Funny thing is that part of the first chapter in the "Bible Teach" book, the main study tool that JW's use, is precisely encouraging people to ask questions.
why does no one ask questions ?
by midnight 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
Sanchy
-
flipper
If a person who is a JW tries to ask questions to elders they are usually judged on the spot as being " weak in the faith " or judged as a person " having doubts " who might be a danger to others in the congregation. The elders won't say this verbally out loud to the person having doubts- but they think it inside their elder trained brains. Almost like this person has to be watched closely and monitored now because of having these doubts.
So because rank & file JW's will get judged or perceived as " weak " if they ask questions- many are scared or in fear to not even ask questions- because the judgment of them will come, not only from elders- but others in the congregation who know this person has doubts. This is what I observed in my many years in the JW cult
-
Ding
Openly questioning the organization is the greatest sin possible as a JW.
The indoctrination process in the study books and in the Watchtower studies at the KH involves the organization controlling the questions that can be asked as well the answers that are considered acceptable.
-
waton
public questions? particularly by jw ladies? not even in apostolic times. 1 Cor.14:35 : "... let them question their husbands at home..." but
Paul had a point: 35: " If they want to learn something... ask questions.
Do trained animals ever ask questions? but they perform, bring in the crowds, the money.
-
zophar
I wanted the cult to be true, and all their deeply unsatisfying answers to what should have been simple questions that everyone had thought about only left me with stronger doubts and I didn't want that
I mirror your excellent point One Eyed Joe! I think the questions, doubts and the HOPE that this has to be "The Truth" while causing a lot of cognitive dissonance, eventually caused me to see things more realistically and less gullibly.
The 2017 Convention video clip regarding 1975 has had a huge or for you Trumpian's UGE, effect on me. It seems a deliberate misrepresentation by the GB, who lived through that period as young men. To NOW represent those who gave up earthly belongings as the ones totally at fault is just so disingenuous.
-
Saethydd
For me, asking questions wasn't the problem, it was when I wasn't satisfied with the given answers. (Or if I knew that the given answer was a distortion or outright lie.) That is when it started to fall apart for me.
-
sparrowdown
After being subjected to what would have to have been some of the dumbest conversations EVER on the face of the earth with other witnesses, I often wanted to ask how can you be so f*cking stupid?
-
David_Jay
I ALWAYS asked questions. It's the answers that were in short supply. Every time I would a question that had never been answered in print by the Society, all I would get back in return were the stares of ignorance. The Witnesses are no better than parrots. They can only "talk" when they've heard an "answer" fed to them repeatedly.
What we should be asking is: Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses have real answers?
-
mrquik
What happened to "The Make Sure of All Things" book or "Make the Truth Your Own" ? How about the Boreans who were praised for " examining closely" what was told to them? How, in fact, can you prove anything to be true without asking questions. If it is indeed the truth, questioning it will only make it stronger. The cult has become delusional if it believes the members aren't looking for answers.
-
Ding
The only questions that are acceptable to the WT are the ones they ask themselves or at least questions which are likely to build faith in the organization.
I well remember my study with JWs.
At first they encouraged me to ask whatever I wanted.
After a week or two, though, they asked me to defer my questions, promising they would be answered later.
By then I had forgotten what I wanted to know and I ended up letting the WT ask all the questions.
Isn't that exactly what a book study or Watchtower study is? People giving the WT's answers to the WT's questions until they think just the way the GB wants them to.