(and may you all have peace!), but I would like to comment, if I may... as well as thank Simon (thank you, Simon!) for this thread. I don't normally post elsewhere besides "Friends" (usually) and "Beliefs & Doctrines" (rarely)... because there's just too many "places" and I'm a fairly simply girl (give me chocolate or vanilla, apples or oranges, white or wheat, 'cause after that I'm like a deer in the headlights)... so, I really just accidentally stumbled on this thread.
I have to say that I am sometimes very surprised... and confused... and even hurt... at how "new" folks are treated, given how the WTBTS treats those that are not "like" them. I often open threads where someone's authenticity, genuineness, and sincerity are being severely questioned... based very often on the [lack of] content of their comments... and such person being labeled a "troll" seemingly very quickly. In such instances, I can't help think but that some of "us" learned from them very well. Perhaps TOO well.
Truthfully, I don't really understand what a "troll" is (I apologize but I haven't kept up with the terminology for Internet activity like this forum) but it doesn't seem like a GOOD thing. And so I think, "Why are they treating this person this way, why are they questioning this particular person's motives?" Isn't being able to come here and post, well, almost whatever one wants to one of the BEAUTY'S of this place? I mean, I have seen some posts... even by "long-timers"... that have seriously caught me offguard... and would make me think long and hard about who I send here.... and they have absolutely nothing to do with JWs, the WTBTS, or anything related (in spite of the site's declaration of the purpose for its existence).
IMHO, however, due to Simon and Angharad's "tolerance" this place could be considered, at least as far as physical places to "gather" are considered, the exact opposite of that WTBTS, at least to the extent that what you believe... or don't... is not a prerequisite to participation: believe... or don't believe... what you will but be prepared to back it up somehow as you most probably will be called to do so by someone. Fair enough.
But by attacking those who have one foot in the WTBTS and the other on a banana peel...but have not yet perceived this for themselves... I fear that some have actually ran such ones BACK to the captor that "we" are now free (to some extent) from. Is that what such folks REALLY want... to send them BACK? Yikes!! No, I can't believe that that is the TRUE underlying desire. Rather, I think a lot of the "tit-for-tat" is merely the result of [very] hurt feelings... particularly on the "older than the newbie" posters' side.
Dear ones, now... NO ONE should be able to "hurt" our feelings... without our permission. Not anymore. Certainly not any of them. If they (the WTBTS) truly no longer have a hold on someone... that someone ALONE then has the POWER to control how they feel about such things... including the overt "pushing" of WTBTS propoganda.
One thing I notice is that many newbies who visit here but are still "in" the WTBTS share the very familiar trait of not knowing how to properly spell, punctuate, comprehend, read, and/or properly express themselves in writing. Heck, they barely know how to THINK. For the most part, they merely know how to regurgitate and restate what has been taught them... "INCULCATED" in them.
But we KNOW this... we KNOW most of them are uneducated in a secular sense (some of us were, as well)... and should all remember how that was: virtually everything we ALL said at one time in our lives was prefaced by "the Society says," "the WT says," "my CO, PO, the DO" or someone else "said"... or similar. And when a "householder" countered with a legitimate question, we either looked to the Reasoning Book or some other publication, or the prepared and practiced statements we learned at the TMS to respond. God forbid they ask something that the publications didn't/hadn't directly addressed...or that we didn't exactly agree with the WTBTS' teaching on: we either had to set up a return visit (so that we could bring an elder... or "more experienced" brother/sister... back with us)... or we deftly changed the subject. Or we found a reason to leave the door altogether ("Well, it doesn't seem like you're interested in what this article/scripture is saying, so we need to take our leave now"... or some other non-sensical, almost deceitful response).
Look, most of them are just simply doing the best they can. YES, the WTBTS propoganda is transparent... to US. It is not, yet, to them, however. But we WANT it to be, right? Perhaps, then, "we" should take a bit more CARE... not let "ourselves" become easily offended... and let them get it out. "We" all understand that they THINK they're doing the right thing. At one time, we thought so, too. Now, we can CHOOSE... to "return evil for evil" when we feel like they're trying to "bait" "us" (as we did with when "in" the WTBTS)... OR we can give them the benefit of the doubt, that they simply DON'T know any better... yet. And eventually perhaps it is one of "us" who can at least help them see the false "light" of the WTBTS... if not see the TRUE Light that is Christ.
Bottom line: maybe you don't feel compelled to lead them to Christ. Okay, fair enough. But do you really want to be responsible for running them BACK to the WTBTS... just beause your [very] tender feelings were hurt? Of course, not. If they stay or go back on their own... that's entirely on them. But if they do it because one of us pushed them in that direction because WE were "offended" by something they posted, well... I would have say "we" should start looking... at the "man in the mirror"... and ask ourself if we really DID learn anything after leaving them. Whether leaving was our choice... or theirs.
Again, I bid you all peace... thank Simon (and Angharad)... and thank you for letting me get this off my 'chest.'
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
