The Current State of the Watchtower & The Cynicism of Soviet Communism

by cofty 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  caliber

  All citizens had to do was pretend they believed and outwardly conform. It became an increasingly spiritless charade.

  Yes I believe that spirit is important for sincere motivation & inner satisfaction

  Cofty ..... what do you believe is the spirit that gives you inner satisfaction , true meaning & lasting fulfillment in your life ?

  What is that missing spirit in JW's lives , that you have found ....or that dwells in you... ?

  Are all forms of idealism a complete waste of time.. does all life end in tragedy ?
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  Pyramid God

  That last sentence described me to a T in my last few years as a witness. I would say the end was close and that we were in the last days if you asked me, and I would say I believed in God when coworkers asked me. But since I was a teenager I had long ceased believing that the end would come in my lifetime, that the flood was a real event, and rarely thought of God as an entity actually out there in space.

  Have to tow the line though, especially as an MS
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  sir82

  Stunning - that is life in Watchtowergrad to a perfectly fine T.....
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  KateWild

  There is a fine line between, right wing and left wing politics when it gets to the extremes. The regime was not that different from Hitler, they also had work camps, and many lost their lives.
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  TD

  Good observations, Cofty. I agree with the parallels.

  A long time ago, I read a book entitled Alexander Dolgun's Story: An American in the Gulag. Dolgun observed that most any Russian worker could achieve their production quoto in half a day or less. But that never, ever happened because the whole country knew that all you would get in reward would be a higher quota.

  It struck me at the time as very similar to JW's and things that were actually said from the platform.
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  cofty

  Thanks for your comments. It really struck a chord with me when I read it.

  "You preach it, you are supposed to believe in it, but no one really takes it seriously... All citizens had to do was pretend they believed and outwardly conform. It became an increasingly spiritless charade."

  I don't think most JWs even know what they believe anymore. Conformity is the central doctrine.

  TD - Your comment reminded me of a phrase that became common in the six satellite states: "We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us."

  There is another paragraph I will post later.

  Caliber - Deep questions! Tea is more pressing right now but I will think about it.
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  Phizzy

  We have drawn parallels before on here with Totalitarian regimes and the WT as it is today, and they are very accurate parallels.

  I was struck by your Thread title Cofty, and the word Cynicism. I firmly believe that the shadowy puppet masters who control the WT via the GB are cynics of the first order.

  I also see from the parallel with the ailing Soviet Union that cynicism was exercised as a survival technique by those living under the regime.

  I wonder how many of todays JW's are very similar ?

  I would say, in the West at least, that well over 50% fall in to that category. I may be wrong, but it would not surprise me.
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  cofty

  I firmly believe that the shadowy puppet masters who control the WT via the GB are cynics of the first order

  I tend to agree in view of events in recent years. If there are some true believers in the top tier I am certain they are mostly cynics in the next level of accountants and lawyers.
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  Pyramid God

  I may still be a quite naive, but do you guys believe there is some other group controlling the WBTS other than the GB? Using them as puppets perhaps?
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  cofty

  I don't think so, not in any sinister way.

  I do think that the primary purpose of the organisation has become secular rather than spiritual. It is a publishing company and real estate business. The lawyers and accountants certainly have a lot of power and influence.