WT term "should be avoided" how do you understand it?

?me?

Reading a recent posting from blondie on gambling, i saw a phrase that i have seen often in the magazines, and more notably in the Flock book. that is the phrase " (whatever activity or thought......... ) should be avoided" . now if you ask me this leaves room for doing such activity, but clearly, well, kind of clearly discourages said activity. i mean, you never see it said in the magazines, "killing someone SHOULD BE AVOIDED, or fornication SHOULD BE AVOIDED, but on more gray area matters that phrase is used quite often. WT QUOTE POSTED BY BLONDIE..-------------Since we are living in a world that already has too many snares and temptations, why unnecessarily expose ourselves to yet another? (Proverbs 27:12) Gambling—with or without children present, for small or for large sums—endangers spirituality and SHOULD BE AVOIDED. Christians who enjoy board or card games as recreation would be better advised to keep a penciled score or to play the game simply for fun without keeping score. Wise Christians who care about their own spirituality as well as that of their friends and family avoid the practice of gambling—even for small sums of money------------------ there are other examples in the flock book about activities that "should be avoided" if i recall correctly.... maybe that phrase is just a more politically correct and nicer way of saying MUST BE DONE ? because avoiding something make it seem like "you would be better off not doing it, but do it if you want" like YOU SHOULD AVOID THAT INTERSECTION BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC IS BAD. ---- meaning, for your own good, avoid it, but if you go through it it may be a hassle, but you can do it if you want. just my thoughts

LDH

It's their wiggle room to allow them to disfellowship you if they don't like you.

freethinker2009

Most witnesses who hear that term will say they will not do it, "Should be avoided" means Dont do it!!!

FT09

Witness 007

You will be disfellowshiped for Gambling.....some magazines say "should be avoided" but the Elders will kick you out...unless you plead ignorance or are repentant.

Witness 007

The reason they use the term "should be avoided" is because they know that there is no scriptural basis for the ban so they need to "pussy foot" around, using trems like this.

shopaholic

meaning, for your own good, avoid it, but if you go through it it may be a hassle, but you can do it if you want.

That's how I understood it which is why I went to my high school prom, among other things. My mom, a liberal JW who thinks the same way, simply told us not to tell anyone in the congregation. However, I could only go if a relative was my escort. Oh well, something was better than nothing. My cousin was busy flirting with all the girls which left me free to actually enjoy myself.

But yes, to most JWs "should be avoided" means a definitive "is not allowed" or "is not something a real JW would do".

Mickey mouse

Like "it's a conscience matter". Loading you with guilt so you won't do it and think it was your own idea not to.

jws

"Should be avoided" always meant "don't do it". And other JWs were in sync with this.

I'm like you. I'd be like, "Shouldn't" doesn't mean "don't". But that's not the way other JWs will see it. It might as well have read "don't ever even think about doing it".

Another term sometimes used like this are things like "Mature Christians would not want to do that". If it looks like there is wiggle room for the average Christian, think again.

WTWizard

Another way to hound you for doing something that would take away from field circus. Things that should be avoided include excessive fun, relaxation, sleep, secular work, excessive time taken to get to the calls, coffee breaks, getting up too late to make 5:30 AM street work, retiring for the day before 1:30 AM, talking to members of the opposite sex (except to drag them into the cancer), etc.

Do anything that "should be avoided", and Brother Hounder is going to have a stroke and waste a few hours of your time chewing you out for it.

WT term "should be avoided" how do you understand it?

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