by Joe Grundy 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
(I never was a dub).
This is something which has intrigued me for a while. I don't know whether it's dub-speak, or US-speak.
It's the use of the word 'Ones' as in 'interested ones', 'worldly ones', 'disfellowshipped ones' and so on and so on.
In the 'normal world' we would probably use the word 'people'.
Thoughts?
Maybe subtle language to make people think on the individual level instead of the group.
It help prevent people thinking about just how many there are who are worldly or disfellowhipped (interested? not so much ...)
I think that having their own terminology is all part of making themselves feel special and different , not part of the world .
Jan
It seems to me that Jehovah's Witnesses use of language always labels and categorizes people. Loaded, polarizing language such as:
FAITHFUL vs Unfaithful
SHEEP vs Goat
BELIEVER vs Unbeliever
ACTIVE vs Inactive
SPIRITUAL vs Mentally Diseased
Along with titles such as: Governing Body, Anointed, Other Sheep, Elder, Ministerial Servant, Circuit Overseer, Pioneer etc., etc., etc. it helps the average Jehovah's Witness see whom they should 'demonize' as the 'other' and whom they can recognize as one of their own, worthy of fellowship. By using the term 'ones' they can seem to be speaking about an individual when in reality they are 'classifying' GROUPS of people as in the example of 'worldly ones'. Jehovah's Witnesses must keep up an 'us verses them' mentality at all costs. One of their basic tenants is that Jehovah is going to wipe out BILLIONS of humans at Armageddon, including babies, children and those who have never heard of Jehovah's Witnesses. Joseph Stalin is reported to have said: "One death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic." As long as Jehovah's Witnesses can look at the 'other' as a group and not as individual human beings, they can keep up the mental gymnastics required to stay faithful to their religion (which in their mind is the only 'truth' and thereby automatically sets them in opposition to anyone that does not wear the same 'labels' that they do).
True observation, perhaps it has something to do with individually inspired based thinking separate from the group thinking ideology of a religious organization.
Dam those free thinkers, they are poison to their own devise and will one day parish for doing so.
All righteous people are faithfully obedient to the FDSL ( GB ) members chosen by god himself.
I had been thinking of staring a thread on the same subject. I was a Witness for 56 years and I reside in the U.S., so a different perspective than yours; however, your take is exactly the same as mine. Whereas words like "person" or "individual" focus on the person being spoken of, "ones" always struck me as focusing on the collective of which that "one" is a part. The same is true of Brother or Sister so-and-so. Again, the focus is on the collective within which the person has a brother-like or sister-like relationship with other members of the group.
I believe, even though subtle, this language is calculated to draw attention away from the person and any uniqueness or independence that person may possess. The organization takes center stage.
I suppose there are many words in "English" that differ in the US and the UK (where does Canada fit in?)
people is a group word but undifferentiated as much as individuals in "ones." Ones is a word used by the WTS version of English but not necessarily to non-jws on the outside. I certainly don't use "ones" but find it quite awkward. WTS vocabulary tends to reflect the stilted language in their bible.
No wonder someone compared this religious organization as the Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Individualized thoughts and independent thinking is identified as a thought crime and duly punishable.
