Re: Teaching Bible Students about "The Faithful Slave"

by dontplaceliterature 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  Chariklo

  What makes this so bad, is that it is the primary doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. Without the belief in "The Faithful & Discreet Slave", The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society would cease to exist.

  This doctrine is only taught to someone who has become at least a regular attender at the meetings, or has progressed through The Bible Teach book and moved into the second study publication, Keep Yourselves In God's Love.

  This is absolutely true. My study conductor never once mentioned the FDS. However, it was mentioned to me at a meeting, quite early on, by a stand-in study conductor with whom I was sitting. My actualy study conductor was frequently away. Anyway, when I first heard about the FDS I responded incredulously, "but that's a parable". I knew the Bible; I'd known it all my life. I couldn't believe that anyone could possibly think the FDS was real!

  However, gradually over the months I got brainwashed, and by the time a year was up I was meekly trooping along with everyone else.

  After I finished the Bible Teach book I was approved as an unbaptised publisher and we started on Keep Yourselves in God's Love. That's when I realised that it was not all the bed of roses it had seemed, because that book, so simple and kind at first glance, turned out to be full of stuff that I've found totally unacceptable. It is a complete turn-off.

  I'm very interested in what you say about Hassan's book. I haven't read it yet. Another thing that no-one has yet mentioned is marrying within the faith. Also, I don't think disfellowshipping is mentioned in the Bible Teach book.

  Though all these things do come up in meetings and I was verydiligent about going to them. Good grief, I even looked forward to them!
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  serenitynow!

  I started hearing more and more about the "faithful slave" and how we're supposed to have faith in them. I remarked on several occasion that violated so many Bible warnings and commands that I wouldn't even consider it as an option. Once, a pioneer "sister" asked me what sort of things I pray for and I told her "understanding". She was visibly shocked and replied "But that's the faithful and discreet slave's job". I was awestruck and couldn't even respond to such a vile and stupid remark. Nothing that came to mind didn't involve slapping or berating her for that foul comment, so I just sat and stared at her, incredulously.

  I think it is so sad that the WT has convinced people that they have no chance of understanding the scriptures on their own. I asked my mother if the Bible was supposed to be the guidebook, why are all these JW books and magazines needed? I asked her why she couldn't just read the bible and pray for understanding? I can never get a real answer to that question.
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  dontplaceliterature

  You're right, this book is a must-read.

  Thanks for referring me to it!
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  wobble

  The book by Steve Hassan enabled me to use the word "cult" about the WT. As a born in I had always read that "we are not a cult".

  What I found fascinating was that Hassan, at the time of writing the book, did not identify the JW's/WT as a cult, mainly becuase he had not examined them closely.

  For that reason, all the pointers to cult like activity that you read of in the book that apply to the WT add up to a huge body of evidence that they are indeed a cult.

  This , in itself would not matter perhaps, most religions carry some of the identifiers, but it does matter because lives are lost because of this very silly, but dangerous cult.