by spec 11 Replies latest jw friends
Alright it has only taken me 25 years but I have worked out how they get you to believe.
In all the publications they always present both sides of the story in a logical and often scientific way. This makes you feel that you don't have to research further because you already know the other side.
The truth is they don't have the truth.
in a scientific way? :))
hhhhmmmm....
I can only partially agree. the "other side" of the argument is always presented in a PSEUDO-scientific, logically-FALLACIOUS way.
To those not educated or keen on either the Scientific Method or on proper logic (and the other side of the coin logical fallacies) it may appear the both sides have been presented.
To be completely fair, they utilize pseudo-science and logical fallacies when talking about JW beliefs also, so it isn't a one-sided thing.
In all the publications they always present both sides of the story in a logical and often scientific way. This makes you feel that you don't have to research further because you already know the other side.
99999999999
so true indeed and since the avg jw is not a researcher like most folks are not, one does not know how to examine material in terms of looking up ref, quotes ,etc- if we saw the mag say Historians say or scienctist say, we never knew to see WHO ARE THESE PERSONS BEING QUOTED how are they viewed in their field of study, are they considered the best or crackpots- we never thought about it
i know some of the first things i read were the posting of jw who were researchers who went back to the Scienctic American publications to read the study done and get the WHOLE CONTEXT of the quotes and i was shocked when they put the whole article up on the net-
it is like walking in on the middle of a conversationa and here a man say "I was beating the He!! out of my Wife last night"
if that is all you heard and not the beginning or any explanation you would walk out saying
I never knew John abused Denise- when in fact he was telliing a story of what some guy said on "Benny Hill Show"
but you didn't get that part- and that is how it was in wt we got bits and pcs
Spec,
The truth can only be arrived at after fully researching all relevant aspects of an issue.
The Watchtower gets their truth by first staking out a position on an issue, then gathering only the scriptures and the secular quotations which support that position. They do not FULLY explore the other side of the issue. They set up a shadow or "strawman" argument which supposedly explains the other side but really only does so to the extent that they can easily knock it down, and then hop back to being fully dogmatic with THEIR side of the issue.
Funny thing is when they get new light (or do their little 180-degree turn), sometimes they argue against themselves (and their own old logic)!!
No wonder you say "they don't have the truth".
And alot of us here really have no one to blame but ourselves (OK I have nobody to blame but myself). When first started studying, questioned everything and even looked up "stuff". But, being a basically lazy human being and a true procrastinator, I found it easier just to read and memorize by rote the "correct" responses to challenges from those on the "outside". It was so easy to answer those who challenged the JW doctrine because we were given the answer. No thinking on my part! And hey, I won almost all those debates. And the ones I lost just meant that person was gonna burn in the end.
So, a year ago I returned to my due diligence approach and here I (and my family) are...So, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
In all the publications they always present both sides of the story in a logical and often scientific way. This makes you feel that you don't have to research further because you already know the other side.
I recall a few years back arguing with my then wife about the freedom to examine other religions and how we as JWs don't have that choice (without being df'd). She said "sure we do, what do you think the Mankind's Search for Truth book is all about?"
Oy!
LOL - HA, I love that.
Haven't heard that argument, but, yeah, logic fails them there.
A criticism the JWs *regularly* levelled at false religion was how it 'locked in' the worshippers to their religion, and didn't allow them to learn about other religions.
What they MEANT was 'didn't allow them to learn about HOW TO GIVE US THEIR MONEY'
"sure we do, what do you think the Mankind's Search for Truth book is all about?"
LMAO...that is ssssooooo JW....and the sad part is it is something I probably would have said at one time!
To add to all the rest that has been said, if you were born into the cult and taught from the beginning that to question or raise doubts it would be like killing yourself the fear can keep you from even questioning out loud at least what the B'org says.
Then the pain of staying gets to you.......the rest is simply called living!
Katie (of the I'll go back when pigs fly class)
