New Truths

larc

I am a newcomer and have thoroughly enjoyed the last couple weeks communicating with all of you.

I have generally kept abreast of the new truths, but am not clear on some details. For example, as of about 1986, college is now OK, but I think it is supposed to be limited to degrees and subjects that are directly job related. What are the written and unwritten rules on this subject?

It is now permissible to serve in nonmilitary, government jobs when drafted instead of facing prison. Did this cause resentment for those older ones who had a much tougher standard?

What are the frorbidden words today? Is "luck" still a bad word, because gambling is of Satan. You used to be able to say things like: "Fortunately, the bank safe missed my head when it fell from the ten story window.", but if you used the word "Luckily" instead of "fortunately" you were spiritually weak. Bulletin Board was a bad term because it was of Catholic origin as in Papal Bull. The apostates used to be called "the evil slave class" which brought as much fear and trembling as the new term, apostate, does.
Any new bad words?

Do they still write about demons and does unwritten theory among the rank and file still conain stories about demon infested sofas and how to get rid of the demons?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Pathofthorns

College:

I think they encourage more courses that can be completed within 2 years or less preferably. Having to stay away from home (and meetings?) is discouraged. Education is always with a view to supporting yourself as a pioneer. (funny all the ones who encourage it aren't presently pioneering.) I think much also depends on the area and hall you attend, local attitudes etc.

Government jobs:

Not really sure, but can these ones really speak freely and say how they feel? Does anyone really care? Too bad their consciences were more sensitive than others, isn't it?

Bad Words:

Luck is still among many to be a bad word. But i think most of these once forbidden words have faded away. You'd be surprised at how many elders and others in responsible positions use swear words. I think they've backed down to appear less cult-like. But amongst the older crowd, this "internet" is just terrible.

Demons:

A noticable disappearance of great "demon" encounters. Probably realize it makes us look fanatical and that many of past experiences can be attributed to psychological factors. I've been asking myself were have these great stories gone to? Although there still is that lingering paranoia about garage sales and second hand shops.. LOL

Path

Helen

for a brief while Pokemon was said to be like the smurfs and parents were encouraged to NOT get the kids one.. cussing is more abundant than when I was a kid..I hear my devout mom cuss all the time, then she says "well I was really ticked at blah blah blah" like it made it ok...or maybe I have rubbed off on her..lol

RedhorseWoman

The Pokemon scare lasted until Harry Potter burst on the scene. Those books are now the childhood demon bastion for the new century.

Angharad

stories about demon infested sofas and how to get rid of the demons

When Simon and myself, first started having doubts and going to fewer meetings, I was asked by a sister whether we had been buying any second hand books or furniture - because you never know whose had them before you, and what they have been used for.

MMMM ... maybe just maybe, they were used for reading and sitting on!

thinker

I'm always looking to add to my collection of watchtower absurdities. I'm not familiar with the "demon sofas". Can anyone point me to a written record of this?

larc

Thinker,

You won't find the demon theory in print, it was part of the oral tradition in the witness culture. I'll give you an example. My wife's mother and father retired to Arizona from Ohio. They bought a piece of furniture in Mexico and later my mother-in-law concluded that it was demonized and got rid of it (Perhaps Mexicans have more demons than we do.) Later, my wife's folks paid for my youngest daught to visit; their purpose was to convert her. She brought along her diary against my wife's advice. I think her diary had some explicit fantasies in it. The devious grandmother went through my daughter's things and read the diary, and concluded that my very sweet, nice daughter was demon possessed. I often thought that this theory was especially peculiar. If a demon wanted to hang around wouldn't it just flit from one thing to another? Why would it leave because the sofa left? If I was a demon, I wouldn't live in a smelly old sofa, I would be sitting next to you watching television and I would channel surf when you left the room. JW's think theories are bad but they sure had one here, and it was a strange one.

Path,

I met a young witness male who was a senior in a 5 year college engineering program. so he was an exception to the rule, although, as you point out, there are local variations in what is acceptable.

Dress code: A couple years ago there was a convention in my city. I dropped in, but did not fit in since I had a beard..I would describe the general style of dress at the convention as 1950's Ozzie and Harriet.

Does the severity of treatment towards those who have left vary over time? My sister didn't talk to me for fifteen years; now she does. Is she breaking the rules?

Have the funeral services improved any? They used to spend a lot of time on doctrine and almost no time talking about the deceased. They did not realize how offensive this was to non-JW friends and relatives.

larc

I forgot to mention that the sofa is just an example. Demons could reside in any object that came from a worldly source. BTW, why would demons inhabit worldly people's goods? Satan has already got them. Seems to me, that it would be a better allocation of Satan's resources if the demons only pestered JW's. The theory does have some holes in it.

RedhorseWoman

larc, as far as the treatment of former members is concerned, the rules change from year to year.

While I was still active, I was very concerned with the proper conduct in this regard when my sister and brother-in-law were df'd. My Mom and I finally gave up....the "rules" switched back and forth so often that we couldn't keep up with them. We just did what seemed appropriate.

The last JW funeral I attended was that of my mother. I was totally devastated by it. I had given the speaker, who was supposedly a good friend of my mom's, some little personal tidbits from her last months in a nursing home. Small happenings that showed her courage and humanity in spite of the devastating stroke she had suffered.

He mentioned none of them. His talk was simply an advertisement for the "wondrous world of the JW". As far as he was concerned, my mother might as well have never existed. Needless to say, I got no comfort from it.

JAVA

RedhorseWoman: I've been out of the Tower's loop for awhile, but your post about Pokemon and Harry Potter books being the "childhood demon bastion for the new century" brought to mind something that happened in our family.

I was on a business trip and bought a Papa Smurf doll for my young daughter. She loved it. While away on another trip my JW spouse heard noises in the house one evening. (We had a old home, and it wasn't that uncommon to hear the creaks and groans old homes make in the winter.) My spouse was convinced the noises were coming from Papa Smurf and the so-called demon he brought with him. She burned the doll, and stayed up half the night praying with my daughter.

Is it any wonder many JW kids go through life with some unreasonable fears they struggle with for years?

Edited by - JAVA on 15 December 2000 12:4:3

New Truths

Share this