Studying the new "Keep on the Watch!" brochure - Who's Judging Now? (p12)

by ozziepost 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  ozziepost

  From the next section in the brochure, entitled "The Hour of Judgment has arrived":

  Ask yourself: "Do I still cling to a religious organisation that is tainted with teachings and practices that mark it as part of Babylon the Great?" Even if you are not a member, you might ask yourself: 'Have I allowed its spirit to influence me?' What sort of spirit? A spirit of toleration of loose morals, love of material possessions and pleasures rather than love for God, or wilful disregard (even in seemingly small things) for the Word of Jehovah. Think carefully about your reply.

  Here we see an example of the "bait and switch" technique so frequently used by writers of the Watch Tower Society.

  Can you identify the subtle switch that's being used?

  First comes the question "Do I still belong to Babylon the Great?" Aside from the fact that the WTS have their own special interpretation of what "Babylon the Great" is, notice that the question adds a 'rider' of "teachings and practices."

  Then the next step is to ask the question "Have I allowed its spirit to still influence me?"

  Now comes the switch! The paragraph speaks of a spirit of loose morals, materialism, hedonism, "rather than love for God (and) a wilful disregard for the Word of Jehovah."

  The discerning reader should say at this point: "Stop!" The presumption by the writers is that membership of Babylon the Great (by which they really mean churches) marks one as as an immoral, materialistic, hedonist! The Watch Tower Society is teaching its members and converts that if people go to church (or a temple) they must be that type of person. Who says? The Watch Tower does!

  Can it really be true that if you attend a church you must have lax morals? Is it really the case that if you attend a church you are materialistic? Would it be true to say that all churchgoers are seekers of pleasures first? if you answer "Yes!" to those questions, you really are in need of more education!

  But if you said "No!" then you can see what nonsense this brochure is teaching the Watchtower converts.

  The one accurate statement in the paragraph comes at the end: "Think carefully about your reply." Think carefully indeed! Think very carefully before accepting what this brochure is stating as being "The Truth".

  ---

  Cheers, Ozzie
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  Happy Guy :)

  I believe that is because it's a bullshit peddling cult which is only interested in relieving people of their assets ozzie. Only scam artists use the bait and switch technique.....good job on noticing that.
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  blondie

  And JWs wonder why when some Christians they "place" such literature with are offended by being painted with a tar brush.

  I returned with another sister to talk further with a woman she had "left" a WT with. The woman greeted us at the door with the magazine and opened to a paragraph similar to that and asked if that sister thought that this woman's church was full of immoral, materialistic, pleasure-seeking individuals. The sister stammered and the woman shoved the magazine into her hand and shut the door. Of course, the sister labeled this woman a "goat" as we went back to the car.

  It made me think; I stopped offerinig any WT pubs after that and just concentrated on the Bible.

  ***

  w98 5/15 p. 19 The Quality of Your Faith?Tested Now ***

  For decades, the number of those of the great crowd has been increasing, and after their baptism they are continuing to strengthen their relationship with Jehovah. This involves more than attending a Christian assembly, going to some meetings at the Kingdom Hall, or occasionally sharing in field service. To illustrate: A person may be physically outside of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, but has he truly left it behind? Does he still cling to those things that reflect the spirit of Babylon the Great?a spirit that flouts God?s righteous standards? Does he treat morality and marital faithfulness lightly? Does he emphasize personal and material interests more than spiritual interests? Yes, has he remained unspotted by the world?

  ***

  w96 6/1 p. 19 Flight to Safety Before the "Great Tribulation" ***

  However, fleeing out of Babylon the Great involves much more than abandoning false religion. There is more to it than attending a few meetings at a Kingdom Hall or going out preaching the good news in field service once or twice a month. A person may be physically outside of Babylon the Great, but has he truly left it behind? Has he separated himself from the world of which Babylon the Great is a prominent part? Does he still cling to those things that reflect its spirit?a spirit that flouts God?s righteous standards? Is he treating sexual morality and marital faithfulness lightly? Does he emphasize personal and material interests more than spiritual interests? He must not allow himself to be fashioned after this system of things
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  Will Power

  You are right on Ozzie. It seems like every new paragraph holds another offensive remark. - exactly Blondie, as a nonjw it is VERY offensive.

  Great title - Who's Judging Now? - yeah, who is? The bait & switch is so blatant once you know what and how it works eh? It could be re-named to "Here's how we teach You to judge others"

  This wide brush really ticks me off. Almost every study week there are comments in one form or another about how people outside the org are: bad, not to be trusted, satan's helper, immoral, unchristian, false christian, materialistic, etc, etc,. My husband cannot see how this affects me. His answer "don't read it". Yeah, but he does, every week, - and doesn't see how he is affected, now judges others & measures himself. Who wants to hang out with someone who supports this offensive attitude? Pretending it doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. It is embarrassing to watch him stand up for and protect this rubbish when I know (if he could stop and think on his own for a minute) he would consider my feelings on the subject.

  This is where the God = Org double think usually kicks in.

  thanks Ozzie
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  jimbob

  I don't know about you, but I saw plenty of loose morals, lovers of pleasure, and materialism while I was a JW. They aren't any different than anyone else. Like the elder who left his wife in my congo for a pioneer sister, like the ministerial servant and his wife who liked to play strip poker, (that's a whole 'nother story...:) like the ministerial servant I knew who was gone every weekend enjoying his summer home on the lake. Or the many brothers who have to have the latest in everything, and the fancy house and car...they're not any different from anyone else!!!
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  ozziepost

  Actually jimbob, I think they;re worse because they pretend to be different and stand in condemnation of others. The Pharisees 2000 years ago and the dubs in modern times!
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  jimbob

  Yes, they are definitely worse! I was simply giving them the benefit of the doubt...

  Actually, the couple who I mentioned liked to play strip poker, we were best of friends with them before we left. After we told them we were leaving, they gave us the usual bullsh*t about how we were leaving god's organization, yada, yada, yada. Then we never heard from them, until about a year later. Guess what they wrote us in email....??

  They proceeded to tell us how they went with a group to Vegas, (which included her older brother who's an elder) and how much money they won from gambling. Such hypocrites!! I called them on it, and they couldn't give a defense, other than they thought it was a conscience matter. But this lifestyle is typical of JW's...criticize everyone on earth about how wrong they are, but they can do what they want cause they're JW's.