“flipper”:
Excellent post! That really says it all in a nutshell. I like the way you highlighted specific words of their loaded language. It does say a lot.
Just yesterday, I showed my folks that infamous picture with the heading “The Earthly Part of Jehovah’s Organization Includes:” (on page 29 of the April 15, 2013 Watchtower), which shows the Governing Body way up at the top of the world (big surprise!) and the organizational hierarchy downwards. It shows Jehovah, and the angel flying in mid-heaven, but no Jesus Christ (you know, that fellow who kindly gave his life for our sins). I said that the picture is odd for a religion which claims to be Christian and that a lot of people think it is blasphemous. I then said to them that it is very telling as to how those of the Governing Body view themselves. Of course, both my mom and dad said that they didn’t see anything wrong with it. I asked my mom, “If you were to show that picture to people out in the field service, what do you think they would say about it?” She just said, “Oh, come on!”
JWs just can’t see how fabricated, arrogant, and self-serving their wonderful leaders really are. They have been programmed to dismiss that Jesus guy in favor of a bunch of idiotic men.
That is a good point about the sisters not being allowed to teach in the congregation even though they are supposed to inherit positions of kings, judges, and priests in heaven with Jesus Christ. Even more baffling: not only are they not allowed to teach in the congregation, but they are also not even allowed to serve behind the literature counter, operate the sound system, or handle the microphones! I don’t get it – a woman can work as the president of a large corporation or even the leader of an entire country during the day, but afterward when she goes to the kingdom hall she has to just sit there, and if she has any questions, she’s supposed to just keep her trap shut ask her husband privately at home. (That was in a Watchtower.) She is barred from holding any kind of service in the congregation (except, of course, to mop and clean the toilettes), as anything like the magazine counter and microphones supposedly require a ministerial servant; i.e., a male. (Don’t forget, it’s a cult developed by an alcoholic and self-proclaimed “judge” who said, “What is a woman anyway, but a hank of hair and a bag of bones.”)
“ILoveTTATT”:
“For all those inside, I think it is in your best interests to stay inside and slowwwwwly work your way into your loved ones minds... and then get out as soon as possible.”
That is certainly an option if it works for the person involved. But on the other hand, when you think of it, the WT organization will ignominiously kick any rule-violators or dissenters out very quickly – more like immediately. (Just ask Raymond Franz and many of his friends.) Not if they think nothing of going about it more like ripping off a band-aid with lightening speed, maybe it doesn’t seem so unreasonable that one could just do the same to them all – just decide to leave the organization relatively quickly. After all, they would do it to anyone in a heartbeat – just pull the rug out from under them just like that – so maybe it would be just as appropriate for a person to just decide to disfellowship them – the entire organization – and get out deliberately, conspicuously, and expeditiously. I.e., just do it to them before they can do it to you. The pain of shunning will come at some point anyway, but at least going cold turkey on all of them allows more of a sense of honor and satisfaction (closure) to the one who has the courage to just run out the damn door. (My two cents, of course. As they say in advertising, “results may vary.”)
