"Human entrails and the river of blood&quo...

by CornerStone 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  CornerStone

  Hello All,

  Went to the Sunday meeting today. The talk was the same old same old about judgement day, field service, and other things I have all ready forgotten. By the time the talk was over I was trying to stay awake but the WT study sure opened my eyes for me in a way a few "no-doze" could never do.

  I'm sure many out there know how it feels to sit in a Kingdumb Stall and listen to the kind, merciful words of the WTS's angry god who will, in Jehovah's day of judgement will take the blood of the wicked and pour it out like dust and strew the dead bodies, even the entrails(guts), of the wicked upon the earth. And after filling the people with fear and dread offer a chance at redemption by asking, "Do you HOPE to be spared?" Of course repeating this type of message year after year will develope a sense of fear in the most hearty of souls. But what does this type of message do to children, especially little children?

  I'm no psycologist, but to fill a little mind with such pictures of an angry, mad god would not endear the child to trusting said god. In fact, FEAR would be the underlying factor that would ultimately motivate that child to, in the WTS's words, serve Jehovah. Fear of the child dying at the angry god's hands, fear of mommy and daddy dying at the angry god's hands, fear of "fluffy" dying at the angry god,s hands of course serves the WTS publishing corporation very well.
  The next new "cropp" of wretchtower pushers are being assimilated today for tomorrows conquest!
  What nightmares these images are inducing in young minds. What, also, of the broken and "dysfunctional homes" that these children have to live in. It is no wonder that young people take their lives at the rate they are. The wretched men of the WTS have much to answer for the nightmares they, by their false and missleading teachings, have induced in innocent minds! Much indeed!

  Needless to say it sickened and angered me as I looked around the hall from my seat and noticed all the young facess sad looking and burried in their copies of the wretchtower, but then I was starting to loose control so I stood and left for a bit to cool off. What was sad was that my attitude bothers my wife to the point where she said I did not have to go to the meetings with her. "SMILE" But of course, I would be remiss in my husbandly duties not to attend and "hold her hand." I am addament to keeping my family together and letting my baby know that I will not abandon her!

  Of course, the WTS is good at holding out the stick and not the kind hand. All through out this "hate meeting of the angry WTS god" I continued to think of Jesus kind, reassuring words found in John's gospel chapter 5, verse 24:

  "I assure you, those who listen to my messge and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."

  NLT

  To be sure, Jesus tought of a comming judgement for those who disregarded God's commands, but many in Jesus day, like our own day, needed to know that injustice, poverty, oppression, even death were promissed by God to dissapear. THIS was the Good News that Jesus preached. This Good News had to do with "setting the captives free" from religous persecution and controll and preaching "Jehovah's acceptable year." Of course, the children of the WTS are NOT tought the whole truth about God and Jesus, only just enough things taken out of context and "spinned" just right to make these "teachers of god's law" seem credible. O'well, enough crying and whinning for now.

  CornerStone
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  Gopher

  CS, well thought-out post!

  I think about this often. I don't live with my wife any longer (not by my choice, even though I didn't do any serious wrong). We have a precious 2-year old girl who will learn the "wonderful" things of which you spoke. My wife, currently DF'd, will seek reinstatement. By then our divorce will probably be final. (Sorry for pouring out so much.)

  My second thought, is on the FEAR you point out. I think its in 1 John where we are told "There is no fear in love. In fact, perfect love throws fear outside." So to the extent an organization promotes fear in its teachings, it denigrates love. And love is the main point of Christianity, or shouldn't it be?

  Gopher
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  Pathofthorns

  Very good comments by you both.

  It's no wonder why so many Witnesses can condemn billions to destruction without any thought after having been raised from children being desensitized to the violent message of the "truth".

  Routinely heard comments at meetings such as "the bad people will be destroyed" given by young ones who can't even read but only can look at the violent pictures in "My book of Bible Stories" continue to desensitize from an early age.

  It's amazing the fear that even dfed ones or others who leave have due to lack of proper information. It's a shame that they never realize that the message isn't in harmony with a message of love and that these men they fear are simply men like you and I.

  Path
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  waiting

  Hey CS,

  Nice to meet you. Interesting post. My grown daughter once told me that she had nightmares of Armageddon as a child. I didn't pay much attention as I was raised Roman Catholic. I had nightmares of burning forever in Hell. Man, you should hear what a spin on pain that a nun can give a burning body to little kids!

  Then it occurred to me - it is the same. Religion using fear of pain and death to keep people in line. Negative reinforcement at its best.

  We thought we were an enlightened people set free from false religious doctrines. The WTBTS just changed one doctrine of fear for another, keep people in line through punishment.

  Good to have freedom and time to think & read.

  waiting
• 

  patio34

  Greetings to all,
  It certainly is true about the fear element in the WTS, esp. to kids. And, Waiting, in the Catholic Church. A num said picture the pain when a match burns your finger, then picture it all over your body--forever!

  However, it occurs to me that religions' scare tactics comes from the Bible itself. After all, the WTS, etc., are using the Bible for those graphic descriptions. True, it talks about love, etc., but plenty about bloodspilling.

  Patio
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  waiting

  Hey Patio,

  Nuns were great about those pictures, eh? I still remember *after all those years*. "Picture a lit match touching your finger tip. Feel how much that hurts. Now, imagine your whole body hurting like that - forever. And no way you can make the pain stop." Sure made us fear eating meat on Fridays. I remember my dad bringing home a whole bag of White Castle hamburgers one Friday (he wasn't Catholic). We were so hungry and those gutbombs smelled so good (they were terrible really) - but we wouldn't touch them! No hamburger was worth burning in hell forever!

  I agree, the scriptures themselves give the idea to these people to use pain and torture as a means of negative reinforcement. Perhaps the people who wrote it just brought in their own private thoughts as the world of mankind has used pain to keep people in line from the beginning of time.

  Nice chatting with you. Glad to see your name.

  waiting
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  eby

  Path,
  As to violent pictures--I thought it noteworthy that the picture in this article seemed toned down as to violence. It appears on page 16 with the caption, "Do you hope to be spared when Jehovah destroys the wicked?". It shows survivors with smiling faces coming through a valley. In the background there are dark clouds and fire raining from the sky. No gory, gruesome images are depicted. Guess the artist leaves that to the imagination. I wonder if this is a trend for the future. Hope so for the children's sake.

  eby