Blanket Bomb Or Snipe? (page 2)

teejay

h_s,

My point is what if they are not the leaders but the led. What if they are a forty year old average man, holding down a thankless job, married to your brothers mother, two children, for the sake of argument your nephews, on your doorstep for Saturday morning service in the dripping rain. Or perhaps arriving on this Board blown by the winds of curiosity and nagging doubts. What then? This represents the vast majority of of JW's. Should our frustration be turned toward them, they are after all the misled?

TMS expressed my feelings to a 'T' (the more of him I read, the more I like). I could not have said it better. Whenever I meet JWs anywhere, they will receive nothing but the highest respect and courtesy.

I was a dub from the time I was five to 30 years hence. I meant no one any harm in all my 'work' as a Witness. How could I then vilify someone who lived as I did for so long?

That's why I deeply cringe when I seen JWs get blasted when they venture onto JW.com. I have the hardest time understanding it and will not follow suit. My methods may make others suspicious and lead them to assume that I have an agenda, but so be it. For goodness sakes, my mom is a regular pioneer!! I'd hate to think of her being abused, even verbally. She raised me better than that.

tj

slipnslidemaster

That's why I deeply cringe when I seen JWs get blasted when they venture onto JW.com. I have the hardest time understanding it and will not follow suit. My methods may make others suspicious and lead them to assume that I have an agenda, but so be it. For goodness sakes, my mom is a regular pioneer!! I'd hate to think of her being abused, even verbally. She raised me better than that.

Teejay, even though most of my posts are jokes, I couldn't help but read this thread and want to comment. I totally agree with you and try to make it a point of welcoming the dubs that "stumble" across the board. I think that if they stay and read the posts for a week, then maybe the seed that needs to be planted in their head will be.

Slipnslidemaster: "I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

waiting

Howdy y'all,

I work with jw's, my m-i-l comes in once a day to bring our mail, some of our customers are jw's. It would be hypocritical of me to treat them decently in the store (for money) and then tear them apart on the forum, or in others areas. Half of them try to "bring me back" - and I always try to at least politely tell my side - within theocratic boundries, of course. Otherwise, I can literally see them shutting down.

Isabelle was in yesterday, getting some work done. Of course, she had to explain to me that the GB members were just imperfect men, but the organization was Jehovah's. I turned the conversation to why I work so hard - I have no retirement (and little SS) because I thought the End was coming soon. Didn't she think the same? Yes, yes - and she has $300. a month Social Security and doesn't know what she'll do then. "But, I leave it in Jehovah's hands, and stay close to him." She pioneers, btw.

When I'm talking to local jw's and when cornered they'll say "well, I know there's problems, but I'm still going to be loyal to Jehovah's organization" I feel that the blinders have been put into place and the conversation is done. Or the Famous Shrug - translates: I don't know - I don't want to think about it - I don't care - Has nothing to do with me.

The Famous Shrug is the most irritating - like a slamming door.

But on the forum? These people are taking a First Step - they aren't shrugging us off - yet. Shouldn't we at least give them the benefit of the doubt, try to accept a little jw'ism from jw's?

I know I accept "some" when the person is standing in front of me - just to see that blink of "hey......" - and I know I made them think for a second beyond the Watchtower. We can't see that blink here - but by they're being here - they blinked.

waiting

SixofNine

I'm a bit curious as to specifics about when and where JW's have been attacked on this forum? Perhaps I haven't been sensitive to it lately; right up until I left the org, I was an administrator on a "real" witness site. I would literally lose sleep and be ill trying to moderate between keeping the peace, and letting people have their say. I very much enjoy not losing sleep over words anymore. At the same time, I do wish there was a place on the net where real witnesses could go and actually talk. WOL ain't it.

I just assume we aren't speaking about the freak show Witnesses, but rather everyday publishers who might come in and ask an honest question. I think of troubled and borea as the latter, YouKnow, Yardif, Duns, etc as the former.

Btw, I tend to view the Duns/Friday/You know type character even more reprehensible than the types of men who are in power in the org. Those men really can be called "victims of victims" to some extent (although it excuses nothing), but Duns et al has looked it all square in the eye, and made his choices. Worse yet, he has the audacity to use obfuscation to defend those choices.

Evil is hard to define, but I know it when I see it.

