Grissom6471: "The Watchtower does not do that. Jehovah's Witnesses know Bible principles that lead us to not want to do those things so any such boycotts are voluntary."
Wow, not only does the WTS brainwash its adherents but does it in such a way that they believe they're making the "right" decisions of their own free will. To me, this is the scariest thing about them.
Watchtower Rules?
by grissom6471 25 Replies latest jw friends
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parakeet
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WTWizard
The fact remains that the Washtowel Slaveholdery does rule people. I was in both that organization and the Catholic church at different times of my life, and thus I should know.
Music: As a Catholic, we were allowed to listen to most songs on pop radio. These included The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Simon & Garfunkel. Nothing was ever said about it, at least at the church level. As a witless, many of these artists (and much of the music) was censored. And for specious reasons like "millions of fans worship said groups, so you should not listen to them". If you got the albums anyways, you would be hounded to death until you got rid of them. That never happened in the Catholic church.
Fun: While a Catholic, we did all the holidays and birthdays. We went on vacation, missing that week's church program. And not a damn word was said to us about making all the church events. Try that as a witless. You will either get disfellowshippped or hounded to make all the damn boasting sessions and sacrifice the fun of going out and having any fun.
Bedroom laws: The Catholic church did have rules, but they were not enforced. What went on in your bedroom was your business, unless you choose to confess to the priest. If you confess, you will be told to do "Hail Marys" or "Our Fathers". Never would you be put out of the congregation solely for the petty things that are found in the witlesses. And there were no snitches that could rat you out to the priest like in the witlesses.
Beliefs: Catholics could pretty much believe whatever they want. While they preferred people to believe the official Catholic doctrines, they never made a fuss if someone didn't believe some segment of it. You would not be shunned for believing something that went against the Catholic church. And you could leave the church altogether and go back later if you so desired, without sanctions. Try that with the witlesses!
Education: Catholics are allowed to go to college as they please. They are also allowed to use the Internet, though porn and other hard-core sites are discouraged (though it is never enforced). There is nothing against reading material that looks at the religion through a different angle. Once again, witlesses are either strongly discouraged (backed by loss of status and "marking") or banned from using the Internet or going to college. They hound you to death if you have Internet access and use it to look up "discouraged" sites.
Dress and grooming: Catholics are pretty much allowed to dress as they see fit while not in church. They are encouraged to dress up in suits while in church (though some churches are more lax in that), and they are encouraged to dress sensibly in public. The witlesses are hounded if their clothing does not meet the standards (and by standards, I mean fitting just right, no showcasing the figure, a white dress shirt, collar button done in hot weather, and being businesslike). Plus, they are more likely to get into people's business when it comes to wearing normal street clothes like T shirts and jeans while in public.
Meeting attendance: The Catholic church I went to had meetings on Sunday morning. We went every week, except while on vacation, while we were active. No one ever hounded us to go more, or made us feel bad when we had other plans for that week. A few times, I remember "gameouts" where we would have fun and games outside in lieu of a meeting. The witlesses go to three different meetings (soon to be two) per week, plus they have to go door to door regularly. Not once have I seen a "gameout" in lieu of a meeting. Plus they have assemblies that take a whole day...or two...or three...
Defectors: A Catholic that leaves the church is not shunned by family and friends. Nor is one that breaks the rules of the church, though they might not be viewed as Catholics any more. They are treated as regular human beings. A Witless that breaks the rules or leaves, however, is cut off from family and friends and treated like humanoids. Ruined lives result when these policies are enforced.
Definitely, the Washtowel does rule people. And I compared them with their closest rival--the Catholic church. Compared with Protestant denominations and secular organizations, they are even worse.
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Vanderhoven7
Does anyone have bedroom law quotes from the WT?
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new hope and happiness
Vanderhoven i think the O.P prefers the term " bedroom principals"
Anyway in watchtowe " legal jargon" let me say i never disobayed a " watchtower principal" i just never " obayed a watchtower principal".
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Vanderhoven7
OK, I found the quotes I was looking for. Thanks
Bedroom Laws
Watchtower 1976 February 15 pp.122-3
Unnatural practices in connection with sex in marriage, such as oral and anal copulation, have caused some of God's people to become impure in his eyes. But The Watchtower kept abovethis morass of filth by alerting married couples to God's thinking on the matter.Watchtower 1974 Nov 15 p.704
"Do lewd practices on the part of a married person toward that ones own mate constitute a Scriptural basis for the offended mate to get a divorce? There are times when lewd practices within the marriage arrangement would provide a basis for a Scriptural divorce. Of course, the Holy Scriptures do not encourage divorce nor do they command the innocent party to divorce a mate who engages in adultery or gross sexual perversion. Regarding divorce, Jesus Christ stated: Whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery. (Matt. 19:9) Everyone divorcing his wife, except on account of fornication, makes her a subject for adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.Matt. 5:32. Thus fornication is set forth as the only ground for divorce. In the common Greek in which Jesus words are recorded, the term fornication is pornei'a, which designates all forms of immoral sexual relations, perversions and lewd practices such as might be carried on in a house of prostitution, including oral and anal copulation. As to Jesus statements about divorce, they do not specify with whom the fornication or pornei'a is practiced. They leave the matter open. That pornei'a can rightly be considered as including perversions within the marriage arrangement is seen in that the man who forces his wife to have unnatural sex relations with him in effect prostitutes or debauches her. This makes him guilty of pornei'a, for the related Greek verb porneu'o means to prostitute, debauch. Hence, circumstances could arise that would make lewd practices of a married person toward that ones marriage mate a Scriptural basis for divorce. For example, a wife may do what she reasonably can to prevent her husband from forcing upon her perversions such as are carried on in a brothel. Yet, due to his greater strength, he might overpower her and use her for perverted sex. So as not to be prostituted in this way at another time, a Chrstian wife may decide to get a divorce. She could establish with the congregation that the real reason for this is pornei'a and then proceed to get a legal divorce on any truthful grounds acceptable to the courts of the land. If, on the other hand, the lewd practices were engaged in by mutual consent, neither mate would have a basis for claiming pornei'a as a Scriptural ground for divorce. This is so because neither party is innocent and seeking freedom from a mate guilty of pornei'a. Both marriage partners are guilty. Such a case, if brought to the attention of elders in the congregation, would be handled like any other serious wrongdoing. "Watchtower 1978 Feb 15 pp.30-32
"Beyond these basic guidelines the Scriptures do not go and, hence, we cannot do more than counsel in harmony with what the Bible does say. In the past some comments have appeared in this magazine in connection with certain unusual sex practices, such as oral sex, within marriage and these were equated with gross sexual immorality. On this basis the conclusion was reached that those engaging in such sex practices were subject to disfellowshiping if unrepentant. The view was taken that it was within the authority of congregational elders to investigate and act in a judicial capacity regarding such practices in the conjugal relationship. A careful further weighing of this matter, however, convinces us that, in view of the absence of clear Scriptural instruction, these are matters for which the married couple themselves must bear the responsibility before God and that these marital intimacies do not come within the province of the congregational elders to attempt to control nor to take disfellowshiping action with such matters as the sole basis. Of course, if any person chooses to approach an elder for counsel he or she may do so and the elder can consider Scriptural principles with such a one, acting as a shepherd but not attempting to, in effect, police the marital life of the one inquiring." -
JustMe2
To be clear, missing meetings, not going in service, and not reporting field service are not grounds for disfellowshiping. And I've never heard of grounds that would apply to dress and grooming, but there may be some. (An "I Love Raymond" or "Jw.net Rocks" t-shirt might not go over too well.)