Being "stranded" by contrarian theology leads to diversionary beliefs

by Terry 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Terry
    Terry

    1. Christian Puritan perfectionism in America (1620 to mid 1800's) failed to create heaven on earth or a shining city on a hill. Civil War dashed that delusion.

    2. The Great Awakening in America took up the slack only to be followed by Advent speculations that the end would be immiment.

    3. William Miller inspired a movement of Adventists to break with their own local churches in anticipation of Jesus' arrival.

    4. The work of the Adventists seems to be warning as many people as possible before 1843. The splits in local churches caused lasting enmity. A contrarian sense of "We'll show them we're right" is hardened into the character of newly minted apostates.

    5. The Great Disappointment leaves perhaps 100,000 2nd Adventists stranded theologically between a no-show on Jesus' part and a "We told you so!" on the part of mainstream Christianity.

    6.Various theories and imaginative explanations popped up to support yet more anticipation of Jesus coming in 1844. (variations on Miller).

    7. More Jesus "no-shows" followed. Only the hardcore hung in there and doubled down, tripled down, etc. Thy simply couldn't go back admitting error.

    8. 2nd Adventists scrambled to save their reputations, belief and integrity by inventing more reasons to stay away from mainstream churches while waiting for the "tarrying time" to end and Jesus to arrive.

    9. Diversionary beliefs of a contrarian nature deflected the argument off in other directions (away from the actual coming of Christ.) The Sabbath, immortality of the soul, hellfire, etc. become the new reason for staying away from the "Babylonish churches".

    10. C.T.Russell hears a 2nd Adventist message and buys up all the supporting materials he can lay his hand on and begins ad-libbing his own brand.

    11. Russell fashions an amalgam of speculations, interpretations, ad hoc charts and pyramidology as "proof" that Jesus really did arrive "invisibly" and that the real Armageddon is coming in 1914. (WHAT A RELIEF! We were "right" all along!) As separatists they formed their own solidarity.

    12. They cycle begins anew! Instead of rallying to warn people about 1843/44 the new date of special interest becomes 1914 as THE END.

    13. When 1914 creates a repeat of the Great Disappointment history repeats itself yet again. REBOOT! The end becomes a new beginning.

    14. Russell starts revamping his explanations and rewording his old certainties until....He dies.

    15. Judge Rutherford wrests the publishing corporation away from Russell's appointees.

    16. Rutherford continues the same game of depending on End Times speculations to hold the interest of the contrarians. Eventually 1914 becomes the new date of Jesus invisible arrival. The early "truth" is conveniently forgotton!

    17. Various diversions, interpretations, New Light are invented teasing a focus on End Times and then diverting from End Times toward policies, dogma and martyr behaviors.

    The more things change the more they stay the same.

    It all began with disaffected people. People who--first--convince themselves they are absolutely right!

    People who don't fit in are the customers for schemes that make much ado about something exciting happening "soon".

    The majority of church goers are happy and grateful people. A small minority have problems, but, seek to solve them within the social milieu of the congregation. It is the fringe element who is the stray.

    A misfit needs a special empowered identity that gives them the power to break away.

    The contrarian message reaches the heart and soul of the misfit. They are galvanized into action!

    Jehovah's Witnesses are already oddballs, outcasts, misfits, marginal citizens. They simply find a place where their sort is welcomed.

    Their doctrine gives them confidence and for the first time in their lives-- a SUPERIORITY over the mainstream.

    Being contrarian is the essential ingredient. Nerds Unite! You are they only ones with the "Truth"!

    Jehovah's Witness flip-flops recycle over and over in a never ending loop proving only an inability to break the bad habit of being "right."

    The leaders of this pack of Bozos are well aware that the member-misfit has NO PLACE TO GO where they are really going to fit in.

    The hardest transition for the EX_JW is from being an ACCEPTABLE misfit to simply being an ordinary oddball.

    Once you are "different" and "superior" to everybody else in the world---you are STRANDED in a hellish limbo. You doubled down in the cult or

    you divest your persona of "special" status and absolute truth to become among the ordinary who have no special link to divine secrets!

  • kurtbethel
    kurtbethel

    Really sad.

  • fresh prince of ohio
    fresh prince of ohio

    Misfit convert to the JWs here! Ouch. It was a hellish limbo indeed, those 10 years.

    i didn't have it in me to double down , though I did see that in some other converts I knew. Real nutcases, they.

  • Terry
    Terry

    Let's face it--there was something INSIDE each one of us that made the Jehovah's Witness theology and dogma acceptable.

    And more than accepting it-we dedicated our life to it!

    And more than dedicating our life to it--we recommended it to perfect strangers in the door to door work.

    What was that essential ingredient in ourselves that provided a perfect fit?

    That is worth pondering.

    But, even more so: what have we REPLACED that fatal flaw with which operates within in us to prevent such an error of judgement in the future?

  • humbled
    humbled

    Terry, I think that it is too simple to say that a desire to BE right underlies most JWs. Sometimes people want to DO what's right. They are not the same thing, really.

    The hook they use on the public is the free home Bible study. And they taught us door-knockers to use various baits until a householder bites. Find out what "gets" to them---War, finances, racial strife, family life,--God? People wanting to study might not be just contrary misfits---some were seekers for other good reasons.

    But on that doctrine stuff--now that would snag a person who wanted to BE right. The Trinity, Hellfire, 144,000 and who lives on earth. Things like that which had no practical value as far as loving your neighbor and loving God. Head stuff that required a lot of scripture to be picked and squeezed. A lot of that was crammed down our throats--and some loved it.

    Whether we wanted to do right or be right, the epignosis they hit us with got to us all in the end---no matter what pulled us in to begin with. The FDS finally convinced us that THEY were the only ones that could channel accurate knowledge to us.

    Pride could get us but humility could hold us just as well. We became afraid to think for ourselves.

    I really enjoy your posts. They make me think. And that is really what keeps any of us from making the same mistake twice.

    Maeve

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