True Spirituality - Can You Attain It?

Farkel

Sane people define spiritual an inner way of being, of growing closer to the Source or Higher Power. It is "fostering a transcendent experience that lies beyond all names and yet the experience longs to be articulated and made concrete in everyday living. It is easier to describe what spiritual direction does than what spiritual direction is. Spiritual direction helps us learn how to live in peace, with compassion, promoting justice, as humble servants of that which lies beyond all names."

I like that definition of spirituality.

Note that sane people understand that from this way of being, there is a longing to act it out in everyday living. In other words, first you BE spiritual, then you will ACT like spiritual people act. That makes perfect sense.

Now, what is the Watchtower's take on spirituality? It is completely the OPPOSITE of everyone else's understand of spirituality. First you ACT by doing stuff and only THEN can you BECOME spiritual. This makes no logical sense, does it? Normal people first become spiritual, and out of that spirituality, they do spiritual things. Jehovah's Witnesses first DO "spiritual" things, and out of a lot of doing, they BECOME spiritual? Bad people who run around doing good works are spiritual and good people who don't run around doing good works are not? Huh?

It is important to understand this, since as we all know it is the Watchtower and ONLY the Watchtower that speaks for God, and SURELY God must know what being spiritual is all about! Since God knows what being spiritual is all about and since only the Watchtower can convey what God thinks, and since being spiritual is the primary goal for all Christians, then logically, the Watchtower MUST know all about what spirituality really is.

I was universally considered very spiritual when I was a dubbie. I was a spiritual role model to people my age. I sold books, and I was a jerk. But at least I was spiritual!

As it is to be expected, rather than just have a simple understanding of what it means to be spiritual, the Watchtower has to attach degrees to spirituality, degrees that are judgmental. There are only two degrees of spirituality that I recall from my Watchtower days:

"Spiritually Strong", and "Spiritually Weak." There is no such thing as "Really, Really, Spiritually Super strong", or no such thing as "Spiritually Medium", or no such thing as "a Spiritual Loser." Yet. Perhaps the Watchtower folks are reading this thread, and maybe taking notes, so maybe we'll see those designations pop up in future literature.

Maybe they might come up with a little badge that all dubs have to wear that carries their current spiritual "grade." It could be sort of like a TMS grading sheet for talks.

"SS" - super-spiritual superstar.

"S" - spiritually strong.

"A" - spiritually average (a "C" grade in school)

"F" - falling in spiritually.

"L" - spiritual loser.

"W" - spiritual weenie

"DA" - disfellowshiped/disassociated spiritual asshole.

"DASLA" - "demonized apostate spiritual loser asshole.

Since dubs spend a good portion of their lives evaluating and re-evaluating every one else's spirituality but their own, it is important to remember that everything a dub does or says is recorded somewhere by various members and leaders of the Congregation. This way their spiritual report card is always current and in tip-top condition!

There is a screening process that constantly goes on for determining someone's spirituality. It goes something like this:

Pioneer who meets hour goals - "S" or "SS" ranking

Regular publisher who attends all meetings - "S" or "A" ranking

Irregular publisher - "F" ranking

Inactive publisher - "L" ranking

Pain-in-the-ass regular publisher - "W" ranking

Keep in mind that you can drop from "Super Spiritual Superstar" to "Demonized Apostate Spiritual Loser Asshole" in the space of 5 minutes by merely asking a few unapproved questions.

Now, I haven't forgotten to mention that meeting attendance or lack of it is also taken into consideration when ranking a dub's spirituality. The formula is complicated and beyond the scope of this topic. It involves calculus and I was never any good at calculus.

An outsider might be wondering how a dub's perceived spirituality is affected by the dub's kindness, compassion, charity, support, love, forgiveness and tenderness towards others.

Wonder no more! That stuff doesn't mean shit! Nada! Zero! Zilch!

