More fear and paranoia WT-style! (11/15/13 WT)

by LostGeneration 68 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Vidiot

  Designer Stubble - " They have consolidated branch offices and sold off Brooklyn, which has given them some cash for now. But what when this starts to run out? The next would be to start consolidating congregations and sell off kingdom halls, with money requested to be sent to headquarters."

  That might also imply that they anticipate a significant reduction in membership in the near future...

  ...or (more importantly, IMO) increased noncompliance with their decrees at the local KH levels.

  Hypthetical scenario...

  ...Brooklyn Warwick issues instructions that - for various reasons - are all but impossible to fully follow in certain locations, (particularly congregations that still have fairly liberal reputations).

  In response, they declare the offending congregation "apostate" or somesuch, dissolve it, and lowball the property to sell it fast.

  It occurred to me that they could also do this if accusations of pedophilia in a particular KH became too egregious to handle; just cut ties with the congregation, declare that any objectors are acting brazenly and/or disassociating themselves by noncompliance, and flip the property out from under them.
• 

  Vidiot

  Jeffro - "It strikes me that their publication of obvious paranoid propaganda like this is probably written to make governments suspicious of their activities. This may be their attempt at a self-fulfilling prophecy."

  Well, it wouldn't be the first time that a relatively small apocalyptic high-control group facing decline started to worry that the Apocalypse was taking a bit too long, and thought that some kind of jump-start might be in order...
• 

  frankiespeakin

  At some point they will have cried: 'wolf' too many times, and it will just fall on deaf ears, or like Chicken Little and the sky is falling, I'm sure many like myself are growing weary of such unfounded rhetoric.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO04VXBIS0M

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cTpChrmTk
• 

  VM44

  (3) At that time, the lifesaving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.

  In Schnell's book, "Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave," he recounts a Watchtower director calling for "kadaver gehorsam" from the brothers.

  This German phrase means "corpse like obedience".

  Schnell mentions that when he heard that type of obedience was called for, that things had gone too far!!

  This was over half a century ago!

  The Watchtower has not changed in demanding obedience.
• 

  VM44

  (3)At that time, the lifesaving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint. All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.

  Over the years the Watchtower has repeatedly stated it is not divinely inspired.

  The Watchtower is claiming in print that suddenly sometime in the future it will be providing Divenly Inspired Information!

  Nevermind that it has never happened in the past.

  Why do people believe this?
• 

  Bangalore

  Once again Jim Jones comes to mind.

  Bangalore
• 

  Cadellin

  At first, I didn't believe that this was really in the Nov. WT (sorry--I'm permanently skeptical from being fooled for so long as a JW). I mean, it just sounds so bat-shit crazy. So I went to the site and read the PDF.

  Me, before reading it: Me, after reading it:

  OMG. This is the scariest issue I've read in a long time. The GB is basically saying, "No matter what we tell you to do, no matter how insane it sounds, you must do it." The worst part is that they have been preparing JWs for a long time now to mistrust their own instincts, to resist their inner voice and to doubt what their heart is telling them, which makes people especially vulnerable to external control. Every study issue of the WT is "Obey, Obey, Obey." On top of that, you have a group that is not particularly well-educated or well-read, and that is socially, intellectually and religiously very isolated. In some ways, they're physically isolated, too, since many JWs don't go anywhere where they might have close contact with "worldlings." This is a recipe for another Jamestown--and I know it's been said before--but when you take the accumulation of all the mind-control tactics together...

  I really feel ill and very frightened. I really think something terrible is going to happen in the next couple of years and while, yes, it would be great to have this religion exposed, I shudder to think about what damage will be done to a lot of people.

  To me, it seems like a huge red flag and I have to wonder what responsibility we have to warn--I don't know. Warn some authority? I honestly don't know, but it seems like some kind of pro-active action should be taken. On the other hand, I believe in free speech and in people's right to make their own stupid decisions. Thoughts?
• 

  flipper

  LOST GENERATION- I agree with Dagney, the WT Society is trying to scare people away from leaving the organization. Once again using fear tactics to do so. Who the hell is " the Assyrian " anyway ? Some crazy a$$ evil Euro apostate WT Society whipped up to scare Witnesses ? This WT writing committee is $hit crazy man I'll tell ya. THe point # 3 - " At that time, the lifesaving direction that we receive from Jehovah's organization may NOT seem practical from a human standpoint. " Yeah, like what ? Drinking Kool-aid, blindfolded while all 7 million JW' stand at the edhe of a cliff waiting to jump off so Jah will save them into the Pradise by resurrection ? Just in case the " Assyraian " and his cronies come after them to " persecute " them ?

  WT Society is certainly whipping up the frenzied scare tactics once again. They want as many JW's to stay in the cult as much as possible so they can bleed each kingdom hall of any financial benefits fo the WT Society as possible - while feigning concern telling JW's e are doing this for YOUR " protection ". Really turns my stomach. Snake oil salesmen. Peace out, mR. Flipper
• 

  flipper

  CADELLIN- I truly agree with you that we DO have a responsibility to inform people of the devious tactics of the WT Society. I tell non-Witnesses every day whether I'm traveling in my business or otherwise about how dangerous this JW cult is. After reading this snippet from this November WT- I'm going to take even more seriously my attempts at trying to enlighten my JW daughters about the WT Society's ultimate control. I mean- what do I have to lose ? Are my JW daughters going to shun me ? They've already shunned me for almost 10 years now. Desperate times require more fervent and assertive tactics perhaps. But I'll do it carefully, I've read Steve Hassan's books

  P.S. I've even gone up to JW's I don't know at coffee places and engaged them in conversations about their crazy beliefs posing as a non-Witness. I feel we do have a responsibility, yes. Can't help everyone, but those we come in contact with we CAN do something.
• 

  Vidiot

  Cadellin - "I really think something terrible is going to happen in the next couple of years and while, yes, it would be great to have this religion exposed, I shudder to think about what damage will be done to a lot of people."

  With the degree of extremism and shrillness in the rhetoric these days, it's sure hard to shake the feeling that the GB is feeling increasingly freaked out...