Your favorite JW euphemisms...

by AuldSoul 20 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  AuldSoul

  The heart and soul of doublespeak is euphemistic references. I think many JWs are not aware of how often they do this. Since leaving slightly over a year ago, I have discovered many that I had not even been aware that I used. Now's your chance: List 'em.

  Faithful and Discreet Slave (or Slave): Euphemistic reference to Governing Body, the organization, the writers of the Watchtower articles or books, or organizational authority. In the dogma, the term actually refers to the remnant of the 144,000 on earth at any time. This group does not constitute the body that serves in any of the euphemistic roles.

  The congregation: Euphemistic reference to the elders or to congregational authority. This euphemistic reference is directly supported in the dogma, however the word congregation actually refers collectively to the body of congregants as individuals.

  Add some, I know there are many.
• 

  onacruse

  Congregation servant:

  Like, who is it that serves who? Of course, this terminology was instituted under the Rutherford regime, when those "guys who think they're elders just because they've been true Christians for 30 years" class was debunked in the 30s...only to be 'reinstated' when the 'new elder arrangement' came along in the early 70s, with the much more endearing phrase "presiding overseer."
• 

  fullofdoubtnow

  Pioneer (regular or auxillary)

  According to one dictionary definition, a pioneer is someone that is the first to enter a new territory. This may have been true of some jws in the early days of the preaching work, but not nowadays, definitely not in the UK anyway. I was a regular pioneer for 6 years and I never went anywhere new, just into the same territory that everyone else was covering, and had done for years. I just went there more often, and spent (wasted) more time there than most.
• 

  Elsewhere

  The Friends - Elders love to use this to fly under the radar when gathering information about people they are investigating. When trying to get dirt out of neighbors and relatives of the one being investigated, they tell people that they are asking about a "Friend". JWs also like to use it to avoid being busted when engaging in illegal activities with other JWs... they just tell the officer that they are going to visit some "Friends".
• 

  bigmouth

  THE TRUTH - Something that changes depending on current 'light'. Something that was 'healthful teaching' 40 years ago can get you disfellowshipped today.
• 

  vomit

  Publisher... Somebody who has no input into what is actually published.
  In olde turn of the century English it had a little broader meaning akin to distributer.
  
  ... Like all their doctrine should of died 100 years ago
• 

  aniron

  The Friends

  This one has puzzled me. Is this one of those American things?

  In all the 25+ years I was a JW in Britain. I never heard JW's referred to as "the Friends" of "a friend".

  It was always the "brothers" or the "sisters" or "our brothers/sisters" then the "congregation" or "organisation"

  Never used "friends" when referring to the brothers/sisters.

  Is "Friends" something that has come in since I left 6 years ago?
• 

  Clam

  One euphemism that always strikes me is "the good news". The expression is used widely by most Christian groups of course, as well as the JWs. It is neither news, since a vast number of people know what it is, and it's not good for a lot of people either: even those who accept it and act upon it.

  Clam
• 

  InquiryMan

  Friends is a term used in Scandinavia as well when referring to fellow believers.
• 

  merfi

  I could never stomach the word refreshing. Always used to describe a WT study, a visit from the CO, a talk and so on that would give you that warm fuzzy JW feeling. Now I see that 'warm fuzzy' "refreshing" feeling as a deeper steep in the brainwashing tea. Yuck and shudder.