In my personal experience as a dub, some of the biggest assholes I've ever known were considered "spiritually strong" and some of the finest people I've ever known were considered "spiritually weak."

Maybe the Watchtower better give God a call and ask Him why that is.

Farkel

purplesofa

I remember feeling so downtrodden when I would see the pioneer sisters praised so much for their spiritualality and what deep love they had for Jehovah, when all I could do was make it to the meetings and my required field service to keep from being inactive.

I had five kids, single mom, worked full time. My circumstances never allowed me to pioneer. My only hope was to come into a bundle of money so that I could.

I wished that I had an unbelieving mate that was worldy and made lots of money so I could pioneer! and then be accepted and looked at

as the very very spiritual person that I thought I was.

Good post!

purps

Satanus

True, the wt has it backwards.

'first you BE spiritual'

'Course, they don't believe that people have a spiritual aspect, so basically, they are outside of the playing field, and outside the stadium, so to speak. The churches are in the game at least, as they believe that we HAVE a 'soul'.

'first you BE spiritual'

So, let's say that, at our core, we ARE spirit. Then, everyone is, already spiritual. Then, being spiritual is as simple as transcending all the higher faculties, like the mind, the ego, the emotions, etc and discovering our true nature. Very simple, yet very difficult. As jamesthomas and poppers would say, ask yourself, who/what is having the thoughts, feelings, etc.

S

AllTimeJeff

Great post.

Spirituality is always at the forefront of my mind, even if worshiping "god" and joining a church aren't.

I always got a kick at how "spiritual" someone became just because they filled out a pioneer app.

As an elder, I did enjoy helping to delete two regular pioneers who were the heigth of arrogance and self righteousness. Never a nice thing to say about anyone and the movies they watched, or how they did their ministry. All because they were pioneers, they could judge. For Jehovah of course.

We busted them because they thought they were more correct then the elders, and would frequently say so. This would be a rare case where the elders got it right, and we told them both that "spirituality is not a by product of the title you have".

Since I have left, I wonder if they think their deletions were tainted. I hope not, I would do it again. Those two if they ever got back on the theocratic pony would be hell on wheels to deal with.

Elsewhere

The closest thing to a Spiritual Experience in my life was my first bowel movement after hemorrhoid surgery.

nicolaou

The Fallacy of Sprituality

poppers

The closest thing to a Spiritual Experience in my life was my first bowel movement after hemorrhoid surgery.

Good one Elsewhere. I can relate to that - after my gall bladder was removed I practically jumped for joy after my first bowel movement.

easyreader1970

The WBTS is usually pretty careful to define what they want to be as "spiritual mindedness". This means that you are falling in line with their rules and regulations, behaving as they expect you to behave and being obedient. It's the same sort of wordplay that they use when they differentiate between "freedom of speech" and "freeness of speech". The former means that you have the right to say and the latter means that you're supposed to be going out knocking on doors every Saturday morning.

So they will seldom refer to someone as being spiritual but they will use the words "spiritual minded" which is their on brand name for spirituality.

er

Elsewhere

> Good one Elsewhere. I can relate to that - after my gall bladder was removed I practically jumped for joy after my first bowel movement.

lol

However, I think you missed the point: I was full of stiches and sutures at the time. In the "process" I managed to pop a few out.

It was bad. Reeeeeal baaaad"

eyeslice

The Watchtower society certainly has its definition of 'spirituality' that would not be recognised outside of the organization. Personally, I met very few what I would term 'spiritual' elders. Most of their conversations used to center round the latest auto they had bought or the latest soccer game. It used to frustrate me no end.

I do think there is such a thing as spirituality; a sense that there is something outside of our physical needs and desires. It is what makes us human and gives rise to the greatest humanartistic and intellectual achievements.

I only hope that I can find the inner peace and calmness that comes with finding that spirituality before my time comes to die. This is probably why I like the ideas of Budhism at the moment.

True Spirituality - Can You Attain It?

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