Note that these articles were from the June 2000 Awake! They were still UN NGO members at the time, no?
Watchtower.org on "Manipulation of Information" - Hypocrisy Alert
by skeeter1 24 Replies latest jw friends
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Funny how they don't really answer the question...
Is the Work of Jehovah's Witnesses Propagandistic?
They claim to be "educational". Yet, don't their very own publications, and their meetings and assemblies, DISCOURAGE EDUCATION from any instituation other than Watchtower Corp.?
Aren't they liars when many of their "prophecies" have turned out completely wrong? Aren't they liars when they flip-flop on teachings?
"Generalizations"? Hasn't Watchtower been very direct when calling all non-JWs "wicked" and deserving of destruction by God... very soon?
Would labelling people as "worldly", "wicked", "pagan", and "satanic" be considered "Name-Calling"?
How about "Playing on the Emotions"? They say, "For example, fear is an emotion that can becloud judgment." Isn't it true that after a "student" is hooked with the "hope of everlasting life", Watchtower Corp. reels the fearful victim in with the threat of destruction at armageddon of they don't get baptized as a Jehovah's Witness? Indeed, fear of imagined destruction would becloud judgment. They also say, "Some propagandists play on pride." Look carefully at WT literature and notice their use of expressions such as "right-hearted", "Bible students", and countless other empty praises and promises of unbelievable future blessings to those who strictly follow WT dogma. But for JWs, it is an oxymoron of "humble pride".
Slogans and Symbols? How about slogans such as "the truth", "in the truth", "faithful and discreet slave class", "anointed", "mother organization", and symbols such as the watchtower?
"Do Not be a Victim of Propoganda" most certainly condemns JWs for unquestioningly and unthinkingly following everything spewed forth from Watchtower Corporation!
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PSacramento
One of the sure ways to make people NOT look at you in a certain way is to point out your own negative qualities in others.
This works really well with groups and cults because people never want to be associated with anything bad so by saying that others do these bad things, people CHOOSE not to see those very same things in their own group.
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ziddina
Skeeter, the "Awake" article you are referring to was in the July 2009 issue - caused a lot of jaw-dropping disbelief among the ex-JW support group I attend - we couldn't believe the flagrant hypocrisy...
I believe the article was discussing a female member of a high-caste Indian family - not Muslim; perhaps Hindu...??
And that article's come back to bite them in their butts, too... That article is being quoted by ex-JWs and non-JWs alike as - well, as you stated, sly Watchtower manipulating information!!
Hope their own words ultimately fry the WTBTS... Zid
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agonus
Christ, talk about irony! I JUST finished posting, literally SECONDS ago, about the WT's warning people about "propaganda" and then turning around then using it themselves! Must be the leadings of the Spirit. And, BTW, this IS a religion that can drive people to the brink of suicide. I am barely-living proof. This is NOT somewhere they want to go with people like myself.
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yesidid
I remember those articles from 2000.
Are you saying they were repeated in 2009?
y
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Mad Sweeney
Not repeated in print but they're posted on the website at present.
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trustsinJah
This is still their position. The ability to test whether it is true and is an inspired expression only applies to non Witness information. Makes me so frustrated. If only they could truly see what they are saying and printing. Would Jesus still call them "Brothers"? I don't know, but you have to wonder if instead they might be offsprings of Vipers!
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oldseeker
I wrote some stuff out for my own sanity and I included my personal take on the staement in the 2009 Awake:
These views are not well received by the non-Jehovah’s Witness population. Perhaps the organization would think about these statements and seek to present a ‘softer’, more acceptable position to the public. Could they be hinting at that in this Awake! magazine article of July 2009, page 29?:
“… loyalty to God may result in your making a decision that is unpopular with some family members.”
“Although the Bible makes a clear distinction between true and false teachings, God allows each person the freedom to choose how he or she will respond. (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20) No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family.”
On its face you could read this statement and believe that it matches the ideal of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (quoted at the beginning of this section). But, it only appears that way. The scripture citied, but not quoted, in the excerpt reveals the choice the Israelites had. When you read it you will realize that it was only the choice of life or death! The real truth of this article is concealed under a veneer of allowing freedom to make a choice when, in truth, no choice of freedom is allowed. There is a difference! Here is the scripture:
(Deuteronomy30:19-20) I do take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against YOU today, that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the malediction; and you must choose life in order that you may keep alive, you and your offspring, 20 by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and by sticking to him; for he is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell upon the ground that Jehovah swore to your forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give to them.”
Saying that “the Bible makes a clear distinction between true and false teachings, God allows each person the freedom to choose how he or she will respond” seems innocuous enough, but in context it is a choice of life and death. The truth is, the position of Jehovah’s Witnesses has not softened or changed with the printing of this 2009 Awake! article. To paraphrase the statement and removing the veneer of respectability implied by the statement it becomes: “No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable, he is free to choose between the truths we teach or the falsehoods every other religion teaches. He will be held accountable for the choice he makes and will receive either life or death, it is his choice. It is up to himalone to choose between his beliefs and his family.” There is no choice of freedom in the choice presented here. There is but one way to “freedom” which is no choice, unless you believe death to be a choice, which is ultimately inevitable for everyone, unless you are stoned to death (some choice!) instead of being allowed to die of natural causes, enjoying freedom along the way you have chosen.
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agonus
"It's disgusting that THEY of all people should be writing this. Don't they realize how accurately they are describing THEIR own methods? Do you think they do or they sincerely don't?"
No, they really have no clue. There's a term for this. It's called "projectionism". My wife, mother, and myself, all suffer from it. The difference between myself and the WT is that a) I acknowledge it and b) I don't threaten anyone with shunning because of it.