by Francois 21 Replies latest jw friends
Valis:
Once again the implication is that child molesters can somehow change with Jehovah's help...
Ah but the catch is ~ only if they are JW's
There's a different yardstick for all others of course. [8>]
Actually it was one of the more grasping excuses since the Dateline expose concerned those that were long term JW's and Elders. They don't seem to grasp that pedophilia isn't just something that warrents a slap on the wrist and it goes away.
~Bugs
Mustang:
It's not persecution to be ostracized or punished for YOUR OWN MISDEEDS. It is plain and simple justice. And if it is meted out by the 'authority', it is also scriptural.Reminds of this section from "Toxic Faith"I've been expecting a cry of 'persecution' over some of their own 'dirt' coming out in the open. Frankly, it doesn't count.
"In a healthy system, individuals serving in that organization have respect for the person and position of leadership. For it to remain healthy, there must also be respect for the workers. When there is not respect, the "hired hands" are not allowed to disagree. If they don't like something, they are labeled complainers, negative thinkers, and not team players. The toxic~Bugs
faith system has no place for anyone who challenges the integrity or disagrees with the methods of the leader. In the toxic faith system, loyalty is equated with blind faith and complete agreement with the leader.Allegiance that requires overlooking the truth must be pledged daily. When that allegiance is no longer there, the confrontational workers or members are labeled outcasts and rejected by the organizatoin. And so, they are forced to rebel since there is no room for disagreement within the organization.
As outcasts challenge the delusion of the system, they are discredited immediately. They express resentment for the autocratic system and the manipulation that stems from it. The toxic faith system creates a lose-lose situation where the outcasts must give up perceptions of reality or be willing to face complete rejection. Abandonment becomes the reward for trying to correct the ministry so it can succeed rather than be destroyed by scandal.
Outcasts can interpret reality for themselves. Even when their perception of reality goes against that of hundreds or thousands of followers, they can clearly see the problems and press for solutions to those problems. Outcasts are unimpressed by position or personhood. They love God and want to protect others from spiritual fraud.
For these people dedicated to God himself, it is not hard to see others' dedication to egos and empires created by humans. They are forced to suffer for what they see because they refuse to watch people live a lie and abuse others. No toxic faith system can handle this keen insight and dedication to truth. They must place their jobs and the church they love on the altar of sacrifice as they are forced to move on to a place where toxic faith is not
practiced."Toxic Faith, by Steve Arterburn and Jack Felton, pgs. 236-237.
