jws have their own terminology.
it's a characteristic of a cult.
here's a few: "new system", the friends" and the "body".......can you think of more?
Consider this gem from Dianetics:
"repeater technique" - a Dianetics auditing technique in which the Auditor would have the preclear repeat over and over certain phrases found in engrams being run.
"preclear" - a recruit who is now on the road to becoming Clear, hence his would be preClear.
"engram" - a mental image repeated over and over to impart good thinking during Auditing.
Sound familiar? Should we thread this special word fetish into the "word "cult" debate thread"?
there is a clever volkswagen tv ad currently running in the u s that depicts various types of people driving cars that reflect their personality, like older males driving sleek sports cars to compensate for their "shortcomings" or a younger man driving an expensive european sedan as he pronounces with a bullhorn "because my father never hugged me!
or another who says "because i make more money than you!
have any of you ever gotten your self image tangled up with a vehicle?
My former manager (who was a great guy and a great friend) was driving me to lunch in his Jeep Super Wagoneer...I made a compliment on the interior and he goes into a long spiel on how it was really such a practical vehicle and how he only viewed a car as a "simple means of transportation."
Then, he gets a horrified look because he remembers that I drive either a black ZR1 Corvette or a Porsche 911.
I give him kind of a sheepish grin and say "really, Jerry? Just transportation - and all this time I thought they were supposed to be a penis extension!"
Naturally, we are both completely cracked up through the whole lunch...
sometimes i must confess bewilderment at peoples talk of cults: i.e.
comments like well, the witnesses display all the characteristics of a cult as noted by [insert anti-cult website here].
has it occurred to anyone that the idea of a cult is a human invention, indeed a very peculiar modern human construct in comparison with the rest of social history?
Logan -
I see your point exactly, and it pretty much the same as what Richard thinks. Yes, evolving language does change with the context. I suppose students of Greek divinity could talk about "the cult of Athena", etc, and we just kind of know that was not meant as an insult. However, when you talk about the "Jonestown cult" everybody knows what that means, too.
So, if we did eliminate this word from the language, then I guess we need something to use in its place -
Any suggestions?
James
sometimes i must confess bewilderment at peoples talk of cults: i.e.
comments like well, the witnesses display all the characteristics of a cult as noted by [insert anti-cult website here].
has it occurred to anyone that the idea of a cult is a human invention, indeed a very peculiar modern human construct in comparison with the rest of social history?
Couldn't believe this thread (its appearance was so timely) - but I had this very discussion today at lunch with ex-scientology friend.
We were talking about the freemason history channel show last week. I said something or other about elements which "might be considered to be occult" - and got kind of chastized because he thought I had used the word "cult". Part of his exit mechanism was to hang onto many scientology beliefs while leaving because he thinks they all went to hell after L.RonHubbard passed away. He doesn't believe any group is cult-like. Different in the extreme, maybe, but they should not be called such a nasty name. He thinks this is a mainstream derisive term to put down others who look a little "different". They are all perfectly legitimate "religions". ( A little self-defensive, IMHO, by the way.)
But facts are facts...when you have a series of charismatic leaders who isolate people into strange behavior patterns (to their possible harm), and claim to have special knowledge of the universe, powers of God, etc...well, this is a cult being run by cult leaders. That's why we have this word in English - to be able to describe this kind of organization and behavior system.
So, I guess that what some would like to call "suicide freedom fighters" I am still calling "terrorists" and "murderous madmen".
James
when i try to load under friends it only loads to page 3386. i sent a post to the group under this catagory a couple of days ago and i did not see it come up on my pc.
the other catagories are coming up current.
this has happened before but not for this long.
Hang in there, Cabin. The forum is trying to figure out some very important issues -
for example, Freemasonry - the real conspiricy behind 9/1/1, and the Scholarship of 607 BCE...
How is everything - will send PM later in the day if possible,
James
should i join the dubs again and become a 60 hours per month publisher and then work my way up to a 90 hour per month pioneer and then a ministerial servent and then a watchtower study conductor and then a literature servant and then an elder and then a travelling overserr and then a district oveerseer and then a member of the governing body?.
will this make jehoover happy?
or confused?
The wise man once told me that "no woman can ever be truly happy"...
He also said that no woman will ever forgive the man who reveals that secret to her...
The real secret of life (IMHO) is to drive your sports car as fast as it will go, fool around as much as you want, drink more than your share of the beer, but still look kind of miserable and look to everyone else like you wish you could just figure out how to be a little better...
Maybe we should just know when we ourselves are happy?
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for your viewing, uh, pleasure?
Hate to be negative, Jourles, but are you absolutely sure that the pictures are authentic? They sure do look like the real business to me, but with modern photoshop it's sometimes hard to know. On the other hand, somebody else posted that this particular Walmart has employed witnesses in the past...like somebody in management is pro JW.
I think that once the upper Walmart management gets wind of this that some heads will roll in that store. This company must already have a belly full of community hostility and contraversy.
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i just read the pat robertson has now made numerous statements that god has warned him that a tsunami wave may be coming to strike the pacific nw of the us sometime this summer.. very cool - if it happens, he can bask in the glory of "i told you so".
no matter who gets killed.. if it doesn't happen, i suppose he can say he prayed in the behalf of washington and oregon and that god changed his mind.... for crying out loud, either tell us what day and what city or else go back to picking on the dictator of venezuala!
I just read the Pat Robertson has now made numerous statements that God has warned him that a Tsunami wave may be coming to strike the Pacific NW of the US sometime this summer.
Very cool - if it happens, he can bask in the glory of "I told you so". No matter who gets killed.
If it doesn't happen, I suppose he can say he prayed in the behalf of Washington and Oregon and that God changed his mind...
for crying out loud, either tell us what day and what city or else go back to picking on the dictator of Venezuala!
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for your viewing, uh, pleasure?
And if they could set up at a Sam's Club, maybe they could just offer discount contributions on whole boxes of the books and magazines?
a few days ago, someone posted an email that was sent by a sister in bethel.. a follow up post gives some more info on the reorganization in brooklyn bethel and the district convention theme.. any comments?.
http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1247&st=0.
the brooklyn move is fascinating, to be sure.. .
Hey SunnyGirl, I did also send her a very polite PM and suggested that she needed to make her own introduction thread and then everybody would say hello...
