I would suspect there are very few posters on this forum who would not agree the WBTS has been less than honest about numerous issues and have used manipulation and distortion of facts for it's own aggrandizement. But do you ever think some of the posters on this board employ the some of the same tactics to characterize the 'borg' in a less than completely honest light? What do you think?
DO BORG-BASHERS PLAY FAIR?
by MYOHNSEPH 14 Replies latest jw friends
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outnfree
Yep!
A lot of times the emotional scars we bear from our involvement with the Borg make us less than objective. (We are human, after all!) Sometimes posters exaggerate for emphasis -- but sometimes the results of Borg policy on posters' lives has truly been devastating and life-altering. There is good reason for smouldering resentment and good old fireworks, too!!!
On the whole, however, this board is [sometimes brutally] direct and honest about the Watchtower Society's wicked game of knowing deceit.
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Abaddon
Could you give me an example of what you think is the use of WBTS tactics by 'BORG-BASHERS'?
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DanTheMan
*waiting for Scooby Snax to post about how we're all just bitter and the WT isn't all that bad and why don't we all just lighten up*
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Flip
In a public forum such as this any verifiable misrepresentation, pro or con, is likely to be quickly challenged and a correction demanded If past experience is any indication, the weight of evidence generously provided should be readily apparent to the discriminating reader.
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MYOHNSEPH
Abaddon:
Well, for example, one of the posts today is from someone who's asking for help to get back to "the truth". He stated he had a bad drug and alcohol problem and thought getting Jehovah back in his life was what he needed. I posted a reply saying, in essence, that would simply be replacing drugs and alcohol with something else which would control his life. Now while that may not be untrue, it didn't really address the issue in a very helpful way. So, was I really trying to help or just take a poke at the WBTS? (Just a rhetorical question?)
For the record, I'm not trying to suggest anything about anyone's posts in particular. It's just a question!
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Simon
I think it is good to try and present things in a fair manner. Ironically, for those who really despise the WTS, I think this damages it more.
I found the most convincing sites about the WTS were the ones with sound, reasoned arguments and not the obviously biased ones.
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AlanF
Of course some posters sometimes use exaggerated or less than honest arguments or tactics against the Watchtower Society. Your question is not much different from, "Do people sometimes lie?" Of course people sometimes lie. And of course people sometimes exaggerate. And sometimes they just make mistakes.
It's the same with the Watchtower. Sometimes they lie and exaggerate. Sometimes they make honest mistakes. Their problem is that they rarely correct the honest mistakes, and they never correct the exaggerations and lies, since to do so would be to admit that they had deliberately lied or exaggerated, which a "divinely directed" organization would never do.
Many people on ex-JW forums have been badly beaten up by the Borg, and sometimes their emotions get the better of them. Who does not tend to strike out at what has hurt them horribly?
Nevertheless, there are many posters who tend to remain calm, and deliver well thought out posts that contain no exaggerations and no lies. Mistakes, perhaps, but they correct these when they're pointed out.
The style and content of postings reflects the extremely varied nature of human beings. Some are highly emotional and hit the heart. Others are dry presentations of factual material. Still others can combine both elements. There are also many different opinions, and some people tend to present opinions as facts. That's perfectly normal human behavior, and the intelligent reader ought to be able to distinguish opinions from facts, or at least be willing to test what he or she thinks are opinions.
MYOHNSEPH, you sort of beat yourself up a bit in your reply to Abaddon. But you don't necessarily have to give a complete recipe for solving the poor guy's problem, so don't beat yourself up over it. He should be intelligent enough to see that you gave your opinion and a partial answer, especially given that others have given excellent advice. If the guy hasn't the intelligence or the emotional strength to see this, then maybe a controlling cult like the JWs is good for him, at least for awhile. Some people are simply not cut out to deal with life without "help" from a cult.
AlanF
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Mum
AlanF is right on target, to no one's surprise.
There was a time when I believed there were pat, cut-and-dried answers "out there." So I found people who claimed to have those answers. At the time I became an active JW, being a part of this tightly knit group actually gave me the illusion of acceptance and even opened up the world to me a bit. There will always be such people, ripe for the picking of whatever spiritual charlatan or counterfeit Messiah who comes along at the right time.
As AlanF said, don't be so hard on yourself, MYOHNSEPH. This individual you are trying to help is seeking his own level at this phase in his life. He will grow and move on in his own good time or he will be indoctrinated with snippets of truth mixed with lots of weirdness and intimidated by fear of loss of his/her feeling of security and acceptance and stay put -- his/her choice.
Now happy to rock in the pleasant boat of uncertainty and infinite possibility,
SandraC
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MYOHNSEPH
"Now happy to rock in the pleasant boat of uncertainty and infinite possibility,"
Too cool, Sandra! Got room for any passengers?