The bird that had options to leave, but chose to be mentally enslaved

RULES & REGULATIONS

The Watchtower—Study Edition | August 1, 2001

Make Your Advancement Manifest

8 First, since “oneness” is to be observed, a mature Christian must be in unity and full harmony with fellow believers as far as faith and knowledge are concerned. He does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through his Son, Jesus Christ, and “the faithful and discreet slave.” By regularly taking in the spiritual food provided “at the proper time”—through Christian publications, meetings, assemblies, and conventions—we can be sure that we maintain “oneness” with fellow Christians in faith and knowledge.—Matthew 24:45.

Here is an illustration of a bird in a cage that reminded me of how easy it is to be mentally enslaved.

The bird cage is a holding cell. The bird cannot fly, nor escape because of the metal bars. He makes no attempt to escape because he is mentally conditioned to accept his fate. Little does this bird realize that if he looks around there are missing metal bars. He has the freedom to escape. Unfortunately, he doesn't bother to look around. He holds onto the bars for security and comfort.

Every Jehovah's Witness is like this bird. They don't realize that their ''metal cage'' is the Governing Body. By being constantly reminded that ''personal opinions'' and ''private ideas'' do not belong to mature Christians. By the constant reading of publications, numerous meetings, assemblies and field service, they will never escape the clutches of the Watchtower Society. Until everyone thinks for themselves and does their own research, they will never escape.

overlap_great.crowd

Great article.

We live these things every meeting as PIMO

The Bethelite

Yes please keep drinking the Kool-Aid.....it wont be long now!

mynameislame

The JW birds would see the missing metal bars and say they need to wait on Jehovah to replace them.

peacefulpete

The JWs and many other high control groups like them boast about harmony and unity. Unity of thought, however, is not natural and is possible only with unethical methods of coercion. While cooperation and collaboration are essential for a society to function, the strength of any collaboration lies in the individual's contribution.

Anna Marina

These words are significant

when it comes to Bible UNDERSTANDING

By mixing WT teachings with the Bible, understanding is actually prevented.

When you only suspect something is wrong, you do not act with the same level of conviction as when you know something is wrong.

Therefore some sit in their cage because they are hedging their bets, just in case it is right. It's not but they can't work out why it is not. Possibly they can't work it out because they are too busy chasing privileges or other.

(2 Timothy 3:6-7) . . .For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, 7 always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

waton

The bird is not alone. There are others in that cage that weekly reinforce this attitude. so:

It is hard to fly like an eagle * when you are surrounded by turkeys.

* eagle. the symbol of wisdom in the scriptures. rising without effort, in thermals, slope winds. Isa. 40:31.

Anna Marina

And they call in eagles as if making a home for them. Then, in their folly they think they have caught something and construct bars of wet paper. Tolerant eagles are puzzled by their absurd behaviour and kindly try to readjust their thinking. But then they turn out to be eagle killers. So the eagle flaps off, leaving them covered in their wet paper. Such material never had the power to hold an eagle.

Even tiny little wrens have a good chance of escape if they give it a go. But that's the point of the opening post - they choose not to give it a go. Sad, because unless they do, they are guilty of supporting a corrupt organization.

(Revelation 18:4-5) . . .And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. 5 For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind. . .

Anna Marina

This is a bit like Watchtower - a woman is being scammed but the scammers are trying to make her not listen to the man who is warning her she about them.

Because she is confused she does not act decisively and hang up. Eventually she becomes suspicious and the man manages to prevent her from being taken in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvqyIr-4jBk

The bird that had options to leave, but chose to be mentally enslaved

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