JWS - the Self-Referenced Organization

metatron

In media presentations and defenses made in court, Witnesses are
portrayed as having all beliefs and practises derived strictly
from the Bible.

Many of us here painfully realize this is a fiction. It would be
more accurate to think of the organization as SELF-REFERENCED,
that is, organized according to its own traditions and history.

Please consider eyewitness quotes from "Crisis of Conscience"
regarding decision-making meetings by the Governing Body:

"Over the years I sat through many, many sessions where issues
that could seriously affect the lives of people were discussed,
yet where the Bible did not come into the hands or even on the lips
of practically any of those participating. There were reasons.
a combination of reasons, for this.
Many Governing Body members admitted that they found
themselves so occupied with various matters that there was little
time for Bible study.... most of the Body were actually not that
well versed in the Scriptures...
A final reason for the Bible's playing little part in such
discussion is that in case after case the issue involved something on
which the Scriptures themselves were silent. [example cited]
The Scriptures being silent, human reasoning supplied the answer."
(Crisis of Conscience pg. 96 - 99)

For many, statements like the above are eye-opening. For many years,
I could not understand why any discussion with a Circuit Overseer
or the Society rarely involved the Bible. Worse, the Society's
publications were quoted with AN AUTHORITY that was SUPERIOR
to the Bible. Want examples?

For decades, brothers suffered because of refusing alternative
service to joining the military. Countless brothers may have
DIED or been TORTURED because of this issue. The Society's
leaders argued about all sorts of organization policies WHILE
THE BIBLE WAS CLEAR ON THE MATTER! (Matt. 5:41, Ro. 13:7)
How many suffered and died before these tradition-bound Pharisees
realized that Christians were ordered to give such labor freely?

When the matter came up "Can we clap when a df'd person is
reinstated", I never saw or heard ANY discussion of the prodigal
son whatever, pro or con. It's like the account doesn't exist.

And finally, we come to the matter of the scripture that supposedly
grants all authority to these Pharisees - Matt 24:45 "Who really
is the faithful and discreet slave?". They've built up a huge
pile of authority and intrepretation that's founded on nothing!
Jesus was simply saying that if somebody was faithful, he would
use them to lead - that's it!

Far from dependence on the Bible, JWs are "self-referenced" -
guided by a collection of policies and traditions accumulated
over many years (while issuing false prophecies about Armageddon)

little different from any worldly corporation or bureaucracy.

metatron

Celia

How true Metatron....
Most of us here know that.
It is so clear...
Die-hard JWs won't see it, or accept it, or even try to
research it...
It is so sad, they're so blinded !

blondie

I wonder what scripture this is based on taken from the Pay Attention to the Flock book?

Quote:
Strong circumstantial evidence, such as pregnancy or evi-
dence (testified to by at least two witnesses) that the
accused stayed all night in the same house with a person of
the opposite sex (or in the same house with a known
homosexual ) under improper circumstances, is acceptable.

Francois

Think about the beard issue. Growing a beard is the issue that got me started; it was the "straw" of final fame.

It's been nearly 30 years now, and I still have heard no scriptural reason why growing a beard is disapproved. The bible is used against men wearing long hair because the "principle" is the same, even though we're not under that law any more. But the same law indicated that you had to keep your beard clean. Where is the application of that particular "pricicple"?

Plainly, the WTB&TS makes their laws up as they go to suit the requirements of temporory expediency. Then, later, when the outworking of their short-sightedness has got them by the throats, they've not left themselves any wiggle-room - as is the case with the blood issue. They can't reverse it without looking like the arbitrary, anti-intellectual jerks they are. Thus there's no way out for them, and so there they sit, with egg all over their faces and no way to wipe it off.

Ass holes.

Francois

silentlambs

Perhaps I might wade in here with the child molestation policy of the organization. It is another case in point as the GB knows they have made poor judgement choices in how child molestation victims are treated. To change would mean throwing out several wt articles and BOE letters that expose wrong thinking. Instead they choose to remain silent make minor adjustments behing the scenes and pretend they were right all along. In the meantime children are being hurt. They act with no compassion, more concerned with the protection of the appearance of their divine wisdom than what might happen to a child as a result of their stubborn hypocrisy. What better way to define the word wicked.

Hyde_n_Sikh

Far from dependence on the Bible, JWs are "self-referenced" -
guided by a collection of policies and traditions accumulated
over many years.

After several years of non-attendance at meetings, I visited a local Kingdom Hall. It happened to be the week of the Circuit Overseer's visit. During the course of his Public Talk he referenced C.T. Russell to support C. T. Russell. That did it for me. I haven't been able to take Jehovah's Witnesses seriously since then.

metatron

BTW, silentlambs, I've noticed that TV networks are getting
back to covering topics other than Sept. 11 and terrorists
- including Dateline. I hope this opens the way for more
public exposure of the Society - and soon.

metatron

Joseph Joachim

I wonder what scripture this is based on taken from the Pay Attention to the Flock book?
Quote:
Strong circumstantial evidence, such as pregnancy or evi-
dence (testified to by at least two witnesses) that the
accused stayed all night in the same house with a person of
the opposite sex (or in the same house with a known
homosexual ) under improper circumstances, is acceptable.

Blondie my darling, I don't know about scriptural support, but this is one of the very rare occasions of sheer common sense in WT-land.

Think about the beard issue. Growing a beard is the issue that got me started; it was the "straw" of final fame.

Francoise, that was also the last straw for me. When I finally decided that I was definitely not going back after some months of being in and out, I grew my beard as way of "letter of disassociation". It caused the same effect in some brothers, who started shunning me after that. But those who were closer to me and/or not so braindead don't shun me (and it's been 5 years since). So I guess it's a good way to say good-bye without formally DA-ing. I don't know what sisters could do, though.

JJ

waiting

Howdy jj,

I don't know what sisters could do, though.

Oh, that just begs some speculation, now doesn't it?

chuckling sister waiting

blondie

Well, Joseph, I don't know where you live, but here in the US, people have sex just as easily during the day as during the night. So if the point is to prove, sexual contact took place, then proving they were alone only at night, is not realistic. What is all night,,,if one leaves at midnight can we be positive sexual contact did not take place? Or if they were only alone during the day? Yes, even in common sense terms it is ridiculous.

JWS - the Self-Referenced Organization

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