Close, Critical Analysis of "Should Others Make Decisions for Us"

cognisonance

I came across the text below in a search inspired by my curiosity about the current drivel my parents, cousins, nephews, uncles, and aunts are subjected to by this cult. First I'd like you to read the passage without my comments (if you can manage to stomach doing so):

SHOULD OTHERS MAKE DECISIONS FOR US?
The above-mentioned examples [primarily about Israel's choice between Jehovah and Bali] convey to us a clear lesson. It is up to each of us to make decisions, and the wise, right choices are based on sound Scriptural knowledge. Galatians 6:5 reminds us: “Each one will carry his own load of responsibility.” (Ftn.) We should not give someone else the responsibility to make decisions for us. Rather, we should personally learn what is right in God’s eyes and choose to do it.
How might we give in to the danger of letting others choose for us? Peer pressure could sway us to make a bad decision. (Prov. 1:10, 15) Still, no matter how others try to pressure us, it is our responsibility to follow our Bible-trained conscience. In many respects, if we let others make our decisions, we are essentially deciding to “follow them.” It is still a choice, but a potentially disastrous one.

[Source: March 2017 Study Watchtower]

Now for some analysis with the following conventions:

Bold: good advice
Underlined italics: ironically preventing the reader from heading the advice

It is up to each of us to make decisions, and the wise, right choices are based on sound Scriptural knowledge.

Gobsmacking doublethink! The reader is supposed to have the autonomy to make her own decisions (which by definition includes making decisions on what choices are considered to be wise and right). Yet, she is being told what type of choices should be made. Looking closer, they (~~manipulative fucking assholes,~~ the JW Governing Body) qualify the type of choices as based on "sound Scriptural knowledge." So they say decisions shouldn't be made based on just knowledge, or based on the bible, but only based on the intersection of the two and then the subset that is considered sound. While this appears nebulous, it is of course nothing more than newspeak for "what they say the bible says."

We should not give someone else the responsibility to make decisions for us. Rather, we should personally learn what is right in God’s eyes and choose to do it.

Again the reader is advised to not let others make decisions for them. So why are the writers then telling them what they should do? Wouldn't doing what is right in some god's eyes delegate the reader's decision making process on to someone else? It matters not if that someone else is the god they claim to worship or collectively the JW leaders or the group as a whole. The irony in these statements is hard to ignore.

If we let others make our decisions, we are essentially deciding to “follow them.” It is still a choice, but a potentially disastrous one.

Jehovah's Witnesses pride themselves in following the bible, following their governing body, following Jehovah, following Jesus. Follow, follow, follow - Facepalm! All of this epitomizes letting others make decisions for the reader.

Disastrous indeed.

sparrowdown

Jws ability to filter out irony is stunning.

Seems to me that whenever they go on about this "each one responsible for his own decision" doublespeak it's because in a typical WT roundabout fashion they are saying what not to say.

Stuff like "I can't take blood because the WT says so" or "I didn't call the police because the elders discouraged it."

They want you to say "this is my decision not to...(fill in the blank).

cognisonance

@sparrowdown, I agree with your contribution. Of course the sentiment "I don't take blood because the WT says so" is 100% how JWs make their decisions by delegation. What you point out is they are being told how to frame their own thinking process, as a way to sound less fanatical to outsiders.

scratchme1010

It's a "it's your decision for as long as it's aligned with what we tell you", or "it's your choice but if you choose anything other than what we say your family will shun you, you will live a horrible life and you will get killed for your decision". They are so horrible people.

cognisonance

I just feel so bad for my family. The concept of illusionary freewill takes on a whole new meaning when applied to them. My parents think their "choice" to shun me is doing "what's right in god's eyes" and thus a "wise, right" choice. Their decision comes with great emotional cost to them. They've told me it's so unnatural for them to want to do it, but they must put [blind] faith in Jehovah that it is the correct thing to do (read: it feels wrong to them). Right is wrong and wrong is right. They are captives of a concept, coercively persuaded, and in dire fear something vile will happen if they make decisions of their own!

WTWizard

We should not give someone else the responsibility to make decisions for us.

Well, then why is it that, each time someone tries to make a decision based on their own conscience, there is always someone that squeaks about it that they are stumbled? Then, the decision gets thrown out. Or, they get hounded and not left alone until they make the Officially Correct Decision. Example: Someone does not want to go to Israel to do that mission, but the hounders insist they simply have to and will not take no for an answer. And they will not accept legitimate reasons--political issues, money issues, health issues, or simply that they are not comfortable preaching in foreign areas, especially ones that are orthodox Jewish or high ranking Muslims.

This also happens with little decisions. I wonder how many ice cream cones were wasted when children were forced to donate their ice cream money into the Worldwide Damnation Fund. Parents would not accept otherwise, and hounders kept hounding the parents into it until the children "freely decided" to donate the money. Or, how many songs were thrown away--perhaps someone had David Bowie's Pin Ups album, and the hounders would not quit until it was thrown away. And pious-sneering. How many people relented to pious-sneering because of endless hounding, and had to continue against their better judgment because of said hounding continuing.

One decision I made is to put my Worldwide Damnation Fund money into silver, and keep the silver. You should do the research first, and then "donate" whatever you reasonably can afford to APMEX in exchange for physical gold and/or silver. You keep the gold or silver (or both). Those who choose to do this can laugh at the hounders when the dollar becomes toilet paper or the banks freeze up, and you have that silver or gold to use as currency. You might also choose to spend the money on things that will give you fun right now, and you get the enjoyment now. You will not have the use of it when the dollar goes kaput, but at least you have your fun. Those donating to the Worldwide Damnation Fund get neither.

eyeuse2badub

When it comes to religion, most people don't want to think for themselves, IMHO! As a former jw, I thought that I was a real bible student. But, looking back now, I believe that I, like 99.9% of jw's was very lazy minded and did not really want to know what the bible says, but wanted someone tell me what the bible says. I gave up my responsibility to think for myself!

What a dipshit I was!

just saying!

JW_Rogue

Don't let others make your decisions! Read our publications and brainwash yourself into thinking it was your decision all along. This is what they want but JWs will never see it even though it is clear as day.

LongHairGal

This just goes to show you how mentally crippled many Witnesses are. They want to be told what shoe to put on first.

While many on here think that Witnesses are worried about what will be seen as "right" by the other judgmental people in the religion, I feel it is also a desire not to have to think or decide on anything! They have turned over their thinking to somebody else. Bottom line: they do not want to be accountable.

Phizzy

I think as well that this is a crafty way for the GB to deny any responsibility for any bad that befalls their followers.

If a JW ends up in deep do-do it is entirely that JW's decision, as if he/she would have decided, for example, Blood Transfusions were not a good idea all by his/her self.

The GB and JW Leaders are evil, no doubt about it.

Close, Critical Analysis of "Should Others Make Decisions for Us"

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