They Stone You When You Try to Figure Out....

SixofNine

Does this "ring a bell" with anyone? Pardon the pun. I have a vague recollection of being a kid, and struggling to figure out how to reconcile the practice of execution by stoning with a loving God. Actually, that memory isn't vague at all, that struggle was quite persistant; the vague part is hearing or seeing either the Society or my parents, try to reason on stoning.

I think this may have been my first experience with cognitive dissonance. Hmmmm, no wonder I was depressed most of my life, lol.

Does anyone recall the Society ever reasoning something along the lines of "well, the Isrealites no doubt used large stones first, so that the person would have been quickly knocked out if not killed immediately. See, not cruel at all!" ??? Sounds like something from a Monty Python skit as I think about it now.

Anyone else remember this? Anyone else remember having trouble getting your mind around this one?

Im'a be a frickin' Papist with a John Paul mask. The Real Slim Sixy

Mommie Dark

you betcha! Just one of many things that made no sense to me, and I always thought I was such a horrible person for not understanding that sort of godly love.

TweetieBird

Interesting question?

As a good little dub, I always trained my mind not to think negatively about such things. But one thing that did bother me when I was young was the fact that my next door neighbor, who was my best friend at the time, would die at Armageddon, just because she was not a JW. That puzzled me even as an adult until I read "Crisis of Conscience" then I recognized it as a scare tactic to keep people in line.

Billygoat

As a good little dub, I always trained my mind not to think negatively about such things. But one thing that did bother me when I was young was the fact that my next door neighbor, who was my best friend at the time, would die at Armageddon, just because she was not a JW.

Tweetie - that was exactly my experience too! My best childhood friend lived next door to me. She was born/raised in a Baptist house and had a wonderful, wonderful family! I couldn't understand how Jehovah would want to kill such nice people. But then again, I couldn't understand how such nice people wouldn't want the Truth either. Haha! I used to be so jealous of her and her brother. I've since learned that her parents always felt sorry for me and wished they could've adopted me. When I got DFed, she was one of the first people I went to for comfort. We talked on the phone for hours at a time. The closest thing I've ever had to a sister really. We are still close friends and stay in touch regularly. She says it's a comfort and relief knowing I'm not a JW anymore.

The other thing that bothered me was when I was DFed. I attended the meeting the announcement was made, with full intentions of trying to get re-instated. All the brothers and sisters hugged and loved on me before the meeting...knowing the announcement was coming. But after the meeting the coldness was unmistakeable and depressing. How could these friends and family be so awful when I needed them the most? What happened to the organization of love taking care of me? What happened to the God of love protecting me? I only stayed a few more weeks and then left. Haven't been back to a KH since.

Andi

DB

One account that bugs me is that of Achan, as reported in Joshua ch.7. True, the guy did wrong. But Joshua, in the attempt to single out the perp, says "My son, render, please, glory to Jehovah the God of Israel and make cofession to him, and tell me, please, What have you done? Do not hide it from me" to Achan, and when he fesses up, and if one looks at verses 20 and 21 he actually sounds repentant, or at least sorry, and yet he AND his whole family plus everything the guy owned was destroyed.

The only way I can somehow reconcile this account with a merciful God is that maybe Achan was not really sorry (or he was just sorry he got caught) and that God was able to see through it to his real heart motive. But if that is not the case, then it seems to me that a guy who confessed ought to have received more consideration.

patio34

Hi 6of9,

I remember a WT comment that by ancient standards, stoning was relatively humane. Now, stop and think, is bludgeoning a person to death ever considered humane? How about beating them to death? I think beheading or hanging would be far more humane than slowly stoning someone to death!! Even if there were large stones, it's still comparable to beating someone with a sledge hammer!

Shudder . . .
Pat

SixofNine

Patio,

That is probably the article that I am recalling. I remember thinking up scenarios in which killing someone with a big rock could be relatively humane. And indeed I came up with at least one. So don't mess with me. Of course, the bible doesn't specify a quick death blow to the head with a huge rock delivered by a powerful person. Nope, it gets the whole family involved. "Jimmy, Natalie, put down those toys and pick up some rocks this very instant, unless you want to end up beside your sister Rahab!

waiting

Howdy 6,

First of all - like your red striped tie. Second, the WTBTS was putting the "humane" spine on the death penalty style of the OT, imho. I don't think the Israelites were trying to be humane - just kill the sinner.

The WTBTS was just trying to justify the terror imposed on persons back then - so modern people wouldn't be offended so much, imho. Not to say we're much better in many cases.

Hey Billygoat

One thing you might not of thought about when you were df'd - not all jw's like the shunning aspect of df'ing. Perhaps those who knew what was going to happen, and made sure to hug you....were trying to say they liked you & hoped you'd come back to them soon. Because as soon as the df'ing was official, they'd follow the party line and shun you - many jw's think of df'ing as a form of discipline.

It doesn't necessarily mean that they stopped their good emotions towards you - they just stopped showing their emotions.

Sounds convoluted, and it is ...... but I remember talking about such things with sisters. Brothers didn't seem to get involved that much.
It is a strange way to live - but necessary when one is a jw.

How much nicer to just show our true friendliness, eh?

waiting

Btw, subject line - Bob Dylan knockoff?

slipnslidemaster

All I said was, "this halabit's good enought for Jeeehooovah"!

Slipnslidemaster:"The average person thinks he isn't."
- Father Larry Lorenzoni

They Stone You When You Try to Figure Out....

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