JWs stick to the letter of the law but forget the spirit of it.

by BoleynGirl 2 Replies latest jw friends

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  BoleynGirl

  Prime examples from my time in the Borg where JWs stuck to the letter of the law (without actually thinking about the point behind the "rule")

  1. Fast forwarding through violent or sex scenes in movies but watching the rest of it. Either decide that the movie offends your conscience and avoid it entirely, or watch the whole thing properly (i.e. in context - oh but that's right, JWs just chop out the bits they don't like in the Bible too).

  2. Another time a sister came to a cong. BBQ in what seemed like a very short mini skirt. When she turned around though, it was really a pair of shorts that had a flap over the front to make it look like a skirt. I remember she was very pleased with herself, because shorts were okay, minis were not.

  It's like they want desperately to follow the rules and conform, but part of them realises that this isn't compatible with real life. So they find these loopholes to salve their consciences.
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  wobble

  Yup, loads of examples of that, I kinda like that sister though, sort of blowing a raspberry at their stupid dress code, a code they have to follow even at a barby. Cult anyone ?

  I remember doing a similar thing around the mid-sixties, as a bit of a rebel teenager, loads of people had a go at me about my "Long hair" which was only as long as the Beatles at the time, shortish by later standards.

  So, what I did was grease it down, and combed it into a convetional style, loads of bros. and sis. congratulated me on my "haircut", a few days later I went to the meeting with it as it was before.

  They didn't like the fact that I had exposed their predjudice, not to the length of the hair, but to the style.

  Another totally stupid " letter but not spirit" example was , (where they were "hoist on their own petard") at one time there was a fashion amongst the young guys for very crumpled suits, looked like a rag bag, at one D.C they refused one of our guys as a volunteer attendant, because he was wearing a (smart) blazer and trousers, but they let several other oiks in crumpled suits do the job, coz they were in a suit.

  Idiots.
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  Witness My Fury

  Jacket and trousers, lol. ...I was regularly doing the sound at the KH and had a new uptight PO appointed. He approached me at the sound cubilce and told me firmly but tactfully that I NEED to wear a suit (I liked my seperates thankyou!) to do the sound, carry a mic, read or pray at the group etc. I told him how i felt about that, (it's a stupid rule) but relented and said i would comply (i was "in" at the time remember).

  I did this by wearing my suit for the 1st few minutes of doing sound or carrying mics or arriving at the book study, then took my jacket off and did it in rolled up shirt sleeves for the rest of the duration. I KNOW this pissed him off, but i had compromised and wanted him to do so as well, plus it made me feel good.

  I grew a beard, elder gives me the schpiel about beards and rebellion etc. I say, look in any publication and you will see all the diciples and jesus and other men have beards... so why all the fuss?

  The spirit of the law is love, justice and mercy (where possible).. I almost never saw this in operation. The congs are run like businesses, the elders are aloof and distant performing perfunctory actions to meet requirements from the Borg or to be SEEN to be doing so. Some elders are caring and genuine, but they are few and far between from what I have seen. It's procedure, procedure, procedure above all other considerations.