Question for y'all--do you think that the person on the Writing Committee who writes something like: "it is reasonable to conclude, then, <wild speculation>" suffers any kind of ill effects? Do they momentarily shudder? Do they even realize what they're doing? Do they die a little, on the inside? Do they throw up in their mouth a bit? Or do they cackle maniacally?
Things JW's write: "It is reasonable to conclude"
by under_believer 12 Replies latest jw friends
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Fatfreek
In the late 70's a fellow elder and I studied together just before we made our simultaneous exit. Toward the end, "it is reasonable to conclude..." became a stock and humorous tension breaker in every discussion we had. I'm glad the GB still uses it as the world needs a little comic relief more often than not.
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Leolaia
"It is reasonable to conclude" is short for "It is reasonable <<for anyone not thinking critically>> to conclude". Understandably, it's easier to just use the shorter expression.
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blondie
That phrase basically means "we are the faithful and discreet slave and we have special understanding of what God meant to say so we will add to the Bible."
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w05 5/1 p. 17 par. 16 Who Will Be Resurrected? ***The apostle John described Cain as one "who originated with the wicked one." (1 John 3:12) It is reasonable to conclude that like his parents, he went to Gehenna when he died. (Matthew 23:33, 35)
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w05 7/1 p. 28 Highlights From the Book of First Kings ***Why
did Adonijah try to seize the throne while David was still alive? The Bible does not say. However, it is reasonable to conclude that since Adonijah’s older brothers Amnon and Absalom were already dead, as was probably David’s son Chileab, Adonijah thought that he had the right to the throne as the eldest of David’s remaining sons.***
w05 7/15 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***What happened to Solomon when he died? The Bible answers: "The days that Solomon had reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel were forty years. Then Solomon lay down with his forefathers, and was buried in the City of David his father." (1 Kings 11:42, 43) Hence, it seems reasonable to conclude that Solomon is in Sheol, or Hades, from which he will be resurrected.
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w04 11/15 p. 30 Questions From Readers ***So it is reasonable to conclude that when Jesus abysses Satan, he also binds and abysses the demons.
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under_believer
I know what it MEANS. But how do you think it makes the person who is writing it FEEL? What does it do to them? What's going through their mind?
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blondie
Some feel that they are guided to the most reasonable conclusion by using other bible verses and help from the holy spirit. Others are just cutting and pasting what has been said in the past by people who professed to be of the anointed. Do they believe it...unless we can read people's minds we can never know that for sure. These people believe their own press. A good book to read to understand the inner motives of people in this type of group is The True Believer, by Eric Hoffer.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060505915/104-2667500-5201564?v=glance&n=283155
Blondie
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penny2
I think they feel powerful, blessed by holy spirit, superior, they'll be strutting around at the next meeting looking for a victim.
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Dogpatch
There are many stupid phrases that the WT writers have used over the last few decades, and the unwitting dubs have become so used to them they use them personally without even realizing they are using dubspeak. It almost sounds intelligent, so they get mental points when using them. Even worse are the Bethelites, ESPECIALLY THOSE BROWN-NOSING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP, who will seek to impress the older men at Bethel that they are company men by using this dubspeak.
I remember trying to emulate a model Bethelite who was an elder an a recognized speaker, who used to use these phrases, like "As it were" and others. I caught myself using them and forcibly stopped myself. I hated manuscript talks and gave my own slide talks instead (I had three of them, still have the slides!) , most aimed at the youth. This ended in the late 70s or early 80s when they banned anything but manuscript talks so as to prevent the dubs from seeing if anyone had any REAL speaking talents. :-))
Someone somewhere had a list of these phrases online somewhere, anyone remember?
Randy
Net Soup!
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Honesty
How do you think it makes the person who is writing it FEEL? What does it do to them? What's going through their mind?
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NewYork44M
Writers use words and phrases like probably, improbably, plausible, implausible, likely, unlikely, and reasonable to conclude when making inductive arguments. Inductive arguments are not valid or invalid, but we can talk about whether they are stronger or weaker than other arguments, meaning that they have substantial or little supporting evidence.
Using the term "reasonable to conclude" should be the beginning of the discussion. It becomes a hypothesis. Once a premise has been articulated then arguments should be made supporting or disproving the idea.
However, in Watchtower-ese once the term has been used what ever conclusion the society reaches then becomes doctrine.