US & lack of historical perspective for JWs?

by rebel8 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Robert K Stock

  It is not American culture but Western culture that IS superior to all others. It is the continuation of what began with the ancient Greeks, rationality, logic, human achievement, observing the world around you instead of looking to the supernatural.

  In the 18th, 19th and early 20th century no country on Earth represented Western culture better then the USA. The more the USA falls prey to multiculturalism, social democracy, religious fundamentalism and regulation of private enterprise the darker the USA becomes and the greatest beacon of the Enlightenment dims.
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  Ticker

  I totally agree wiht you Rebel 8 and Ive remarked on this before to people. How black and white the JW thinking is on the world and what the future holds for mankind. It is very biased and formed on ideals originating from a western society. If only they truly realized how the world is so far from black and white but rather many colors and shades of grey. How they are just another spectrum in the world and not the centre of Gods plan as they so arrogantly think. I think after you travel the world a bit and get a taste of different cultures, you begin to realize that we are just like them, people searching and just living life. Its funny how they can't see that its a little bit suspicious that God's so called One true religion originates in the United States and is predominatly white middle class. Most of the leadership being white. I've even personally seen ones who have had a racial bias towords others not of their race. One elder forbid his daughter to marry a black man, and used every excuse in the book. Why would he mind if they supposedly believe God is not racist? g Maybe someday they will wake up and say yeah that is strange, but probably not.

  Ticker
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  rebel8

  When Paradise is restored and the Earth's population is 80%-ish non-white, they will be ruled from Heaven by 143,990 whites!

  
  

  
  LOL!! I never thought about it that way!

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  Re the interracial marriage thing, I'm sure what you're saying is true. Racism is impossible to extinguish. In my locale though, interracial marriages were pretty much looked upon as the epitome of Christianity and love. There were lots of interracial marriages here, and although I'm positive some privately held misgivings about it, they were generally socially acceptable and even favorable. There was a slightly odd twist to the attitude though....it was as though a white person marrying a black person had made a sacrifice to show they're espousing god's love. That was my impression. (I say "slightly odd" because this attitude was mostly hidden.)

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  When I spent time in Europe, I was really floored by all the history around me. Someone asked me why. I said here in the US, the oldest thing we have (besides rocks and dinosaur bones) is only a few hundred years old. It really gave me a new perspective about things....to stand next to an ancient ampitheatre and imagine the ancient Christians who thought Thee End was coming at any moment....then to cling to that same ideology today.......I just don't know how JWs can do it.

  Here in the US it's easier to delude oneself that human history is meaningless...we are physically out of touch with it...and to conclude we are the center of all that's important. JMHO
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  A Paduan

  The level of bafoonery and arrogance is freaking frightening - they can't, and don't even understand the concept of having paid for stolen land that belonged to the natives of the region which is now termed the United States; But, thousands year old history from a different culture points to them ??????????????? Somehow I think that if the scriptures of the Jewish culture didn't speak of super winner heavenly good guy special people in a minority, then they wouldn't be so interested in the attempted role play they're into.

  Did I hear someone say Amway ?

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  as for the wicked, you will see their destruction
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  HoChiMin

  1. Everything centers around white Americans. The belief system, the HQ, literature, etc. As one poster points out, whites are in the minority worldwide, yet the entire GB is white.

  
  

  They do have their token black GB.

  HCM
• 

  BluesBrother

  Everything centers around white Americans.

  I always thought that a European, especially a Brit, would be the one to say that...

  When I was a lad , my mother accepted the "truth", my father did not - and he always said it was "Too American" . Still he was always a bit prejudiced, I think it stemmed from WW2 when British soldiers resented the attention given to the American troops .

  Back to your point. It is very evident that you are correct. An open view of mankind would accept the impact and validity of all cultures. Even the "March of world powers" relates only to those that have a bearing on the Western world .

  Reminds me of those early writings of CT Russell when he said that in the paradise , the black people would have to turn white. The man knew that all should be equal in paradise, and he , being the product of his age, could not accept equality with black men , so simple solution - they all turn white !
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  rebel8

  I always thought that a European, especially a Brit, would be the one to say that...

  I was expecting someone to say that. It's true....it would be more likely for a non-American to recognize this easier than an American. Somehow I did come to this realization a little bit when I was in the borg as a teen........but later being a non-borg and getting a basic liberal arts education propelled it forward.

  I've traveled a bit and am always disappointed at how pervasive the US culture seems to be on the world. It's sad. Don't get me wrong, I love living in this country and love (most of) my culture, but it's not the only game in town.......and it shouldn't be. But I digress. What's even sadder is that an entire belief system with a controlling lifestyle is centered on a culture rather than the multicultural theocracy they purport to believe will exist soon.

  I didn't realize the GB had a "token black" now. A small smidge of progress, maybe.
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  JT

  Assuming that the JW version of fulfillment of prophecy were true, I've always imagined the great disappointment the Apostle John must have felt upon his resurrection....

  Jesus: Welcome to heaven, John. Any questions before we begin our tour?

  John: Yes, yes, yes! I've always wondered, those fantastic visions I received right right before my death, bowls of wrath, exploding stars, hordes of locusts, rivers of blood, horrific beasts! I've been wondering, how was it fulfilled? What did it all mean?

  Jesus: Well, you see, there were these proclamations made by an obscure speaker in an obscure convention, in an obscure city in a state called "Ohio", around the 1920's. About 5000 people heard it, and 4999 of them forgot what it was the next day.

  John <Furrows brow, can't hide disappointment...> Oh.

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  now is is funny
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  Shining One

  Sir82, that's so good!
  Rex
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  Eyebrow2

  I never even noticed the whole white thing until the last year or so. I was in a very white congregation, but we lived in an area that was mostly white. I knew a few interacial couples in my congregation and a couple of nearby ones. I saw a lot of minorities at the conventions. I dunno.....I guess I just never felt it was prowhite and anti any other race.

  But I am white, so maybe I didn't feel it because I didn't experience any racism. I just experienced sexism and classism (don't know if that is a word) if you didn't have any money you didn't mean a whole sometimes.

  I don't know if it is any more racist than a few other religions though. I think it really depends on where you live, more than what religion you are in this country. I have known racists baptists, catholics, Jews and other religions. But I have known many more from those religions that are not.

  Just my 2...no probably just 1 cent.