No One Should Be Made to Choose…..LIES from July 09 Awake

by Hopscotch 216 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Hopscotch

  Ziddinia - The article about the Mennonites that Scully was referring to is possibly the Sept 1 2005 entitled "Mennonites Search for Bible Truth". Here is some information from this article along with some direct quotes.

  After describing some of the things that are controlled and forbidden by some Mennonite groups, the article states:

  "Many feel oppressed and live in dread of being expelled from the community - a terrible prospect for one who has never experienced life outside"

  It then gives the story of John, who saw a copy of the Watchtower magazine and obtained a subscription for it. After he died 10 members of his family met some JW missionaries and started a study. After the first study, this is what the article said happened:

  "A few days later, the church elders came to the home of Johns family with an ultimatum for the interested ones. "We heard that Jehovah's Witnesses visited you. You must forbid them to return and unless you hand over their literature to be burned, you face expulsion"......."We cannot do as you ask" replied one of the family heads. How did the elders react? They expelled them for studying the Bible!. This was a cruel blow indeed."

  The article then goes on to describe the hardships faced by those that were expelled, such as being dismissed from their job and a wife taken away from her expelled husband.

  So according to the Watchtower, this type of punishment is "a terrible prospect" and "a cruel blow" and yet they happily dish it out to any of their own members who want to investigate the Bible using literature from other religions or to those who decide they can no longer follow an organisation that they believe is teaching falsehoods.

  Hopscotch
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  steve2

  "A few days later, the church elders came to the home of Johns family with an ultimatum for the interested ones. "We heard that Jehovah's Witnesses visited you. You must forbid them to return and unless you hand over their literature to be burned, you face expulsion"......."We cannot do as you ask" replied one of the family heads. How did the elders react? They expelled them for studying the Bible!. This was a cruel blow indeed."

  Until I read this quote from the Watchtower, I hadn't realized how much of a brazen double-standard exists. It is damn near impossible to imagine either the person(s) who wrote this or any JW who reads it not thinking, "Wait a minute...that's exactly what the elders do to anyone who is suspected of questioning the Watchtower...
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  passwordprotected

  Hi Steve, welcome! You now have the same realisation as me! This is exactly what we hope our families will feel when they read this Awake magazine. Our question is, how can they go from door-to-door offering the July 2009 Awake magazine knowing that JWs are forced to choose between their beliefs and their family.
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  drew sagan

  One thing to note:

  Because the Watchtower never fully describes how their policies are morally justified such arguments are left for the members to make up whatever they feel "fills the gap".

  For example: Because the Watchtower never actually comes out and says "this double standard is OK because we have the truth and all those other people do not" they are leaving it up to active JWs to do the dirty work.

  Of course the magazines heavily imply a double standard, but never actually go as far as to lay it all out. Then they let people who have no connection with organization policy to create their own defense for this double standard. Again, this defense is implied but sometimes we may actually hear differeant ideas as to why it is justified coming from JW relatives and friends. This is because it all is left to interpretation and there is bound to be some variation on what JWs say. The leaders are never held accountable for what they write.

  I suppose this might be an area in which journalists and other media sources should call the Watchtower out on their hypocracy, but for the most part such things just arn't seen as worth covering I suppose.

  So in essence the Watchtower will always resort back to "we never said that". Confront the leaders of the group about this double standard and I bet they would reply that "we never have published information that says people have to choose between being JW and their family".

  But of course the didn't. They never had to. They simply state what a policy is and pretend that contradictory and negative effects do not exsist. In the rare occurance that they will be "held accountable" for what they write it is only in the context of former members and non members approaching JWs who have no connection to the main authority structure of the group. Those who actually write this crap know they will never have to explain and defend it. Who is going to hold them accountable for what they write? They know they have the upper hand.

  So not only are they cowards for not confronting tough issues, they are also cowards for dropping the defense of their corrupt policies on people who have nothing to do with creating them.
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  Marjorie

  Drew:

  But is that what they really mean? They never explain the details and instead keep their articles generic and ambiguous. A JW and a non-jw will take away differeant things from this. A JW will recognize that this rule applies except when somebody is leaving "the truth" while a non-jw will most likely believe it implies universal application.

  Boyzone:

  I took this article into work today to show my colleagues along with the relevant paragraphs from the "How to treat a disfellowshipped person" appendix studied 2 weeks ago at the meeting. I explained that the Awake article was for the public and the appendix material was for Jehovahs Witnesses. I wanted to show them the Awake because they may be offered it on their doorstep.

  They were gobsmacked at the opposite statements made. One of my colleagues actually couldn't believe that JW's would be that devious. I explained that the public face can be very different to the private one and only when they've convinced you its the truth do you find out whats really involved.

  That is the crux of the matter. Most people do know what the JW belief system is comprised of, and will never really know unless they become a member or are given a truthful critique by someone who is knowledgeable about the WTS. When my JW relatives were busy trying to convert me as a child/teenager, did they mention any of this shunning stuff? Of course not. It was only after my baptism as a JW (mission accomplished), that I began to find out the hideous truth - and I was appalled.
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  treadnh2o

  I agree with most of the thoughts here, however, I think everyone fails to realize that 99% of the JW's do not THINK about what they hear or read.

  The active ones who actually pick up on this are probably looking for something.

  I know when I was in, everything "made sense" until I thought about it. Once you realize it is crap you will find all the inaccuracies.

  The other advantage to the dubs is it is a statement that can be referenced years down the road for whatever reason they want.
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  ziddina

  Thanks, Hopscotch, found the article - and in the process, found another weird one about "Setting the Proper Bride Price" about buying a bride in Africa.. Weird, weird, weird!!

  Anyhoo, I am planning on obtaining at least one copy of the July 2009 Awake and printing out that "Mennonite" article, and just wait 'till that next JW shows up on my doorstep!!! They may not THINK! - But I'm gonna make 'em RUN!! Zid
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  drew sagan

  I agree with most of the thoughts here, however, I think everyone fails to realize that 99% of the JW's do not THINK about what they hear or read.

  I think we all pretty much took this into account. I suppose some just hold onto a little bit more hope when it comes to family that is in the org. I'm not so optimistic.
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  Mary

  I told Gumby about this article and he was absolutely shocked as his family has been giving him a hard time recently about not towing the line and are more or less prepared to start the shunning all over again if he doesn't keep his 'apostate ideas' to himself. He hasn't gotten this Craptower yet (funny how us 'postates get the ragazines first eh?) but when he does, he's going to ask each and every one of his family members why they don't practice what they preach and get off his back.
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  Gordy

  I had to keep reading this over and over again.

  This is nothing more than total hypocrisy by the Watchtower.