O.K. Now for pg. 2 responses. Thanks for your thoughts.
ARBOLESDEARABIA- Very accurate and good points you make about it being a " trickle down religion " where the pressure is applied to elders from C.O.s and D.O.s to elders, elders to ministerial servants, ministerial servants to publishers, husbands to wives, and wives to children. It's a complete pressure cooker where everybody is trying to control everybody. Indeed it drove me nuts, one reason I exited the Witnesses.
And as you mention it causes others so much stress that they crack, throw their bookbags into the trash and walk away from the WT society taking people with them - thankfully. Like you say the " sheep " are starting to talk, speak out against the oppression and won't allow themselves to be bullied by WT powers anymore. AS you stated the WT society prefers it's members to " see no evil hear no evil " - but they can't keep people down forever. WT society faulty policy's on child abuse, mental illness, higher education, and blood transfusions in time just piss people off so much it's like : What did WT leaders EXPECT would happen ? People would lie down like dogs and continue to be kicked in the groin ? In time it gets old and the dogs rear up and bite the hand that's been feeding, er, starving them.
YADDA YADDA 2- For sure WT society has printed artices like this, but they are getting more desperate to exert their control and power over rank & file JW's. For instance I told my wife this morning , " I've NEVER in all my life seen the WT society berate JW's for not attending judicial committee meetings . I've never seen them put that in print in their literature. " So a rebellion of sorts must be happening to an extent. Hard to say how much of a rebellion, but it must be enough to require WT leaders to put this in print.
HOSER- Good point. Brazen conduct is alive and well ! LOL ! I'm glad that JW's are associating with DFed ones and asserting their thinking abilities in not being controlled by the WT " clergy class " anymore. I think it's freaking out WT leaders. Good. They need to be freaked out, as they are ruining people's lives.
VIDIOT- EXactly. Authoritarian powers have and never will be concerned about people's rights. And the WT society IS an authoritarian cult. A dangerous one at that.
REOPENED MIND- Good points. Indeed everything about this article SCREAMS mind control ! Your husband is right it is a total missapplication of the doctor illustration. Elders were nEVER trained to deal with real life human situations that come up. They were just trained to be " yes men " on behalf of the WT society and inflict damage on JW members who didn't conform to WT policies. Elders always had the last word in any little or big decision made in congregations and many times in private lives of publishers ! Pretty sick.
LONG HAIR GAL- Well, as I've mentioned before - I don't read these magazines cover to cover. A lurking inactive JW friend of ours sends these WT study issues to us and I just peruse through them basically looking for words and thoughts that express mind control tactics from the WT society so I can expose the writings for what they are: total deception. Don't worry ! I'll never go back Long Hair Gal ! LOL ! It disgusts me as much as it does you believe me. I just want to expose it.
Good point you mention when you said the WT society's motive is to chip away at Witnesses self esteem and they try to control these people through fear and threaten them with punishment if they waver. Ultimate controlling tactics.
DATA-DOG- Good point about Paul & Esther. Actually if you read about a lot of Bible characters they ALL pretty much had weird idiosynchrancies and were offbeat characters walking to a different drummer. It's one reason I think the Bible was just written by men for men to abuse other men, women, and children throughout history.
ROCKETMAN- Good point. So even you having served as an elder can see how lame the doctor illustration is.
00DAD- Good points. Elders had very minimal training in really helping people with real life problems. And it DOES have very serious implications like you say. People's lives can be affected by the wrong or incorrect counsel given by elders in a disastrous way. When I first exited the cult in 2003 I said to myself, " There's no way in hell these guys have God's holy spirit " after meeting with the elders. And yes, control of the rank & file JW's is the ultimate goal with this article . Intimidating and scaring Witnesses to submit to elders authority. Browbeating the flock you might say. Pretty disgusting.
PANHANDLEGIRL- Thanks . Indeed the WT society pulls interpretations of scriptures right out of their behinds and try to make it stick. How do they know who the " stars " are in Revelation ? Exactly my view ! All they try to do is hypocritically say " do as I say, not as I do " - and then put down anybody that refuses to submit to their authority. It's one reason elders did not like me when I was a Witness. I used my mnd and spoke my mind at times thus they viewed me as rebellious and a troublemaker - when actually I was just being honest. But in the Jehovah's Witness cult- honesty doesn't count for much, just being obedient counts. Sick.
WHA HAPPENED ? - Good point. Paul publicly correcting one who is on the GB ? Oh the horror ! LOL ! It's really the same today, if a JW says ANYTHING negative regarding on of the 8 GB members now- they are looked at as a divisive force and hauled into the back room with 3 elders very quickly ! Incredible
