Thank you all for your kind words and I hope it will wear off and she'll come around.
Billy do you have any idea what talk on Sunday had her so hyped up?
District Assembly has my mom complete brainwashed again. Look like I'm in trouble.
by scooterspank 39 Replies latest watchtower bible
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straightshooter
Yes continue to show love to your mom but without religious discussions. By your actions she will eventually see that you are not a bad person just because you are not an active jw.
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Sunday. Well the first symposium was tired and recycled. For as much as they talk about always learning more by reading the Bible, it sure didn't come through in the talks. The same worn-out verbage that's already printed in the ragazines. However, I'll get to what has your mom excited.
The Public Talk was a mess. I'm going from memory here. It was something about God not letting man ruin the earth. The intro was a steaming crock about how scientists predict the end of the world in 2012. Physicists, environmentalists, and all are talking about 99% chance of complete disaster. All of which is total BS, fabricated straight from Teaching Committee poopchutes/brains. If scientists really thought that way, my university would be closing rather than making plans for the next decade. They talk about the current disasters, of course. Then they go to talking about the flood and the promised land. Then they boast about "God's track record for successfully cleansing the earth." NEWSFLASH! Read the Bible folks, rebellion followed immediately following the flood and Israel turned "apostate" at every chance. Frankly, when they try to bring attention to it, it makes it look like God has a 100% record of failure. My favorite line was that the end may come "sooner than you may expect!" Yeah, I turned to my niece and said that we were told to expect it in 1975, could it come sooner than that? I suppose that may be exciting to a believer. But on closer examination, it's really just more of the same. I wonder if a future WT article will actually give some references for the doomsday scientists, they sure didn't give anything in the talk.
The final talk was about Daniel's statue crashing down... soon. Getting right to the guts of it, they dismissed any relevance of 10 toes meaning all world governments, because Daniel used singular kingdom, not kingdoms. And that the iron and clay didn't mean dictatorial and democratic, but meant Anglo-American and internally divisive movements. They tried to interpret the statue in Dan.2 to show that the end was coming very soon and that there would be no other world power after the Anglo-American. So it must be... very soon. They also went to Rev. 16:11 about the seventh king lasting a little while, so the end must be... very soon. They just barely touched on Rev. 16:12 about the eighth king, saying that he would be concurrent. This left huge gaps in JW teaching.
On the way home afterward, my cousin brought up about what we thought about the "new light". I first didn't say much, because we were in a group, but when she was more specific and inquisitive about what it was supposed to mean, I explained what he said in my very knowledgable way as an ex-bethelite that really did know most everything they ever taught. Then I told her the huge problems. The statue timeline is a mess as it would place old and relatively small and weak powers that barely lasted hundreds of years as the vast bulk of the statue with the last 2000 years of human history represented as the calves and ankles. The US and UK hardly qualify as 1 kingdom when you look at history and politics. They had the poor taste to refer to things like the civil rights movement as the weakening clay. Sorry Watchtower, governments get stronger when they acknowledge and empower every individual. But the really huge gaps that were left out of the talk was anything about the UN. They always used to crow about the UN as the eighth king that would act decisively in the end times. But barely a mention of there even being an eighth king, and saying that it would reign concurrently with the seventh? That's not the way that they have interpreted that before. The eighth king was the UN and would destroy Babylon the Great, all false religion. Zero mention of that! Religion is EXTREMELY powerful today and Watchtower knows it. They have ALWAYS previously taught that the destruction of religion was the beginning of the end. It looks like they're trying to wipe that away... without saying as much. No mention of a cry of "peace and security" either. No mention of whether it is already fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled. That's a gap. Also, how could they talk about Daniel without talking about the Kings of the North and South. Who is the King of the North? That has not yet been fulfilled and must be completely fulfilled and is a significant part of how events play out in the end.
When the group gave me the "what does it all mean" reaction, I didn't go apostate, I told them that it was all stuff from Teaching Committee and they did a poor job with this program. And I pointed out that we are discouraged from circulating recorded talks since Teaching and individual speakers are loose cannons. I said I'd be interested to see what Writing tried to do with this in future WT articles. But I didn't see anything exciting unless they fill the other gaps. The conversation turned to where we would eat.
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nugget
Your mum has been absorbed in the cult for 3 whole days so it is no surprise she comes back indoctrinated and upset. It is a shame that this religion is not a healing influence or force for good but a devisive hurtful cult. My mum is the same whatever is the key thought in the magazines or assembly will affect how she talks to me. One day she is warm the next frosty and chilly. I hate assemblies but know that it will blow over eventually.
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jgnat
Looking at the DC outline, I'm guessing the Saturday afternoon Symposium; beware of Satan, Demons, Babylon and Apostates, is what got her all riled up.
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fade_away
My mother is the same. Women are naturally more emotional then men. My father is an elder, but he doesn't put me on guilt trips like my mom. He barely mentions my innactivity. This religion like many other, causes depression, guilt, stress, and anxiety. Very negative emotions for a "happy group of God's people".
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ChainedNoLonger
I'm sorry to hear about your heartache. My mom is the same, she has just started refusing to have anything to do with me, telling me my children will die at Jehovah's hand and we will not be in Paradise with them. She told me I am putting myself and my children to death because I refuse to do the "right" thing and come back to Jehovah's organization. I know it hurts! I try to not let it bother me, but I have started having nightmares again, similar to what is depicted in the WTBTS literature. I have tried so hard to get my mom to understand that I am happy, am not doing "wicked" things, and that I am not an "apostate" or bad person. She refused to listen, instead continued to tell me I am going against Jehovah and will be destroyed and cause my children to be destroyed if I don't return.
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godrulz
Good grief, how do people fall for this and remain in this? It sounds like WT is clueless about Daniel and Revelation (even thinking that parts of Revelation trumpets relate to WT Conventions in modern history?!).
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JWJunky
I'm sorry to hear that about your mom. My mom was fine and she was starting to be sweet again, but now that she is reinstated she has turn mean and cold. Its like she can't remember the way she got treated before and after she was defellowshiped and its horrible. I understand the hold that they have on indiviuals, but I can't and don't tolerate the way they think they can treat other people. Its like the golden rule has flown out of the window and then we chuck it up to its okay they are in a cult. I made mistakes in the past and today too; there are days when I have rode rage or don't treat my partner right, but I say sorry or try to do something to make up for it. I don't constantly do it if I know that it is hurting the other person I would rather just sit on my hands and stare out the window or hit my punching bag until things cool down. I can't even tell my hamster that I hope it dies because its of no good use to me. I'm sorry but I don't tolerate that from my mom and I don't think someone else should tolerate either.