"We don't FORCE FEED our children spiritual food." Oh really? (page 3)

Inquisitor

"Spiritual food" is not about having family dinners, giving role models, spending quality time with kids, etc etc. Those are examples of good parenting skills. Not "spiritual food". "Spiritual food" is for the spiritually mature, remember? It refers to the JW doctrines and their apologetics. Don't throw a red herring into this discussion, reniaa.

Inquisitor

They did. I lapped it up. That was why I knew exactly what I was rejecting when I left.

INQ

Open mind

sKally:

I DO get what you're saying.

I just disagree with most of it.

Case in point:

Begging your pardon, turning around and addressing your fellow-trapped-in congregants with this inquiry would have been more EFFECTIVE than asking it on an established anti-jw/wt forum.

What kind of a fantasy world are you living in? You make it sound like all it takes is for the average rank and file JW to just HEAR your precious words of truth, and they would snap out of it. Dream on. JWs do not respond well to frontal assaults. They throw up mental shields, circle the wagons and will kick ANYONE to the curb in a heartbeat who dares defy the WT's authority.

Your intentions are noble, sKally, and I applaud that. But when it comes to effectiveness, I'm sticking with my plan.

Family first. Extended family second. Everybody else, only if they ask or show signs they might be open to "other ways of thinking", and then, only with great caution. If that makes me bloodguilty, (which you have implied in past interchanges) well I'm glad you're not the decidifier over me.

If it makes you feel any better, all the JWs in my area ARE in fact treated to your kind of frontal assaults at least 2 or 3 times a year when local sign-waving apostates do their thing. And if that activity wakes up a few JWs, more power to them. Personally, I think it just reinforces the stereotype that apostates are disgruntled, anti-social, nut-jobs who need to get a life. That is not MY OPINION, but I hear those words from the local JWs whenever the sign wavers come out.

om

sf

[[They throw up mental shields, circle the wagons and will kick ANYONE to the curb in a heartbeat who dares defy the WT's authority.]] Excuse #? I lost count. sKally

james_woods

This is yet another classic JW-cultural delusion. Right up there with -

"Witnesses are the happiest people on earth"

"Witnesses are the most honest people on earth"

"Blood Transfusion and the Military Draft are personal conscience matters"

And, of course - the JWD ultimate apology classic from just a few days ago on another thread about their hiding some teachings from bible studies:

"Witnesses do not recruit members"

chickpea

out of the mouths of babes

i just asked my 15 YO to resond to the opening post>>>
we do not force feed our children

QUOTE: I feel like they ripped my head off and shoved it down my throat

i will admit and accept my role in that "inculcation"

forgive me, progeny, i knew not what i was doing

yknot

Well number one parents have the right to raise their children with their beliefs.

Number two... since I wasn't there I can't fully discern his spin on the statement, was it a defensive haughty 'we don't' or was it a notice to the parents in the audience that teaching children isn't to be forced.

Etither way parents are responsible for the care and rearing of their young.

It can be argued that parents around the world 'force feed' vegetables, meat, dairy products,traditions, standards, beliefs, ignorance, political ideologies and fashion to name a few.

frankiespeakin

Yeah,

I guess being made to go to meetings and listening to mind numbing talks, don't count in this brother mind as forced feeding spiritual food. I'ts all POV I guess.

james_woods

Ynot - are you trying to be a fairness monitor here, or are you actually doing the apologist thing for the JW parents?

The elder that was giving that talk was absolutely praising the status quo of child-training according to JW principles.

If he were precautioning against "force-feeding" - i.e. "brainwashing" he could and should have said so openly. As in - parents, don't study with them 24/7 - let them be kids. Time for religion will come in it's due time? He would lose his position if he said such a thing.

The reality of a JW kid is being forced into five hour meetings a week (well, in my day it was - now 45 minutes each), being dragged into field service both Saturday and Sunday, having a home bible study in addition to that, and always walking on eggshells at school for fear that some activity or lesson would not be acceptable - and an embarrasing parent-teacher conference would ensue. Assembly when other kids went to camp or took a vacation to Yellowstone. It is and was a living hell by any normal standard.

Also, you are being taught stuff that will positively disable you from getting a normal post-public school education, being able to reason, interact with normal society, or get a decent job in later life. You are being made a puppet-junior of a good witness; same process as the little brown-shirted Hitler youth movement.

flipper

Well- If you don't call " force feeding " your children spiritual food by telling your son that when he turned 18 he would be kicked out of the house if he didn't attend meetings - then no, my son wasn't force fed the " spiritual food " by my ex-wife a fanatic witness . Lovely lady. Not

"We don't FORCE FEED our children spiritual food." Oh really?

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