It took me a while to see through all the bullshit but human behaviour makes a lot of sense viewed through a social status lens.
JW's were born and built through primitive religions dynamics
by Victor 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Victor
Truth totally. When JFK did not show up in Dallas, they morphed into doing all kinds of twisted logic like the year 2014 and 1975.
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LongHairGal
VICTOR & HOSER:
I made the same observation and I totally agree with you about the status seeking in the JW religion. This is the norm although not everybody wanted titles or ‘privileges’…On another thread a poster made a humorous comment I agreed with:..he said he felt being an elder “was like being the president of your local book club!”. 😂 In other words, who cares?
I also deviated from the ‘norm’ there. Though I wanted to do ‘more’, I never lost sight of the fact I needed to support myself. Whether this was because my family were not Witnesses and I wasn’t raised JW..who can say?
I just know that I paid the ‘price’ by being shunned and not invited to many gatherings back then. However, their lack of love and un-Christian behavior was certainly worth it because I am Retired now.
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TD
Mass movements of all types definitely share some similarities.
The most common is the belief of the author/founder that they have discovered a connection that everybody else has somehow missed.
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hoser
LongHairGal
The only power they have over you is what you allow them to have.
We’re not invited to that many gatherings but we’re not missing out. Say something wrong in front of some jws and find yourself being berated in the back room on Thursday night.
It just isnt worth the hassle to attend those gatherings. There are other things to do in life.
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Konagirl
Although elders are considered “princes”, they can also be called, “kings”, since they say they “represent the royal priesthood”. (1 Pet 2:5,9; Rev 5:9,10)
So, we have a large army of “kings” that rule over the nations/”Gentiles” of JWs.
The dual rulership, elders and the GB who direct them, is described perfectly by Jesus in Luke. He admonishes his disciples not to be that way.
Here’s a few translations of Luke 22:24-26
Then a quarrel broke out among the disciples. They argued about who should be considered the greatest.
25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of nations have power over their people, and those in authority call themselves friends of the people. 26 But you’re not going to be that way! Rather, the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and your leader must be like a servant. GW
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. NIV
Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: “Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It’s not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant. Message
This clearly defines organized hierchy, and Jesus clearly rejects it. For JW leaders to say they follow Christ’s teachings closely, and are obedient to his words, shows their utter hypocrisy.
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peacefulpete
Victor, I've not much experience with EXJw organizations or sites, other than being a long-time poster here, and so not sure what to make of your statement paralleling the drive for influence and esteem. But I'm sure it happens in some cases where the need to be admired outweighs the need for accurate exchange with others with questions of faith and history. I admit personally, I do enjoy teaching. But even more I enjoy learning.