It appears that the grip is still tightening, even if the most inept group of "spiritual leaders" are the ones assigned to enforce it. Fortunately for the majority, it's just another talk at just another school. However, a few zealouts will be out in force. I'm sure we will hear of some isolated incidents of nosy elders, inquiring about your life.
Post KM Elder School, you may see elders become a little nosier or nebby than usual.
by Theocratic Sedition 20 Replies latest jw friends
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Amelia Ashton
Talk about beat the slaves.
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OUTLAW
Worship your..
Governing Popes!
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... OUTLAW -
sd-7
If he takes the job, then it shows he's thinking with human wisdom as opposed to Godly wisdom.
"If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat" is 'godly wisdom', too, if I'm not mistaken.
The thing that really underscores the whole it's a cult problem is that the Bible only says "let us not forsake the gathering of ourselves together". It does not say we MUST gather together for 5 meetings a week and meet a group for field service. Those are rules that were invented by men. Everything about the meetings is contrived from 'human wisdom'. The structure of the meetings is nowhere found in scripture.
So how do they figure that godly wisdom requires a man to continue struggling to feed his family when an opportunity to do so is presented to him? A man who doesn't provide for his family is supposed to be worse than a man without faith. If anything, taking the job would be quite the opposite. It's really a matter of control. Even if you were attending all your meetings that still wouldn't be good enough.
There were a number of ways to handle the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. I mean, if Adam and Eve weren't executed immediately for what they did, and David wasn't executed for what he did, then how does this guy get the death penalty? There were a thousand different ways to punish him if such was warranted. Remember, this, too was written to help us see that God's way of ruling is best. That says it all to me.
--sd-7
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blondie
TS, here's a fun project: Wait a week or 2, then ask a fellow elder who attended the school with you what his favorite 3 points from the school were. Make sure you have your cellphone-camera ready to capture the priceless "deer in headlights" look as he frantically racks his brain to remember any 3 points, let alone 3 "favorite" ones.
I did a version of this, the WT study overseer would always say, " we appreciated your comments, Blondie." Blondie, "which one stood out most?" Then I got the deer in the headlights look, One admitted that as soon as he stepped off the stage, he forgot what everyone had said.
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minimus
haha, blondie
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Londo111
All this reminds me when the disciples were plucking the grains on the Sabbath and the Pharisees condemned them for doing what was “unlawful”. Jesus said, “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
This is primarily what woke me up. They were not applying basic Christian teachings. In fact, they almost seem completely ignorant about them.
If a person or group claims to be Christian, from what part of the Bible should they get their teachings? The Mosaic Law or the Gospels? For them to ignore what the Gospels said about the same subject (in this case the Sabbath) and find how the matter was applied under the Law, shows where their priorities are.
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JakeM2012
I used a resignation to fade, and cited the scripture that said that if you did provide for your own household you were worse than an unbeliever.
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sd-7
If a person or group claims to be Christian, from what part of the Bible should they get their teachings? The Mosaic Law or the Gospels? For them to
ignore what the Gospels said about the same subject (in this case the Sabbath) and find how the matter was applied under the Law, shows where
their
priorities are.
--sd-7
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WTWizard
First, are the hounders that go after people for missing boasting sessions paying the bills? Probably not, and due to that it is getting more and more difficult to find a job that can pay your bills (and the dollar is dangerously unstable and could collapse without final warning), they are actually setting people up to become destitute and stagnant. It's one thing to collect welfare if you are genuinely unable to work, but I view it as abuse to quit your job so you can make all the boasting sessions and field circus, using welfare as an excuse.
As far as my material life goes, I have done a reasonably good job getting things I am going to need for quite a while. If I quit my job so I can pious-sneer, even if the lead hounder moves me in with his family, it will still not be good enough. I happen to enjoy Christmas lights, and I do not want to have 90% of my music thrown in the rubbish because they think it's bad or it might stumble someone. I got some nice LED light bulbs, and I do not wish to switch back to those squiggly things. I have a nice fluoride filter for my tap water--I don't want to go back to getting the 90% of the fluoride I am removing with it. I have a nice computer--that I do not wish to lose. I am equipped to deal with rolling blackouts if we should end up with a fake--or real--energy crisis. I also got nice clothing, small appliances and utensils, and cookware that I wish not to lose "because it might stumble someone". I have the original X-Box with a collection of classic video games, a nice TV, and Nintendo DS systems to play Pokemon and whatever Game Boy games come around.
If I do that move, I am sure I would be hounded to get rid of those things for "stumbling others". They do not want some ultra-modern appearing LED light bulbs around--the squiggly things are more their type. They want me to exchange whatever I got at L.L.Bean for crap at Walmart. They do not approve of those LED flashlights that are worth more than 60 toilet papers each, or batteries worth more than 2 1/2 toilet papers, or chargers that cost close to 50, or that Fenix HP20 headlamp that I am certain will have a field day when the lights go out at work and the generator conks out, or anything else that looks better than average. "It might stumble others." After all, they are at the center of the congregation--all it takes is to install LED light bulbs, or have a Fenix HP20 headlamp or eGear 30-day lantern with low self-discharge NiMH batteries, and they are worried about losing "privileges(??)". Better I stay put, and keep whatever I got. And that includes keeping my silver for myself.
Spiritually, it would be a major step down for me. I already made up my mind that I attended my last boasting session. Though I might wuss out on that in dreams, I don't intend to wuss out in real life and make the boasting sessions. This is not like backsliding when quitting smoking. I get the information right here on JWN, and do not need to attend boasting sessions with all those starched suits. Nor do I need to waste the whole morning and/or afternoon in field circus. With Satan, it is usually done in a few minutes--no hounding, either. Whether I get results or not depends on whether or not I can link with Satan despite having zillions of angels claiming me as their property, or whether I can actually develop what I obviously neglected during my life (especially as a witless). But I am certain that, by going back to being a witless, I will not succeed in anything except returning in a future life, in a family that are all devout witlesses, so I can be set up to be stuck in that religion until the end of that life and return in the next life even more devout.
Not to mention, if I can waste the time to do field circus, they would want me to waste even more time. Ultimately, it becomes worse than a full time job. You are wasting time dressing up, preparing for calls, and being shuffled around. You can waste more time on joke-hova, who does not pay anyone, than you could on a regular job. And even if the dollar does become toilet paper and I cannot buy anything, at least I have several potential skills that I could develop into barter skills. People are always going to want holiday decorations, and I can do a pretty good job. I got computer repair tools, so I can work on computers that people are going to want. I know more than the average person about batteries and chargers, as well as light bulbs (especially the newer LED light bulbs). I can fix bicycles, as I have the tools to do everything except major headset, bottom bracket, or hub rebuilds (most common repairs are cables, brake jobs, derailleur fixes, chain/sprocket fixes, and the ubiquitous flat tire--and I am equipped for that). Given a bit more demand, I could learn astrology without much more than about 150-200 toilet papers' worth of instructional materials. With those skills, should I have to, I could learn it on a professional level.
Which is more than can be said about joke-hova. What they want me to do by attending boasting sessions is to become more proficient at wasting my time. There is no market in selling washtowel rags. And it would take time away from learning other things. I would rather become a professional Christmas decorator, even in the Age of Satan (in which the holiday would take on more festivity and fun instead of being all about Jesus). Or, a professional computer repair person. Or, barter the ability to teach others the basics of growing food or basic carpentry skills, common sense electrical, and fixing things. At least that way, I would have a chance when the dollar goes kaput.
... OUTLAW