All the replies would be good. I can't wait to read what you write, Barbara. All I can add is never let these emails get you down. You are doing something so outstanding I can't even put it into words.
Please read condemnatory email sent to me and help me reply
by AndersonsInfo 95 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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AndersonsInfo
That's an interesting viewpoint, djk, and one I never gave thought to before. If I agreed with you, I definitely would not reply to the teenager's email. Anybody else want to weigh-in with their opinion?
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watson
He makes a pretty good point.
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BabaYaga
It is NEVER wrong to tell someone at ANY age to question. You are not telling him or her to outright disobey... not parents, not the organization, but just to question and be aware.
As far at this being a child, he or she is a teen. A teenager may well be considered JW marrying age (remember how young some would be wed?) or even 18... a legal adult. I would have NO qualms whatsoever telling this so called "child" to open her eyes. A child? She was adult enough to get baptized, but not adult enough to ask questions? -
AndersonsInfo
Well, that does it for me. I agree 100% with BabaYaga so don't anybody try to get me to change my mind cause I'm gonna tell the teenager just exactly how I feel about what she/he wrote me. This young person writes astonishingly good for a teen, although way off base as he/she parroted WT's judgmental jargon. This is not a dummy, folks. I bet this kid's grades are at the top in Writing Class, although a bit lacking in the critical thinking area? Personally, I don't think it's necessary to even consider the ethical dilemma of whether I'm usurping parental rights in this matter of discussing religion with a young person, especially one whose expressions are intellectually above the average. As a JW, I talked religion all the time to teens when I went door to door and even studied with them, if that's what they wanted to do. If Washington State recognized a 16 year-old's "mature minor" status when he refused medical treatment for religious reasons over the objection of his parents, I sure can respond to this young person's wholly uncalled for, obdurate, unethical, and not exactly moral wish that God kill me, and my conscience doesn't bother me one bit for doing it.
Barb
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seek2find
I agree with what Minimus said earlier in this thread. If I were you, I'd write her back and tell her how glad I am to see that she's at least was open minded enough to read some of your material. I think I would ask her some thought provoking questions, to see if I could stimulate her thinking a little more. Maybe something like: "In the Bible the Person who became the Apostle Paul was very dedicated to the Organization of his time. So much so that he even engaged in much hatred and violence defending it. But did that make him right?(see Acts 8:1-3 and Phil 3:6)" I think I would keep it upbeat, and not be critical of her. Dale Carnagie said in his book "How to win friends and influence people" that criticizing never works because it just puts the person on the defensive. I believe he was correct. The reactions of many here who read her comments seem to confirm his statement. "Criticisms are like homing pigeons, they always return" In contrast, Love for others seeks a different course. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Cor 13:4,5 (NIV) seek2find
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purplesofa
don't think it's necessary to even consider the ethical dilemma of whether I'm usurping parental rights in this matter of discussing religion with a young person, especially one whose expressions are intellectually above the average.
She contacted you, and might I add, against the counsel from Bethel not go to such sites. .
She is curious about something.
purps
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AndersonsInfo
seektofind: Thank you for your input, but be assured that I would never be unkind when replying to any offensive emails. (And I sure get my share of them.) That's not my way of doing things, and apparently the kind way is the way 99.9% of those who offered suggestions on this thread would handle this particular situation, so put your mind at ease. My last post was directed at the poster who thought maybe I was overstepping parental rights in this matter if I discussed religion. Perhaps I sounded harsh, but I didn't mean to. My point was that this person contacted me, not the other way around. No matter if the writer is underage, I have a right to respond (but kindly, of course).
I also would like to assure all the wonderful people who have PMd me that I'm not upset, nor do I take it personally because I receive negative emails. I knew when I put myself out there in the public eye, my efforts would not be appreciated by most JWs because at one time I thought just like them and I wouldn't have liked someone like me either for going public airing JWs dirty laundry. The major reason I posted the email that started this thread was to get fresh ideas from the very smart people who post on JWD. It's always good to listen to ideas of others because in my case I think my responses have been getting stale.
And, one more thing, I want to thank all the posters who have written complimentary and kind words for my benefit. I appreciate your words and thoughts more than I can say.
Barb
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Mary
Hey Barb.....I would also direct this little twit to the WT's own website:
Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
In this series:
- Propaganda Can Be Deadly
- The Manipulation of Information
- Do Not Be a Victim of Propaganda!
- Is the Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Propagandistic?
Related topics:
Do Not Be a Victim of Propaganda!
"A fool will believe anything." —P ROVERBS 14:15, T ODAY'S E NGLISH V ERSION.
THERE is a difference—a big difference—between education and propaganda. Education shows you how to think. Propaganda tells you what to think. Good educators present all sides of an issue and encourage discussion. Propagandists relentlessly force you to hear their view and discourage discussion. Often their real motives are not apparent. They sift the facts, exploiting the useful ones and concealing the others. They also distort and twist facts, specializing in lies and half-truths. Your emotions, not your logical thinking abilities, are their target.
The propagandist makes sure that his message appears to be the right and moral one and that it gives you a sense of importance and belonging if you follow it. You are one of the smart ones, you are not alone, you are comfortable and secure—so they say.
How can you protect yourself from the types of people that the Bible calls "profitless talkers" and "deceivers of the mind"? ( Titus 1:10 ) Once you are familiar with some of their tricks, you are in a better position to evaluate any message or information that comes your way. Here are some ways to do this.
Be selective: A completely open mind could be likened to a pipe that lets just anything flow through it—even sewage. No one wants a mind contaminated with poison. Solomon, a king and educator in ancient times, warned: "Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps." ( Proverbs 14:15 ) So we need to be selective. We need to scrutinize whatever is presented to us, deciding what to accept and what to reject.
However, we do not want to be so narrow that we refuse to consider facts that can improve our thinking. How can we find the right balance? By adopting a standard with which to measure new information. Here a Christian has a source of great wisdom. He has the Bible as a sure guide for his thinking. On the one hand, his mind is open, that is, receptive to new information. He properly weighs such new information against the Bible standard and fits what is true into his pattern of thinking. On the other hand, his mind sees the danger of information that is entirely inconsistent with his Bible-based values.
Discernment enables you to discard irrelevant or misleading information
Use discernment: Discernment is "acuteness of judgment." It is "the power or faculty of the mind by which it distinguishes one thing from another." A person with discernment perceives subtleties of ideas or things and has good judgment.
Using discernment, we will be able to recognize those who are merely using "smooth talk and complimentary speech" in order to "seduce the hearts of guileless ones." ( Romans 16:18 ) Discernment enables you to discard irrelevant information or misleading facts and distinguish the substance of a matter. But how can you discern when something is misleading?
Put information to the test: "Beloved ones," said John, a first-century Christian teacher, "do not believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions." ( 1 John 4:1 ) Some people today are like sponges; they soak up whatever they come across. It is all too easy to absorb whatever is around us.
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kerj2leev
Wouldn't most of the prophets be consider apostates?