The witness vocabulary...

mkr32208

I was thinking about this earlier while working on my pharmacology class for college. There is a massive medical field specific vocabulary that you have to learn. This got me thinking about the witnesses. To become a witness you have to learn a "witness only" vocabulary that is literally hundreds even THOUSANDS of words. I never thought about it really as I was born into it but that has to be really tasking for some of those who came in later in life! Especially since these words are rarely or NEVER used in regular life. These are words like "worldly" or "theocracy" that when you hear them in daily life make your ears go to points! I guess that's what they mean by "learning a new language."

It reminds me of a woman my mother had a study with in NY. She had studied with this woman for almost a year before she took her to the hall and she took her on a Thursday night. A few weeks later the woman told her she wanted to stop because "she didn't want to learn all these new words..."

My mother always used this as an example of how "educated" Jw's were but I think that it really just shows how much of a cult they are...

Did anyone have a problem with learning this? What are your favorite "witness words?"

wings

My mother always used this as an example of how "educated" Jw's were but I think that it really just shows how much of a cult they are...

I guess!!!!....yes I am one who learned the language. The words that most bothered me were "organization" and "society" spoken of like they were Deity.

wings (how are you doing?)

blondie

http://jehovah.to/glos/index.html

This is the Glossary of American English Hacker Theocratese. The book is:

[1] A {brother} of the male variety, serving Jehovah since 1971, presently as an {elder} in Arizona, USA. Why do I advertise my {spiritual credentials} ? Because {Witnesses} are rightly anxious to get to know the sort of persons they associate with. Therefore readers should know from the outset that this book and its author are both unreservedly pro- {Truth} .

The Glossary is about language used by {Jehovah's Witnesses} [2] in everyday life. There is nothing confidential about its contents. The information in it may be shared with anyone. In fact, I encourage its circulation.

[2] Phrases enclosed in curly brackets {like this} are cross references to headwords found in the Glossary's main body.

Because the Glossary may be freely redistributed, it has come to be available from various sources, including from some who have changed the original text without my permission. You can get reliably accurate electronic copies in various formats, as well as information about the Glossary's current version and history, from the Glossary's official site on the {World Wide Web}. See the following section for details.

NOTE: Computer novices beware: a little computer talk follows. Don't be intimidated by it. If you expect the discussion about redistribution, history, and conventions to be boring, or you don't want to read it, skip ahead to the section entitled The Glossary, where the headword entries begin.

Witness 007

"New World Society" "Spiritual food" "the truth"

Gopher

I was a "born in" JW, so I had the cultic vocabulary pounded into my noggin from the age of zero.

Here is a link to a concise, humorous glossary of J-dub terms from our poster Farkel: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/6021/1.ashx

WingCommander

If you are a younger JW, and wanna show off to the older Elders or CO / DO in your area, start calling the New System by it's "old school" name, which is of course, "The New Order." New Order this, New Order that. They'll think you are a 4th or 5th generation Dubbie if you start saying that. It impresses them that you are familiar with the older terminology.

Myself, if I were going to Bethel to impress, I'd get me a large Cadillac, some cheap JC Penny suits, and a couple a cases of Southern Comfort. I'd walk in staggering with one bottle of SC in my hand, and be spouting off orders to everyone. The Governing Body would think I am Da Judge, reincarnated.

Try it, it works. lol.

- Wing Commander

mkr32208

Blondie- That link was actually scary...

Bonnie_Clyde

Blondie - thanks for the link.

I thought of another term. As I was conversing with a new co-worker who I know is a witness but I don't think he knows that I am, I used the expression "marital arrangement." It just popped out. I don't remember ever hearing anybody but JW's use that expression.

Outaservice

Would you bet your life on an Organization that took years to figure out if it should be called a 'return visit' or a 'back call'? Not me.

Outaservice

WTWizard

I have heard a few doozies. "New light", meaning that the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger has decided to reinterpret something (often to confuse the witlesses into relearning something instead of thinking if it's really the truth". And "new truths"--which is a blatant lie because something is either always the truth or is a lie.

The witness vocabulary...

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