THE BLIND SPOT identifying the refuting target of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Terry 34 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Terry
    Terry

    The life of a human being progresses toward maturity and peaks and then gradually atrophies into old age, inability, possibly debilitation and then death.

    It is the same for all people unless they meet with an accident or misfortune along that continuum.

    I propose that we measure and test the virtue of being a Jehovah's Witness by focusing on the BLIND SPOT of their religion.

    What is the BLIND SPOT?

    The Watchtower Society is in major DENIAL that the members of that religion will ACTUALLY GROW OLD AND DIE.

    As a consequence of this major blind spot the members are less likely to include provisions for that inevitability.

    The active and committed JW spends a preponderance of their vital years serving the needs of the GROUP and not for saving for old age.

    Once that outstanding performance lessens and fizzles into decrepitude--the Society itself MAKES NO PROVISION for their senescence.

    The true Achilles heel of JW theology is the utter disregard for its old people.

    Millions NOW LIVING will NEVER Die is the title of a famous sermon and series of articles which advertised the benefity of become a member of the religious group led by Joseph Franklin Rutherford (President of the Watchtower Society).

    The target date set for the liberation of dying humanity (who were faithful to the group's doctrines) was 1925.

    Need it be pointed out that the date came and went without the promised relief?

    Yet, the teaching persisted for decades and decades afterward as the carrot at the end of the stick.

    A Jehovah's Witness was ACTIVELY DISCOURAGED from a better education and a career which would provide the means by which the member and the family could comfortably retire at the end of their life and have a meaningful final period free of financial worries.

    The GENERATION argument continued until it became obvious to anybody with a brain cell it was ABOUT TO BE REFUTED by the passage of time!

    Conveniently, the article of faith was CHANGED and the promise aborted.

    What does this say about the virtue of becoming a Jehovah's Witness in THE LONG RUN?

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    SERVE WITHOUT REGRETS!!

  • FreeGirl2006
    FreeGirl2006

    Terry,

    I want to compliment you on the depth of your posts on here. You put a lot of thought into them and while I may not agree with you 100% of the time, I appreciate your efforts.

    Freegirl

  • whathappened
    whathappened

    At 59, I am just conceding the fact that I will probably spend my last yrs with a roommate or in government subsidized housing. Thank you, Watchtower Society. Whilst being a cleaning lady for thirty years, thinking how faithful I was to your suedo religion, I never made enough money to set aside much for retirement. After all, Armageddon was coming long before I got old, right??? Retirement is now three years away, where is that paradise you promised???

  • Terry
    Terry

    We are all familiar with the follow quotation as an example of the Watchtower's "channel of communication" going off the rails:

    Awake! 1969 May 22 p.15
    "If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. ... Therefore, as a young person,you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in highschool and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!"

    But, consider it in view of the DENIAL it exhibits as to even the remote possibility such advice would BACKFIRE on sincere believing dupes regarding

    their future aging, illness and dying.

    The Bethel workers who are "retired" have exactly what? to look forward to now that they squandered the best years of their lives?

    Is there a pension? Health insurance? Social Security? No. No and No. That is their reward in full.

    Hope is wishing for the best outcome while remaining aware it might not happen.

    Faith is predicting the best outcome while denying it might not happen.

    Toxic Faith is causing others to take the wrong steps which diminishes their quality of life.

    I ACCUSE the Jehovah's Witness faith of poisoning the future for 8 million people.

    It is one thing to HOPE for Armageddon personally and take measures to prepare for it.

    But, it is another thing to DISCOURAGE people from education, a career and the rational action of providing for family and future as an older person.

  • Terry
    Terry

    Terry,

    I want to compliment you on the depth of your posts on here. You put a lot of thought into them and while I may not agree with you 100% of the time, I appreciate your efforts.

    Freegirl

    Thank you for reading my posts.

    I have wasted many years by flailing about trying to debate doctrine and interpretations. That is futile for a good reason: it has no practical value.

    I feel--and it is just my personal opinion--that time is better spent on the practical impact of JW belief on the QUALITY OF LIFE issues.

    Whathappened says: At 59, I am just conceding the fact that I will probably spend my last yrs with a roommate or in government subsidized housing. Thank you, Watchtower Society. Whilst being a cleaning lady for thirty years, thinking how faithful I was to your suedo religion, I never made enough money to set aside much for retirement. After all, Armageddon was coming long before I got old, right??? Retirement is now three years away, where is that paradise you promised???

    In a conversation with my former "best friend" who remains a JW after 50+ years led to him saying the following:

    "People who worship Jehovah just for the reward of everlasting life don't really love him and I fully expect them to have no loyalty to His organization when things seem to go wrong."

    I pointed out to him what I thought was peculiar about his statement.

    "We don't go to a doctor to enrich him. We go to a doctor to restore our health. No results--move on to another doctor. Practical and reasonable.

    Why wouldn't we get a 2nd opinion if our doctor isn't providing results? It is not like JW's have the ONLY possible solution to human problems--it is that they PRETEND to. Staking your life and your future on what somebody CLAIMS and without verifying RESULTS is alot like the definition of insanity:

    doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    I agree with you 100%. The WTBTS is a " what have you done for me lately " works- based religion. Even if you are relatively young, you will be kicked to the curb for less than stellar performance. It's all about stats and being a productive worker for the WTBTS. There are many kind, spiritual and ecouraging people who are never used in any official positions because they cannot produce the visible results the GB want.

    The whole WTBTS machine runs off the blood, sweat, tears and cash of the individual member. Only the most indoctrinated productive workers rise to the top. These project their imagined requirements for salvation upon the next wave of hatchlings and perpetuate the cycle. If you cannot produce results and drive others to produce, then you are not wanted. Once you have outlived your usefullness you are on your own.

  • Terry
    Terry

    So why aren't our encounters with Trolls and awkening JW's more about THIS practical issue of NO PROVISION FOR OLD AGE?

    It is a threshold issue impacting the reality of being human in a religion that DOES NOT CARE about your needs.

    Next time a Troll pops up to discuss the 100th argument supporting 1914 and 607b.c.e--why not ask them point blank:

    "What difference does it make? You and I are getting older and older and the Watchtower leaders DON'T CARE or PROVIDE for

    aging believers beyond making promises that they won't age, sicken and die. How does DENIAL of reality provide for human needs?"

  • Finkelstein
    Finkelstein

    The point that many miss is that when you become a full fledged JWS, you are being shaped and created to be sales representatives

    for the the WTS. and to sell the illusion that the WTS presents to the public. Why do people put their faith in this illusion is mostly curtailed in that

    it comes from the bible and people have trust and faith in that book penned by God(tm) himself.

    JWS think that everything is being guided by God's own will and direction, when in reality its the direction and will of the

    WTS. corporation and its agenda as a religious publishing house.

    Unfortunately when people abide and live inside an illusion like this they fail to fully comprehend reality within themselves with eventual

    damaging results.

  • exwhyzee
    exwhyzee

    Marked

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