Blowing "BLOODGUILT" out of the water. Logically.

by Open mind 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Open mind

  For any lurkers who doubt that the WT does not use Guilt & Fear as key motivators consider the term "bloodguilt" as used in last Sunday's WT.

  In the very first paragraph it was mentioned that "Failure to assume the responsibility of warning people of the choice that lies before them could result in our incurring bloodguilt."

  WT: "If you don't preach, you're gonna die."

  Bethel Service Dept drone: "Uh, Ted, I don't think it's working. They're still sitting on their butts."

  Ted: "Hmmm. OK, let's bring in the big guns."

  WT: "OK, if you won't preach, not only will YOU die, but you will incur 'bloodguilt' and OTHER people will also die. And it will all be YOUR fault. Their deaths will be on YOUR head. How can you sleep at night?"

  What a cheap mind-screwing this is.

  There are, of course, scriptures that could be used to show that God holds people personally accountable for their own actions. But lets leave those alone for the moment.

  Can you see another gaping hole in the logic of the whole "bloodguilt" guilt trip the WT uses?

  It just hit me last Sunday.

  Let's say that my refusal to preach results in the deaths of, oh, I don't know, let's say.....FIVE PEOPLE.

  What is wrong with this picture?

  These five people's supposed "FREE WILL" has just flown out the window. I, the slacker JW, now have the POWER OF DEATH over these poor slobs. How could a God of love & justice allow this?

  I think I might be able to make this fly even with hard-core JWs if I was just "puzzled" about it.

  What do you think?

  OM
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  still_in74

  I was always fascinated by this reasoning. Eventhough I bought into it. Wouldnt the stones cry out? Wouldnt "this good news be preached to the entire inhabited earth"?

  I like your point about free will though, never really thought about that. Good point. How could my laziness be attached to the "wrong" free will choice of another as a punishable sin against god? Is god really going to run time indexed scenarios to determine who would have come in the "truth" if I had gone out in service last Saturday?

  Well heres one: what about all those that go out and dont even try ? We all know that most go out and just kick the can for 2 hours. Take long drives to RV's and 45 min coffee breaks. Are these also bloodguilty for taking coffee breaks or not going out in the evening? In fact, if you dont pioneer wouldnt you be blood guilty? I mean lets think about it, Pioneers bring in the most studies/converts right?

  Lately I have always taken any form of reasoning and applied it to various situations to expose the double standard human reasoning ALWAYS creates. If you apply this logic to this, then you must apply it to that. This will always expose the gaps and holes in the logic. Its very easy to crush any argument this way, or at least make it obvious that someone does not know what they are talking about. This is yet another case where this works.

  Thanks OM! Still............
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  Burger Time

  I think the bigger issue here is why are these people dying because of you? Didn't Jesus say the one who stumbles is worse off the one who stumbled? So if it is you who is guilty, then by default the other person would not be guilty and therefore would not loose their life at Armageddon! Boo ya!
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  Open mind

  Burger Time you win the award for concise writing!

  I blathered on for half a page, but what you said here:

  why are these people dying because of you?

  was actually the crux of my argument. (Or at least I meant it to be.)

  I do enjoy taking fantasy jabs at good old Teddy J tho, so I hope it wasn't totally wasted words.

  OM
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  Open mind

  still_in74:

  what about all those that go out and dont even try ?

  Last week's WT lesson was written just for this particular brand of JW slacker, IMO. I should know. The shoe fits perfectly.

  OM
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  Open mind

  Ted J: *note to self* "Hmmmm. This whole "bloodguilt" approach would work a lot better if we started teaching Hellfire & Purgatory. Time for some New light?"

  OM
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  BFD

  I love it when you get pissy.

  If Jehovah already knows everything then He already knows how his little game will play out. It's not up to anybody exept Him. So, how many hours do you have this month?

  BFD
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  bobld

  They are bloodguilt for sitting in their cars in this cold weather and causing greenhouse gases.God will destroy those ruining the earth.
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  Open mind

  BFD:

  I love it when you get pissy.

  Glad to be of service.

  If Jehovah already knows everything then He already knows how his little game will play out.

  This brings up the whole "predestination/does God know everything vs. free will" question. The Watchtower's take on this still makes my head hurt. God selectively uses his foreknowledge when he really has to, but most of the time he just covers his eyes & ears and goes "la, la, la. la, la, la. I'm choosing not to see the future."

  So, how many hours do you have this month?

  Haven't dipped below the National Average in years. The pen is mightier than the Service Overseer.

  OM
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  drew sagan

  The way that the Watchtower logic completes the circle of madness is that when you suggest that you have their lives in your hands they will abruptly tell you that you do not. That God will save those worth saving and that if you allow yourself to be used then you will be rewarded but if you don't let yourself be used then you will be blood guilty.
  
  Of course, telling people they are responsible makes it seem much more important. Telling somebody that they should do something but God will take care of it regardless doesn't get people too fired up.
  
  Personally, I think the very fact that the WTS has to motivate people to go out in field service through fear shows how out of touch this activity of theirs is. It was developed during a time when the believers where much more excited about the cause, and mostly all members where first or second generation. As time goes on you can never continue to keep that kind of excitement going. It died out for the Mormons, the adventists, the Christian Scientists, and now it is dying out for the JWs. They are moving into a time when their members are going to be a lot less excited and a lot more every day. Field Service is a reminder of where they used to be, not where they are going.