Steve said-
I'd like to think that SBF has better things to do than to pray for our destruction. 8 years on an apostate website is a lot to feel guilty for if you're still hooked into the organization.
Read what I wrote again, as I was making a reference to the 'Lord's Prayer', where Jesus said to pray to Jehovah for "thy will be done on Earth". Every ex-JW knows that would include cleaning out the "Worldly Ones" during Armageddon™ in order to pave the way for the New System™. Per JW eschatology, there will be NO JWN in the New System, since there will be no apostates.
Steve said-
If he does, who knows he may be praying that we see the error of our ways and join with him in returning to our congregations? I could think of worse things to pray for.
You and I know that there are SOME (like me) who have a snowball's chance in Gehenna/Hades of EVER returning to the KH and repenting of sinning against Jehovah (uh, hard to do, since I'm an atheist?), so the figure would be potentially non-zero (notice I said "potentially", since in reality the figure is ZERO/ZIP/ZILCH, since Armageddon ain't cummin'!). At any rate, the potential number pales in comparison to the ACTUAL UNKNOWN number of lives lost in the name of obeying a fatal and flawed "no blood" JW policy.
As such, the assumption now is that SBF is a part of the Borg, hence he's bought into the dream. And even if he personally HASN'T (i.e. doesn't really believe), SBF is supporting the JWs and reinforcing the delusions of others.
In that light, since SBF is allowed to change his mind, so am I; I'm now remembering a few things that were temporarily forgotten in the aftermath of his departure.
As shocking as it was for him to decide as he did, it doesn't change the fact that SBF consciously decided to disregard the social and moral implications of his choice, and is just another selfish and weak-willed individual which is more inexcusable than someone who doesn't know TTATT, since he's making what he KNOWS is a poor choice (esp if he's acting under compulsion of the wife, elders, etc).
We cannot have it BOTH ways, saying it's wrong to support the JWs, but then suddenly making excuses for those who actually DO make a bad choice to support the Borg. It's hypocritical to do otherwise, making excuses for our family, friends, and ourselves and cutting slack as WE see fit and cherry-picking exceptions to policy, but then whining how the JWs are evil and dangerous! You cannot have it both ways.
As hard as it may be to hold those individuals whom we feel we know, THEY are individually-responsible for supporting the Borg, and hence share in their crimes; the fact remains that INDIVIDUALS like SBF choose to perpetuate and support this deadly organization, and choosing to return to thought-sedating vomit means to share in some of the moral culpability of the organization, as well (eg the unknown and uncounted lives lost due to their fatal and flawed "no blood" policy).
Even if you're a lukewarm JW who only sits in the back row and sulks and makes sarcastic faces at the KH during meetings, YOU nevertheless are supporting the organization by your mere presence by filling a seat with a warm body that only adds one more to the 'total attendence' head count.
It's like the old saying, "what if they held a war, and no one showed up?"
What if the JW's held a public talk or TMS, and no one showed up?
(Of course, unlike the JWs, SBF is always welcome back at any time as unlike the JWs, we don't shun.)
Adam
