John Cedar Confronts his Jehovah's Witnesses Elder Father on the UN/NGO scandal

by Scott77 27 Replies latest social humour

• 

  Terry

  There is a story ( told by Primo Levi ??) of jews in a Concentration Camp who gather together and debate if there really can possibly be a God.

  At the end of the debate they decide unanimously that it is impossible that a God of love exists.

  Then the Rabbi amongst them says, "It is now time, let us all go and say our prayers".

  JW's, though in the case of most of them, incapable of the kind of philosophical debate those jews had, are very like them.

  Their culture is so ingrained that Truth cannot penetrate it.

  Karen Armstrong relates this story in the context: an 11 year old boy had just been hanged in the camp by Nazis.

  The conclusion? When your only identity is your religion you can't UNbecome who you are even if it is a false identity.
• 

  braincleaned

  When your only identity is your religion you can't UNbecome who you are even if it is a false identity.
  
  Yes! Well resumed.
  
  I will add that it proves that people like Cedar's dad identify more as a JW than a father... as demanded by Christ himself.
• 

  Vidqun

  If you criticize the GB you're out even if you're right. Oh well, join the club...
• 

  Bugbear

  Since I left the Borg, my wife is told by the body of elders and CO not to have ”spiritual” conversations with me. This means that every talk about the Bible, WT teachings, Philosophical problems with the Bible, age of humans, questions regarding the WTBTS financial politics a.s.f. is strictly forbidden subjects. If we are eating supper together and (there are only two of us at house nowadays) and some of these or closely related subject comes up, she will take her plate and go to another room saying her prayer and eat her food for her selves.

  The sad thing for her is that all of our children are also out. When they are coming home to visit us, she must feel very lonely.

  The Watchtower Soc. Is really punishing their own followers with their strange rules. My only worry is that she will suffer emotionally. But I can’t just keep quiet and let her live in a lie. But Terry it is very true Their culture is so ingrained that Truth cannot penetrate it.

  Specially after being a JW almost 40 years.

  Bugbear
• 

  Scott77

  Sad but unsurprising.
  steve2

  Why do you think its not unsurprising for you? It it normal the way a Jehovah's Witnesses Elder reacts when confronted in this situation?

  Scott77
• 

  Phizzy

  " Their culture is so ingrained that Truth cannot penetrate it."

  I have to say I feel this is true of my JW family, and of many JW's.

  But of course, there is always hope, I was born in and "in" for nearly six decades, but the Real Truth penetrated what the JW's ironically label "the truth" with me, and all the others on this site.
• 

  Oubliette

  Cedars: My father (who is an elder) hasn’t been abusive, but he has reaffirmed that he will be shunning us the moment things become official. ... A day later he told me he refuses to hear my side of the argument, and will be shunning me once things are official.

  This clearly shows it's not about what is right in the typical JW's mind, it's all about the rules, the "official" rules.

  Listen, Obey and Be Blessed!
• 

  steve2

  Why do you think its not unsurprising for you? It it normal the way a Jehovah's Witnesses Elder reacts when confronted in this situation?

  Scott77

  Hi Scott - I may have misunderstood your response to my response, so if I have, my apologies. My comments were just as expressed: It is always sad to hear of instances in which people's heartfelt honesty - such as John's - with their JW relatives - elders or not - is punished. When it happens, it is sad, but it happens so predictably as to not be surprising. Does that make sense?
• 

  Phizzy

  The really sad thing about the JW mind set, as dictated by the WT, is not just that the WT have stolen their thinking ability, but they have stolen their hearts as well.

  It is still painfull for me to realise that because my parents both have withdrawn their natural love for me from me, I simply cannot feel toward them as I should.

  I feel not like a son to them, but a stranger who has to watch his tongue with these people that he does not really know.

  The cult personalities they both now have are not the same people who brought me in to this world.
• 

  Scott77

  steve2 "...I may have misunderstood your response to my response, so if I have, my apologies..."
  rip van winkle"Cognitive dissonance happens"

  There is no need to apologize in this instance. I do not see any misunderstanding in this situation. Based on your perspective, I was trying to expand on my understaning as to the reason why John Cedar's Father who is Jehovah's Witness Elder reacted the way he did when his son confronted him with an honest and factual issue of Watchtower's involvement in the UN/NGO political matters. RVW states it was like 'Cognitive dissonance' . But is it possible generalize Cedar's father's defensive reaction to all JWs Elders and by extensioin, all JW rank and files? So when Steve2 states, it was 'unsurprising',I thought he knew already what Cedar's dad would have reacted this way.

  Scott77