by nevaagain 26 Replies latest jw friends
I see many who leave "the truth" are glad because they can finally have a beard.
And the brothers too.
I grew a beard when I was in because I wanted to and f*** the WBT$ unwritten law.
I was told I could not have privileges(tm) if I had a beard.....and at that time that was a bonus. No boring mic handling etc.
The elder that said that promised to return with articles from the watchtower to show why it was thus. Guess what! The twot never did.....bleedin' idiot!
Like anything else, if they want to use it against you they will. This one just happens to have a higher probability of that happening than some other things, because of its "high visibility"...superficial shit at its finest, and typical WT.
Just an anecdote:
I remember back in 2002 we did a reno of our hall without the RBC, and it took about a month. There were no meetings during that month, other than the abbreviated WT studies. All of the elders, MS, etc. that could grow a beard or goatee did during that month.
I also traveled a lot for work for several years, and often grew a beard when away. I kept it a few times, and always received compliments in the hall for it...especially from the ladies.
d4g
As a former JW (disassociated), I later realized around my fifth year as a JW that facial hair was not something of concern to Christ - our ONLY Teacher - or to the disciples he taught.
Facial hair became a concern of a certain "man" among the human family: The Anglo-Saxon. It is a man-made concerned being pushed off as something God and Christ cares about.
All one has to do is look at how Adam, Eve, Angels, Jesus, The Prophets, The Apostles and others are portrayed in WT literature, in art, film and literature. They are in the likeness of the Anglo-Saxon. (See image below) I am sure many of you recognize the image below of Adam and Eve as it appears in Watch Tower publications. How did this Adam become so clean shaven? How did this Eve get such a "beauty-salon" look? What is the clothed man in the white robe - who supposed to be Jesus, I guess, doing there?
I think it is a gross stretch of the truth to call this image - well - "truthful!"
No one has ever seen Adam and Eve to portray them in the likeness of any race among the human family. No one today has seen Jesus to portray him in the likeness of any race among the human family. Plus, Jesus ascended into heaven and is not flesh and blood. He is an invisible spirit being and is in the form he had prior to be sent into the world of mankind. So why is someone working overtime to get all of the world to visualize him in a form is not in at present? And, please stop with the line that these are just "illustrations." They are more than that! They are lies and misrepresentations.
I now live in Africa and I see the harmful impact these images of have on African people; especially African children. They grow up fearing "White people" and having little or no respect for those of their own color and other non-Whites in the world. Well, no wonder! They visualize God and Christ as somehow White! "Whiteness" is revered and that is how someone want it to be.
One must be careful with calling ANYTHING other than Jesus Christ "The Truth."
When JWs use the expression, "In the truth" what are they saying? They are saying that if one is in the Watch Tower organization - that is, a member of it - that one is "in the truth." Thus, really saying that "the organization" is "the truth!"
The baptismal vow I took back in 1991 stated (and I paraphrase) that unless I am associated with God's earthly spirit-directed organization, I cannot be known as a Jehovah's Witness (worshiper of God). The Watch Tower organization teaches that unless one is associated with "the organization" they will lose out on eternal life. Whoa partner !!!
Jesus said at John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father but by him. No organization on earth has the power to grant or take away eternal life. Jesus said that he is the life. No organization is "the way" to the Father, Jesus alone is the way. One does not need to join an organization. Jesus, not an organization, is "The truth" and his followers are to be "membered" or "attached" to him.
But an anomaly has crept in and inserted itself where it does not belong: as mediator, life giver, truth-bearer, director of men and women. It acts as if "it" died for all of mankind. It has stolen what is not theirs: Mankind. Mankind belongs to Christ.
When religious organizations set up rules ones must meet in order to qualify as having good standing with God and they cast out from among themselves who they see fit as being rebellious because one disagrees or has facial hair (for example), then they set themselves up as God to do as they please with those Masters slaves. Only the master can accept or reject. But no, religious organizations are doing that!
It is blasphemous to call organizations, "the truth."
It is blasphemous to call a book that man decided to call "The Bible" The Word of God! NO ONE OR NO THING should share this title with the ONE WHO IS the Word of God: Christ Jesus.
I have trained my ears to listen to the conversations many claiming to follow Christ have. It rare to hear one say, "According to Christ" or "Christ says" or "Christ teaches." Rather, they will say, "According to the Bible" or "The Bible says" or "The Bible teaches." Many attribute what Christ says as "The Bible" saying it.
This is wrong as Christ is our only Teacher and we are his students (disciples). The Bible is NOT a teacher and we ARE NOT to be its students or disciples. (Matthew 23:7-8)
The Watch Tower Organization in plain view on its website has shown "what" is The Teacher. It is not Jesus Christ! It is "The Bible." Don't believe me? Pay a visit to the official website of JWs at www.jw.org and look at the links in the menu on the home page. The second link in the menu is entitled "Bible Teachings." So it is "The Bible" not Christ Jesus who has "teachings." I have always wondered why doesn't the Watch Tower place in its menu, "Christs Teachings" instead? How in the world does a book have "teachings?" God did not send us a book, he sent us his son and he commanded us to listen to his son and no one or anything else. (Luke 9:35).
Yet, a book gets prominence over a person who is our only teacher and a book shares the holy and lofty title as "The Word of God!" (Rev 19:13)
JWs can articulate very well why there is only one God. Yet, fall short in articulating that there is but one Word of God. JWs should not accuse Trinitarians of teaching three Gods in a Godhead until it is willing to teach that there is only one Word of God, not two. Both Jesus and the Bible cannot be the Word of God. That is like having two masters. We have only one master.
I chose Christ.
What a thought out and informative email R. Jerome Harris. Thank you for sharing your view of how young Africans are perceiving things..
I am guessing the Org is busy trying to address that right now. I think they realize where they are growing and where they are not.
I am curious about the picture you posted....it looks familiar but I cant remember which publication it is in? Can you tell me?
Interesting that Adam is shown with his left hand resting against his rib. I guess they didnt want anyone looking for a scar from the taking of Eve?
So much for anyone saying they dont think about what they are saying in their artwork. It is manipulative in its base but they do think about it very carefully!
done4good - "...I kept it a few times, and always received compliments in the hall for it...especially from the ladies."
Same.
Even an elder's wife once.
