All About The Words We Used

by dubstepped 40 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  dubstepped

  In the time since I've left the Borg behind I've had a few things hit me as to how words were used. I'm wondering if anyone else has some similar examples, but here are some things that have made me think:

  Watchtower - my whole life I saw this as a thing of protection from outside evil forces, and then when I left someone pointed out "isn't that what they used to keep people in prison"

  Worldly - my whole life that was used to indicate evil outsiders, and then I came to realize that it is seen as a compliment to everyone but JWs, indicating that one is experienced and sophisticated

  Faithful Slave - they are supposed to be the slaves, but they are actually the master of 8 million plus people around the world

  The Society - just thinking about how we used to refer to the governing body as "The Society" is pretty culty which is why I remember them changing it. I believe that may be when they switched to "The Organization", which is still pretty culty.

  The Truth - a humorous reference to their teachings that are every changing, indicating that everything else on the outside was false, when in reality it was our own beliefs that were ever changing.

  So what am I missing? What other abominations of meanings did they come up with for us? I'm sure that I've overlooked some.
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  schnell

  Worldly. Wes Craven was interviewed on NPR years ago and talked about his upbringing in a fundamentalist sect. They used the term "worldly" in the same xenophobic sense as JWs, and Craven said how common he found that to be among such groups.

  When his interview was replayed (I think it was on Fresh Air) recently, I came home and talked about it with my wife. That way of seeing this us-and-them mentality in the context of another cult-like group made me stop and think about it.

  His thoughts on depicting violence were interesting as well.
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  stuckinarut2

  How about "Sheep"?

  As a witness we understood it to be a good thing to follow like sheep.

  Now we know that to be a sheep is to be a mindless follower with no individual thinking ability.
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  Pete Zahut

  Independent Thinking: Seen as a bad thing as a JW but anywhere else, it's seen as a valuable and necessary ability. A parent would cripple a child if he raised him or her to depend on others to tell them what to think. They'd be forever victims of whomever took advantage of their lack of ability to think for themselves and they would be forever lost without direction from someone else.
  

  Sheep Like: Seen as a good JW quality especially by those in charge who want to have things done their own way without a lot of push back from anyone else. In the real world where real things need to happen, there is often "leadership training" offered to employees or "leadership teams" formed when things need to get accomplished. You've never heard of a "follower training" offered or a "followers group" formed to create goals.

  Thought Provoking: A good thing so long as one only thinks when told to and only on the topics and within the boundaries provided.
  
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  breakfast of champions

  Ok, strange you brought this up. . . .

  My wife and I were food shopping today, I'm in the baking aisle, dried herbs and spices section. Alluvusudden, this phrase pops into my mind:

  Jehovah's Wife-like Organization

  I have no idea where the hell that came from. I was looking for seasoned salt at the time.
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  zeb

  that term 'mental regulating' used to crap me off. another of the wt made ups.

  I recall when 'worldly' entered the scene it was after 'pagan' fell from general use.
  
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  OUTLAW

  All About The Words We Used

  In Watchtower World..
  

  No one is your friend except:....."The Friends".....(other JW`s)..
  

  Who will stab you in the back,at the first opportunity..

  ..................................................................
  

  "THE FRIENDS"
  
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  dubstepped

  Great additions so far. Here's another:

  To be "used" in the congregation was supposed to indicate privilege, when in reality it was exactly as it sounded, until you were "used" up.
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  millie210

  "Food at the proper time..."

  (snort)

  very interesting when you consider how many times they have had to double back and reverse their stand as well as coming up with "new light".
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  schnell

  @breakfast of champions, I reasoned with my mom on that one, got a laugh out of her. For an organization as homophobic as the WTS, as well as misogynistic about women in positions of authority (thus asserting that the GB will always be a bunch of guys), this "wife-like/mother" idea is just fucking bizarre. You could reason that women can be anointed and thus be part of it, but then they identified the FDS as the GB. If you reason that genders are neutral in heaven, why are women not allowed in positions of authority?

  Just weird, all around weird.