Stumbled across a recurring theme in WT: teach 'the organization' to your kids

by sd-7 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  sd-7

  Yesterday afternoon, right before I was about to take my wife to the Kingdom Hall (no, I'm not attending, haven't been in 9 months, strangely enough am still thinking of returning if it would help my marriage, but it WON'T), I happened to notice her opened October 15th, 2010 Watchtower. Around page 25 or so, there was an article that caught my eye.

  It instructed parents to teach their children to 'not act independently of the organization, even in small matters'. It also encouraged parents to teach their children about the history of 'Jehovah's organization' using the Proclaimers book. The reason this troubled me is because the March 15th, 2011 Watchtower has an article encouraging parents...to teach their children about the history of 'Jehovah's organization' using the Proclaimers book--even going so far as to have kids dress up like the 'colporteurs' of the 20s, holding up a banner saying "Advertise the King and His Kingdom".

  These articles are 5 months apart. Telling parents to do the exact same things. Teaching children to be completely dependent on total strangers they have never met and probably never will meet. To trust an organization so blindly that even in small matters they should not deviate from it.

  I know what you're going to say, itsacult. "Itsacult," right? I know that already! It just seems like it's becoming way more cultlike than even I can remember. Roleplay as children during our family study might've involved dressing up like David or Saul or something, not Rutherford! I never heard of any such activity being encouraged by the Society when I was growing up in the '80s and '90s. This, to me, is genuinely frightening.

  It's unreal. Even Paul told people, look, if we deviate from the original good news, you are free to ignore us, to pronounce us as cursed, even. Where is that attitude? Since when did it become more about control, power, loyalty than about truth, the truth of the message about Jesus itself? Oh, right. I forgot.

  It's a cult.

  --sd-7
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  sabastious

  Suggesting reinacting the advertising program from the 20s? They sure are proud of their heritage, the one they made up anyway.

  -Sab
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  yourmomma

  i agree sd-7. just like the "kingdom control" part of the last talk of the special assembly day. i used to find the stuff they wrote funny, but now i find it scary, and i am worried by some of the people i used to associate with who are still in the cult.
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  LostGeneration

  The next article in the same mag is a life experience titled "My life in Jahs ORGANIZATION" or something like that, another mention of the b0rg back to back.

  Yes they are really pounding it hard right now, must be a lot of people walking out the back door.
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  sd-7

  Of course, as I often say, I read the entire Proclaimers book as a teenager. I always assumed those 'apostates' would be no match for me, because 'I know my own history'. Boy, was I wrong. I didn't know my own history; I knew what I was TOLD about that history, but not the details of what had actually happened. In my research now, I feel as though the Proclaimers book took the raw materials of actual events and processed them until they looked as positive as possible (which, from my memory, wasn't necessarily saying all that much).

  But the fact is, even if they literally did break out the Kool-Aid, who could stop them? I couldn't save my family even if I wanted to. Some days I do feel like the mob won, after all. ...

  --sd-7
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  clarity

  After many long years experiencing the 'goings on' of this cult, I'd have to say that NOW is the most dangerous time to be in it!

  They have always peppered the literature with twisted teachings .... slipping them in here and there, into the middle of an unimportant watchtower paragraph. Planning the distribution so the study of them falls at a very busy time ...like summer assemblies. No one sees it, but hey, we can't say we weren't told ... right?

  But now, hearing the 'brother' speaking at the 'special ass day', they are absolutely brazen!

  "The GB Kingdom is controlling you". "The GB Kingdom is telling you how to spend your money!" bla bla. If you haven't heard that one ..take a listen.(I'll post the site later).

  The stance of "no independent thinking", "follow us...following christ", "Christ is not your mediator, we are", and as SD-7 brings out, teach "the organization"! Aaahhhh ..I could go on for days. So in your face! So blatant. So dangerous.

  Today, the 'baddest sin' is not murder or fornication or stealing ... in the GB's eyes it is doubting them. Doubting that they speak for god ..... and they will have every last one of you killed, if you don't believe it!! lol

  clarity
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  clarity

  Speakers name is John Williams

  http://www.filesend.net/download.php?
  f=bffc974810c2ce1cba5e316143aee16a

  c
• 

  WingCommander

  I also grew up in the 80's and 90's and I don't remember this ludicrious bullshit. I mentally checked out of it around 1999 or so, but if I hadn't and were still in, there is no way I could tolerate such brazenly bold self-worship. It is blantant idolotry and mind-control.

  These leaders are sick in the freakin' head!!

  - WC
• 

  miseryloveselders

  To some degree, this organization has become self idolatrous. When I was in middle school, having a Michael Jordan tee shirt, or Magic Johnson was all the rage. My folks copped me a Jordan shirt, Magic shirt, and a Larry Bird shirt!! Eventually I had to stop wearing these because it was viewed negatively by other JWs, and by the WT. This was all due to the WT warning against having infactuations with celebrities, actors, sports stars, etc.. The WT literature has even warned JWs about having posters of sports heroes in their kids rooms. We're now witnessing the organization leadership lose absolute control over their publishers, and in an attempt to regain or maintain control, they're encouraging worship of themselves as an organization and worship of the actions that make this organization unique as the latest thread on meetings indicates. If meetings are part of our worship, and we prepare for and participate in a meeting where the subject being discussed and expounded upon is the meeting, then it goes without saying that we're worshipping the meeting.

  The fact that they're encouraging children to worship the organization says something about whats happening to their young people. Both the PEW Study, and our own experiences growing up, tell us that most young people end up leaving this religion at one point or another. Even most of those that come back, don't do it sincerely, but rather to appease their relatives and loved ones. The WT is failing when it comes to born-ins. A future with this organization being the centerpiece of one's life, is not very appealing to many teenagers, or young adults. When they trample on all the natural aspirations young people have, and then replace those with WT goals of pioneering, serving at Bethel, or holding their breath waiting on the end of this system of things like their parents, and grandparents have done, something has got to give. We're seeing it happen now. I find it both laughable, and scary that they're encouraging costume parties with kids dressing up like the Bible Students of almost a century ago. It was creepy enough that JWs were doing costume parties of bible characters, which is borderline idolatry by the WT's own standerds. Now they're encouraging kids to dress up like Rutherford and his cronies. I wonder if they'll encourage underage drinking too since Rutherford was a boozer. I mean its all part of inculcating what it meant and what it means to be a JW right? And alcohol is definately part of being a JW.
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  WingCommander

  Hey! Hey! Kids! Let's all play dress up with Brother McFeely!!

  Nothing says "fun" like a costume party where you dress up in retro "business attire" and then pretend to picket other churches!!! Yipppeeee!!

  I can see the "suggested" picket sign slogans now:

  - Religion is a snare and a racket

  - Billions now living will NEVER die!!!

  - Education is like a bullet to the head!

  - Internet is from da Debil!!!!

  - Read the WatchTower Daily!

  - I got my PHd from an Awake! Magazine! (Poor. Helpless. downtrodden)

  - Middle-aged, single, childless, janitor - and loving it!!!

  I get shudders just thinking of this bizzare, weird, boring, cult exercise.

  - Wing Commander