Why the Nov. 2014 Study WT could be a good thing

Apognophos

Hey guys. I am seeing a lot of flak on the forum over this study WT, and rightly so, as it's rather creepy. But I'd like to suggest an alternate way of looking at this upcoming series of articles -- as an opportunity. The more extreme the literature is, the more of a basis we have for protesting a teaching or generally taking a stand. Or we could simply use this to help others see why we're beginning to have (or have long since started having) doubts about the organization.

These issues are going to be studied from 12/29/14 to 2/1/15. From a glance, the first study article looks uncontroversial; it's simply about Jesus. The eerie insistence on obedience starts in the following article, "Why We Must Be Holy", to be studied on Jan. 11th if you have your Watchtower Study on Sundays. The next article, "We Must Be Holy In All Our Conduct", is iffy, then the next article is once again mild and uncontroversial. The final study article is "Now You Are God's People"; this is the "basement tribulation" article, to be studied on or around Sunday, Feb. 1st.

From now until then, we have plenty of time to make individual plans on how to deal with this. Maybe it's taking a stand. Maybe it's taking a vacation! Personally, I am fading, so I can't make too many waves. But I still see an opportunity to make remarks to JWs who I know well about my concerns over the subjects discussed in the WT, like the importance of obedience to the org. and the depiction of JWs huddled in a basement during the Great Tribulation.

Another thing we can do is make preparatory remarks to those we care about, whether they are general statements of mild disagreement with the Society leading up to a "climax" in our concerns when the Nov. articles are considered, or whether we share a "friendly warning" about the upcoming Watchtower articles with friends in the congregation ("Boy, those are some intense articles coming up, you see those yet?"). What ideas do you guys have about specific rebuttals to the claims in the articles, or general plans for dealing with this issue when it is studied?

jgnat

OK. My mistake. I will advise "Unbelieving Mates" to take a loooong vacation in January.

Apognophos

Vacation would definitely be a recommendation for anyone who:

1. Has not and cannot yet "come out" as a doubter.

2. Is not really good at tuning out the meetings.

3. Thinks they might explode while some of this material is being considered, if they are sitting in the Hall.

#1 and #3 apply to me. And while normally I'm good at tuning out the meetings, in this case I'm not sure I'll be able to overcome the feeling in my gut.

I didn't say this back when I made the thread here about the fallacies in the Jan. 19, 2014 article on Hezekiah and the need to obey the GB unconditionally, but during that Study, my hands were shaking and I felt ill because I wanted to give an answer that would contradict some of the false assertions in the study but I couldn't figure out how to do it without potentially blowing my fade. I felt strongly that I should say something, but I had to remain silent. This led to me making the thread in question.

So it's probably best that I stay away from the two studies where the second and fifth articles above are going to be considered.

Daniel1555

You are right. It is a good opportunity.

It might be a reason to take a next step in fading. Maybe stopping field service, not attending or attending less the meetings.

If concerned brothers or family members ask, you could state your concerns about that WT article (either the blind obedience, blood doctrine, shunning policy, or unlogical and unscriptural interpretation of 1919).

88JM

I wish I could afford to go on vacation. Maybe I could just hide in my basement for a month.

Oh wait...

OneEyedJoe

Yeah...I'm trying to think of what to say about these articles. I think I've given up on trying to get my wife to wake up before I begin my fade, but I'd like to be able to provide my wife with articulable reasons for my leaving and this would be a good opportunity.

I'm open to suggestions from the vastly more clever folks here.

disposable hero of hypocrisy

Yep. Wot he said ^^^^

Me too...

HeyThere

My husband ain't waking up. He is fully immersed. He is being an ass again even though he calmed down after I was told I had cancer. Perhaps I should start planning the divorce now as it ain't looking good and he will likely suck that article up and look at me crooked. Damn this cult.

frankiespeakin

Hey Jnat, keep him real busy on that vacation OK.

WTWizard

I can't attend those boasting sessions because I am too busy tracking the silver price so when it drops, I can buy some more. And I keep the silver. Which might just help me survive a more realistic crisis: Hyperinflation. The washtowel armageddon is not coming. However, financial Armageddon, with our dollars based on debt, is mathematically certain and, given that I have been using astrology, a rather stark chance of hyperinflation begins this coming April, right after tax day.

Now, whether that is brazen conduct after the preceding study article not to spend "large blocks of time" on investment, I do not give a fxxx.

Why the Nov. 2014 Study WT could be a good thing

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