Tina

Hi 6,
I agree.I don't see this blanket slamming of JW's when they come here. In fact most are welcomed quite warmly.I see this in another forum. As far as the 'freak show Jw's'(great term lol) they by no means represent the average JW(or any for that matter)
And that crew has a long history of neg behavior. Funny how nobody mentions the filth that THEY spew. Or the Jw's who pop in here and commence to condemning and name-calling.
What's great about here is the diversity of approaches. What appeals to one won't appeal to another. The growth rate of this board is proof of that.
And the fact is some people are just not ready to hear everything about the 'trooth'. If they seriously desire honest and forthright answers,they'll stcik around. regards,tina

hillary_step

Tina and Six,

Thank you for your comments.

The questions that I raised dealt with much broader issues than just the visitors that arrive at this forum but involve our attitude towards JW's whomever and wherever they are. Do we view them as victims, targets, substitutes for the GB or feel sorrow for them as victims etc.?

I have to say though that I am personally corresponding with 18 people who have come to this Board and have what we might call 'fear of posting'. I can tell you that another poster here is corresponding with a stunning amount of persons in the same situation, I do not know how he gets a moment to eat!

Ask yourself if somebody did come on the Board and posted the typical JW post, probably written in shock, what is the reaction. Watch :

"Hello,
I came to this board expecting to speak with my Brothers and what do I find? Can't you people accept that nobody is perfect and that the GB are good men trying to get Gods work done in very difficult circumstances etc. etc.....

Light the blue touchpaper.

HS

Tina

hilary,
We take each poster on an individual basis. I don't lump them into victims etc. I have noticed if they post in a manner that you showed,it demonstrates confusion on their part. And they will be responded to warmly.
I correspond with many in my email too. What I tell them is the truth about the 'trooth' is not easy or pretty to take. I recommend them to the Personal Experiences 'forum where they can gently get their feet wet.I do not sugarcoat anything.
What I dislike immensely is having someone come here and try to correct or adjust our attitudes. That is so 'elderlike',in fact the very words are used by them! We did have enough of that at the kh. I will reiterate,diverse people and communication styles works. The growth of this board proves that.
My approach seems to have worked well,as Im sure yours does. It's the diversity of humaness that shows from our individual ways of posting that interconnects with others. Some may be drawn,some may be repeled.But they do manage to hook up with other like-minded posters.I see this all the time. Tina

hillary_step

Tina,

Good points, well made, I will reflect - thanks.

HS

SixofNine

Victims....yes

Targets....no

substitutes for the GB....no, BUT, they are the frontline for the GB. They ARE part of the problem. We all were. I am deeply disturbed by some of the arguments that I accepted and spewed forth. I have all the good excuses & reasons for why I believed, but had my daughter been in an accident and died for lack of blood, my excuses wouldn't bring her back.

feel sorrow for them as victims?.... yes

As to this:

"Hello,
I came to this board expecting to speak with my Brothers and what do I find? Can't you people accept that nobody is perfect and that the GB are good men trying to get Gods work done in very difficult circumstances etc. etc.....

I think we would soon find out just how sincere that person is. He would be flamed by a few, spoken to rather crisply by others, and coddled/cuddled like the spiritual babe he is by still others. What he would not get is anyone agreeing with him. That is of no real consequence to sincere people.

His next words would be much more telling than his first.

BTW, I applaud your "being there" for those lurkers. I know it is a personal sacrifice, and I am glad you are here. But frankly, I could have the most gentle, beautiful words ever penned posted by my name, and the JW mindset would still, for the most part, gravitate toward the high-ranking WT commander who stepped down, as opposed to the guy who couldn't even read at the bookstudy because he wore a beard the last 6 years he was in the "truth".

Any lurkers out there that want to give Max and Hillary a break, just write me. I have guaranteed methods for shortening the intensity and duration of the painful break you have to make. I do love you, and I am serious about wanting to help.

We'll play good cop bad cop

hillary_step

Six,

Any lurkers out there that want to give Max and Hillary a break, just write me. I have guaranteed methods for shortening the intensity and duration of the painful break you have to make. I do love you, and I am serious about wanting to help. We'll play good cop bad cop

A priceless sense of humor you certainly possess, as Abe the Lincoln would say 'With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die'.

I cannot remember mentioning Max?

HS - who does not so much sleep as practice for death and who should be doing far more practicing than he has done lately.

Blanket Bomb Or Snipe?

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