xtreme punishment

rebel8

Quote from another thread I didn't want to derail:

I too like Blondie was shunned as an elders wife for whatever reason I have as yet to understand, it happened even when I was pioneering. You never know what law you might break to tick someone off in that religion and how long you will be shunned. One time it was because I wanted to buy a ceramic Starbucks cup and the pioneer elder's wife I was with got in a real uff because as she explained to me the logo on a Starbucks cup is of a Greek goddess! When I said well we drink out of their paper cups she rolled her eyes at me and said yes but we then throw them out!!!!!!!!! She treated me like I was a complete idiot.

--LifesToShort http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/220948/1/Gave-5-JWs-Something-to-Think-About-at-a-Starbucks-Today

Controlling a person's coffee cups is crazy, mmkay?

I am reminded of this:

On stardate 41255.6, the USS Enterprise stops at the newly discovered planet of Rubicun III for shore leave.

The native people, who call themselves the Edo, seem passive and sensual, living in a virtual utopia where they openly express love and affection. However the away team sent down to make contact are astonished by the Edo legal system which has only one punishment for lawbreakers: death.

Immediately after this the away team learn that Wesley Crusher has been sentenced to death for running into a bed of flowers during a game. The Edo regret the consequences for Wesley but explain that their society was once violent and chaotic and that their new gentler society depends on the inviolability of their draconian laws.

In orbit Enterprise discovers a powerful immaterial alien force that acts in a god-like capacity toward the planet's inhabitants. The "gods" prevent the Enterprise's attempt to rescue Wesley by blocking a transporter beam until convinced by a speech from Picard and Riker that true justice is impossible without exceptions.

[source]

Discuss.

tec

Is it bad that I remember that entire episode?

True justice is impossible without mercy to temper it. Which I think would mean e x ceptions.

Peace,

tammy

finally awake

Perfect justice requires the ability to really know the minds of the people involved. Since humans do not have this ability, we often impose a punishment that is either too harsh, too lenient, or just not effective. I agree that there can't be a blanket rule that is truly fair and just and doesn't have any exceptions.

palmtree67

finally awake - that is a very good point.

Punishment cannot be "one size fits all".

I recall one time our son getting into some minor, teenage "wrong-doing" with another boy in the congregation. The other boy's parents wanted to go to the elders and have them punish their kid. He was a head-strong, "I don't give a crap what anyone says, Imma do whatever I want" kind of kid.

Our son was not. I wanted to just handle it in our family, what they had done was really not that bad. but since the other family wanted to go to the elders, we were forced to handle it with them, as well.

Going to the elders was the WORST thing we could've done for our son. He was humiliated, threatened and harrassed.

I wish now, I had stood up for him and refused to allow them to even talk to him.

But the elders wouldn't even allow me in the room with them and my son - they only allowed his dad. I wasn't even allowed to know what all had been said.

Sucks having no penis in that religion......

stillin

who knows? there may still be hope in that department. I was talking with a friend recently, who is an elder. He expressed the private hope that those young ones who were disfellowshipped may be shown more mercy after it has been demonstrated that the shunning wasn't going to work. This would break up fewer families and be a better representation of Jehovah's love. I made the point that then all of the families which have already been broken up by the present harsh standards would be dismayed that the organization had given them this bad advice, serving only to alienate thier children.

rebel8

But what sort of coffee cups do they use?

palmtree67

Those demonised ones from Starbucks.

finally awake

true christians wouldn't use coffee cups. after all, we wouldn't want to become addicted to caffeine, and de-caf coffee is just like putting a drop of sewage in a glass of water

finally awake

I'm curious as to the craziest things anyone has been shunned or disciplined over. one elders wife told me that in her previous hall, she got chewed out for not telling all the other sisters about a head lice outbreak that had affected another family in the hall. mind you, none of the affected kids had been to meeting since the discovery, all had been treated and were lice free before returning to the hall, and no other people at the hall got lice. But it was "unloving" not to warn everyone.

irondork

A true Christian woman would bring her own coffee cup... duh!

xtreme punishment

Share this