by blondie 31 Replies latest jw friends
-- What would happen to a JW who consulted these same scholars' writings to find out what various Greek words and phrases mean and cited these writers as authorities when commenting during a meeting at the KH?
Years ago I did. The WT claimed a Greek word's literal meaning was quite different than Strong's Concordance of Greek words. I was yanked into the back room for an a--chewing for contradicting the WT.
Thanks Blondie!
I've expressed my regrets to my parents. I regret pioneering, bethel service, serving as a MS and elder. I regret putting my life on hold, waiting for that paradise so soon to come. This paragraph doesn't touch on the real issues:
16 You made those decisions on the
basis of your deep love for Jehovah and
an earnest desire to help others who
wanted to serve him. You need not
think that you would have been better
off had you lived your life differently.
You can have the deep satisfaction of
knowing that you did what you knew
to be right in your case. You can rejoice
in having done your very best to serve
Jehovah. He will not forget your life of
self-sacrifice. In the real life yet to come,
he will reward you with blessings far
better than any you can now imagine!
—Ps. 145:16; 1 Tim. 6:19.
That ignores the fact that I made those decisions based on the lie that I would never grow old and that the end was so very soon, before the end of the last century and before the end of the 80 years since 1914. That's a really glaring omission of facts. The paragraph condescendingly tells me what to think? It's all bullsh!t. JWs constantly go d2d telling people to question their beliefs, their decisions, their lives. So when I question my life, I find that I would be much better off if I would have made different decisions over the past decades. I can't ignore reality like they instruct me to. And I feel deep disappointment knowing that I did what WT told me was the "right" thing to do, based on their false prophecies. I can't rejoice to have wasted my very best time and efforts serving a corporation that treats people like garbage.
Clearly, "Jehovah" doesn't give a rat's ass about the people that slave for WT corporation. Shouldn't the fact that so many JWs are taking anti-depressants, committing suicide, and hiding the emptiness of their lives behind phoney smiles tell you something? This on-going promise of a reward in paradise has gotten pretty threadbare. And hiding their history of lies and false prophecies by telling the reader what to think or not think is pure deception.
11 Some have the tendency to let past failings overwhelm them to the point that they feel that they are unworthy in God's eyes.
This paragraph's opening sentence jumped out at me. Let's say that I have a healthy idea of my self-worth, and a reasonable amount of self-esteem. I most certainly do not feel unworthy in God's eyes. However, once you plant that idea into someone's mind, they start to internalize it, and might actually begin to feel unworthy.
The whole article points to the fact that there are major problems within the Kingdom Halls. Maybe they should start handing out Prozac at the Watchtower Study.
Excellent comments everyone.
Gave me lots of info.
Great comments Blondie, and great points Ding!! Paragraph 14 is one of the most guilt inducing I can remember. Hardly anyone would think those things if the guilt wasnt already implanted by the BORG
I was thinking recently about why I hate the Watchtower Study so much. What is it about it that feels so negative and evil?
A study article may have a title referring to joy or love but the thrust of the article isn't going to be about that at all, it's only going to be about negative emotions like fear and guilt.
The publishers end up feeling picked apart, beaten down, and suspicious of each other. It is truly disgusting and no way to live at all!
If you want positivity and practical suggestions on love and peace you're going to have to look elsewhere. The Watchtower is nothing but a depressing mindf*ck.
I'm reminded too of a friend of mine who had a heart attack. He used to be very zealous for the WT but wised up. After the attack my father said, "Well maybe now he'll think about how he hasn't been active in service and regret it. Maybe he'll come back to the meetings."
I told my friend this and he laughed and said, "It's funny how people look at things differently. The heart attack made me realize that life is short and I wish I hadn't wasted so many years pioneering!"
The regrets which worry the WT leaders the most, and the ones which are most prevalent amongst long time JWs -- are exactly those which Billy the Bethelite articulates. Regret over having wasted a lifetime chasing a delusion is the "900-pound gorilla" in the room that the WT tiptoes around but refuses to confront forthrightly.
Nice work, Blondie.
Four (4) Freemasons quoted in this article...
