now.....it is causing no real trouble so let it go". In other words......control the people or you will have chaos will millions of adherants. I think many times they are forced to control by their own making.
If the GB REALLY believes they are the"Faithful and discrete Slave" appointed to give food..........how else COULD they act? They would feel obligated to control in this way just as a supervisor appointed to his position would control those under him.
I am not so sure that Russell wanted control at the start......it was later when the numbers were growing he felt god must have appointed him in some way to lead(laodician messenger )
Rutherford was the epitome of control. Things went from bad to worse when his fat alcoholic ass took control.
Gumby