JW-speak "fleshly" so-and-so

Inquisitor

I suppose another way of telling that a person has spent some time in the Halls of Jehovah is the inclination to use the term "fleshly".

Has it occurred to you yet that people do not generally refer to their biological siblings as a "fleshly" relative?

There is the occasional "yes, he/she is my flesh and blood". But even then it is a tad poetic with a hint of snootiness. Yet "fleshly" is distinctly alien, don't you think? And it is a good thing to avoid using this JW jargon. For I have seen this happen in JW circles where in using the word "fleshly" they accidentally leave out the second "L", making it "my fleshy sister"!!

INQ

Highlander

I forgot about that. As strange as it sounds to call someone your fleshly brother/sister, it makes sense to do it when apropriate since they refer to every j-dub as a brother or sister. Though I'm a known apostate, my wife still refers to someone at the hall as sister or brother so and so when she's discussing members of her congregation with me. It drives me crazy.

WTWizard

They do that to distinguish fleshly brothers and sisters (that is, your real ones) from spiritual "brothers" and "sisters". Since they call everyone in the same religion "brother" and "sister", they had to make up this term to distinguish the real (that is, inferior) brothers and sisters from the Spiritual-TM Brothers-TM and Sisters-TM. There is no other reason except to get families to split up and to strengthen the bonds within the cult.

JK666

Fleshly refers to those relatives in the Borg, worldly relatives for those who are not.

JK

rebel8

Yes. IMO that is the creepiest word they use. My relatives use it all the time and normal non-cultists look shocked when they hear it. I'm glad they use it because it gives an inkling how bizarre they are.

greendawn

They need to use it to distinguish from the spiritual brothers and sisters though they don't have a clue as to what spiritual fraternity means and it is all hypocritical and empty when they call each other brother or sister.

In spiritual jargon fleshly means unspiritual and overindulgant in materialistic pursuits of the here and now.

RebelWife

Hubby said that word last night. So creepy. He used to say it a lot more, but I think my mocking laughter kind of deters him. Fleeeesh-leee -- yuck!

carla

You forget how the language of the wt and the ex boards for that matter are unknown in real life. Out with my girlfriends and discussing some ridiculous aspect of jw's I used the 'fleshly' word. "What did you say??!" then I had to explain the difference which led to many politically incorrect jokes after their disgust passed.

OnTheWayOut

"Fleshly" defined by http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fleshly

1. Of or relating to the body; corporeal. See Synonyms at bodily. 2. Of, relating to, or inclined to carnality; sensual. 3. Not spiritual; worldly: fleshly pleasures. 4. Tending to plumpness; fleshy. It makes one think of fleshly pleasures, somewhere between the
number one and two definitions. These are the most popular. JW's are not wrong, as number three fits (but only sort of as the
"not spiritual" or "worldly" is referred to as "fleshly pleasures" again. ).
It is weird to use the term.
It's just another cult language term to make members think their way.

JW-speak "fleshly" so-and-so

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