by tjlibre 25 Replies latest jw experiences
I don't know. This program doesn't sound any different from all the other programs I've seen over the years. Follow the faithful and discreet slave? Pioneer? When have they not failed to repeat that stuff? The only thing that looks new is their emphasis on not getting married.
They aren't any more aggressive in their mind control tactics than before. Unfortunately, they aren't any less aggressive either.
I'm with poor places (welcome to the forum, btw). None of this is new. What's new is your ability to see it for the BS that it is.
Has most of the country had their circuit assemblies?
TJLIBRE- Thanks for sharing all those mind controlling thoughts. Although there have been other threads by posters about this recent assembly- I believe from the ones I've read- your's is the most detailed and informing as to the many details that were discussed. Thanks for that !
They HAVE gotten more aggressive in trying to prevent witnesses from doing ANY outside research on the internet- even to the point of discouraging people from having facebook accounts or other social networks outside witnessville. The statements you mentioned, " Don't look for water from other fountains " . All that you need to know about God and the Bible we are providing it to you. We know that some are doing this, and it is wrong. If you have doubts.... it's your fault there is something wrong with you. You should not question the truths provided by the GB. "
Reminds me of the Kingdom Ministry in September 2007 - when they discouraged ANY outside research on the internet and advised witnesses to ONLY research in the WT society's publications ! " We have all you need ! " Yeah, right. The WT society is running scared $hitless right now because it's JW members ARE discovering the " truth " about the WT organization so they want to prohibit people from finding out that info !
Steve Hassan mentions in his Mind Control books- that many mind control cults become MORE CONTROLLING when they start losing members. They get more and more desperate to hold onto people through instilling fear and intimidation. Exactly what the WT society is doing now. They are petrified of what JW members will REALLY find out about the WT society. Keep on thinking free people ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
Flipper,
Did the KM really say that Witnesses shouldn't do any research outside of WT publications? That would be surprising. What if a third-grader was doing a report on zebras or some other topic and he could only use WT resources? Talk about the least detailed report ever. I'm not criticizing your comment; I'm just wondering exactly what was stated in the article.
Also, here's something I've been thinking about lately in relation to the WT and the Internet. I almost can't believe that they made a WT web-site. I mean, they were just opening themselves up to investigation with that one. If you Google "JWs" this site is one of the first, if not the first, that pops up. And the WT site is virtually useless. It's shocking that they bothered making it.
poor places, they don't forbid all outside research--just anything that might reveal them to be a sham.
"In Jehovah's organization it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and energy in research, for there are brothers in the organization who are assigned to that very thing?" Watchtower 1967 Jun 1 p.338
"False religious propaganda from any source should be avoided like poison! Really, since our Lord has used "the faithful and discreet slave" to convey to us "sayings of everlasting life," why should we ever want to look anywhere else?" Watchtower 1987 Nov 1 p.20
"It would be a mistake to think that you need to listen to apostates or to read their writings to refute their arguments. Their twisted, poisonous reasoning can cause spiritual harm and can contaminate your faith like rapidly spreading gangrene." Watchtower 2004 Feb 15 p.28
Check out JW facts page on the trinity to see quotes that the WT took out of context. They don't want members to research because this kind of thing becomes apparent.
You know if the meetings hadn't become so mindless I might not have woken from the trance. This crap was so boring and repetitive and so few scriptures actually read or applied that I would just read my Bible the whole time and make pretend notes.
Why do they always knock other people,I think it's un-Christ like.Who are they to say who is happy or not.If you ask me,I'LL tell you I am one of the happiest person and it got NOTHING to do with field service or driving around in circles wasting time and gas.Or pioneering what ever that is.When they have a demo at SAD and someone will say pioneering makes them happy,I say good for you but don't knock me when I disagree.
Bob
I hope their instruction to not find a marriage mate, or to stay childless, comes back to burn them. They seem to be getting most of their members from those who were born in. Their days of getting large numbers of witlesses from the field are long gone--like getting 10 in just one year in my former congregation. That was in the late 1980s. These days, it is mostly children--and if I am not going to have any, there is simply no way I am going to waste time in the territory to bring them in from the field, only to have most of them check up these apostate sites and decide that they are not interested.
Thanks for the complements FLIPPER…
There were many “gems” in my circuit assembly. The district and the circuit overseers were exactly the same persons. Same tone, same charisma almost the same speech pattern. They used a lot derogatory terms to refer to the apostate, calling them animals, beasts, dogs, fleshly men, rats, fools, and of course demon possessed. There was a sketch/demonstration showing a brother using a social-network website and the internet to find information about the WT, his name was brother “gullible” his father’s name wasbrother “overly confident”, they were both mocked.
They called academics and financial goals a false dream and an illusion. Because those “things have made some of our brothers leave our Real Home…The Organization” (those were the exact words from the speaker).
One of the talks mentioned that doubts, bad association, materialism, technology, cell phones, computers, etc have become or could become a danger to our “spirituality”. That if we perceive that those things are affecting us, to act in accordance to the advice from the GB/FDS, “IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH” (exact words from the speaker).
Another thing that I noticed was that in certain talks they raised the volume to extremely high levels, specifically for the public talk.
Oh…also they said that we might know some FADERS that have wandered off the flock who might appear to be doing well financially and looking happy and content! My jaw dropped for like the 1,000 th time when I heard this.
Again, this is what played out in my circuit…but it was actually fun to hear and notice the GB’s desperation, I read to my wife selected portions of Steve Hassan’s (combating…) chap 4 & 5 and she said… “those things described what I’ve been noticing…and that’s what this assembly was all about”. (Pg 78 Doctrine is reality, Pg 80 Elitist Mentality, Pg 82 Manipulation through Fear and Guilt.)
But after I read the following quote to my wife, she stopped for a moment to think and meditate…I noticed that something sunk in her mind:
Pg 45 parg. 4 “What do phobias have to do with cult groups and mind control? In some cults, members are systematically made to be phobic about ever leaving the group. Today’s cults know how to effectively implant vivid negative images deep within member’s unconscious minds, making it impossible for the member to ever conceive of ever being happy and successful outside of the group. (bold mine).
So keep’em coming WT…LOL
