Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-22-03 WT Study
by blondie 23 Replies latest watchtower bible
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rocketman
Yes, they talk a good game, just as Maverick said. And yes, talk is cheap. It's easy to just write articles. Where's the real motivation to help? Something is surely amiss. Holy spirit maybe?
Another factor, I think, in all this, is how being busy running to all the meetings and going out in service is likely a reason why a lot of jws don't want to help people. They are kept on such a rat-race treadmill that they barely have time for their own lives and families. When I was an elder, I really tried to help people, but at times I felt so rushed and pressured I just felt I had no more to give. It's not an excuse for anyone, just a another factor in looking at it - if the Society would just ease up a bit, they'd find that perhaps many jws would have a chance to live Christianity rather than just talk it.
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peacefulpete
I have to voice in about the "lack of love" thing. What can be learned from sad situations, like the story of the woman in the nursing home, is hat rather than the JWs being morally superior they simply resemble the rest of the world. The next congregation may have showered her with attention when this one seems to have dropped the ball. Are JWs less loving than other peoples? No, they are just not superior to other people.
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blondie
Are JWs less loving than other peoples? No, they are just not superior to other people.
peacefulpete, I guess the point is that the JWs are less loving then the JWs brag they are. JWs do feel that they as a group are superior to other people in serving God. Otherwise, why become a JW? JWs say that Christ's followers could be identified by the superior type of love they showed to each other. If jws are just like everyone else, then how could we identify them as Christ's only true followers as they say they (JWs) are?
Blondie
5/1/89 p
p. 27-28He said: "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:34, 35) True, the Law to ancient Israel included a commandment to "love your fellow as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18) But what was new about Jesus’ command was his expression, "just as I have loved you." This gave greater power to Christian love, for a Christian must even be willing to lay down his life for fellow believers, just as Jesus did.
Thus, true servants of God today can be identified by an unbreakable, unifying bond of love on an international scale. Who in our time demonstrate such obedience to God’s commandments on love? Who have been persecuted, imprisoned, thrown into concentration camps, or executed because they would not take up weapons against fellow believers—or even unbelievers—of other nations? The record of this century’s history answers: only Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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Gopher
Are JWs less loving than other peoples? No, they are just not superior to other people.
As Blondie pointed out, they CLAIM to have superior love. If your organization is just like others, why all the hyperbole about "whereever you go, your JW brotherhood will take care of you" when in reality it's just words? The hypocrisy is sickening.
Yes some congregations do better than others. Good for the loving people within those kind of congregations! BUT is this kind of care actually encouraged BOTH by word and example from the JW leadership? Or is the emphasis placed on how much in the 'field ministry' you can accomplish?
How many unselfish "Christian" acts of love (from one JW to another) are included in the "experience" portion of the circuit assemblies or district conventions? I remember NONE from my 39 years in the Borg.
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Pistoff
To me, the real reason that witnesses seldom know how to comfort is the same reason they fail so miserably at being solid friends:
You can't fake real concern. True friendship, and love, are not ended by problems, disagreements or self-righteous attitudes.
My "friends" and in-laws think that I do too much with my df'd (once suicidal and addicted but now clean and strong, no thanks to any witness) son. How do I know? Not from them calling me, or taking me to coffee. They instead have told my wife that the reason that they, old friends of some 30 years, declined to invite us to Europe with them because they disapprove of what I am doing to help my son.
These 3 are elders, by the way. They openly told my sister in law that they were afraid of me, and asked her to talk not to me, but to my wife. (My own elders know of my relationship with my son, and have said ........nothing; no advice, no reproof, no nothing. When he was df'd, I asked my elders how much I should have to do with him based on his emotional history; they said.........that is for you to decide, they could not tell me what to do.)
Can you beat that? Powerful, loving elders for lifelong friends: intimidated by a father repairing a relationship with his son.
I thought they were my true friends. What in the world was I thinking?
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Oxnard Hamster
There have been local examples that's I've heard from relative in regard to the behoavior of jws who made a scene at funerals. When a priest came in to give a talk, some got up and left, making a public spectacle. On another occasion, some jws stood outside a church and did not go inside for the service - their standing was evdently intended to show their oppostion to the church. This actions created much ill-will from non-jws, who were perplexed as to why the jws simply did not show up, or at least act more discreetly, rather than make a public scene at a most sensitive time.
Stuff like this is why I brought it to their attention that with some of the rules in the Bible, common sense needs to be applied. After all, didn't Jesus reprimand the Pharisees for having a black and white, this is the way it's gonna be, attitude toward the laws? Aren't the JWs guilty of the same crime as the Pharisees?
C'mon, is it really going to kill you to listen to a priest once or go inside one church for one service? Good grief they can be so ridiculous about some things.
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Oxnard Hamster
They are kept on such a rat-race treadmill that they barely have time for their own lives and families.
Funny you made this comment. I only studied with them for about a year, but there were times when I felt like I was barely keeping on the treadmill. I was constantly blitzed with new magazines, books, tracts, etc. There was no possible way I could keep up with everything.
Sounds like the WTS are a bunch of slave drivers. The more I learn from you people the more I'm thankful that God showed me a way out.
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onacruse
Blondie, et al: You know I love you guys and gals, but I must disagree with some of the comments here. Gizmo just posted about his Mom's death ((Gizmo and fam)), and the downright simple human love and compassion that was shown by the JWs is almost...well, I could almost feel it just by reading Gizmo's words.
I don't mean to preach to the choir here, but we must differentiate between the "JWs" as individuals, and the crap that spews forth from the WTS book-publishing-mind-numbing-life-demeaning-machine.
Craig
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blondie
Craig, I understand there are usually a few individuals or families in each congregation that show Christian love. Unfortunately, the "whole" congregation takes credit for it even though they haven't done anything personally or made any sacrifices of time or money. I'm glad everyone is not left out there to hang by the congregation. I mentioned that I received 3 cards total: all from the same sister who can be counted on to take the time to buy a card, find out your address, put a stamp on the envelope and mail. This seems to be a difficult thing for many JWs to do, too busy to buy a card, too busy to get a stamp, too busy to stop by the post office to mail it. It boils down to it that JWs are too busy doing the activities proscribed by the WTS to do the things Christ wanted his followers to do.
I also mentioned the difference in support when you the JW lose a non-JW family member. Very few if any go to the visitation. People who will take off from work when a JW dies are suddenly unwilling to "waste" vacation time. It is as if hurts you less if the family member is not a witness. I can understand not going to a church service, but visitation is most often in the non-religious funeral home with no talk given.
All I have is my 40 years of experiences with over 15 congregations in 5 states and 1 country. My MIL received over 150 cards (and $1,000) when her husband died. People brought food, repaired her home, fixed her car, etc. I saw this repeated at least 5 more times with deaths in the family. Family members and friends were Catholics, Methodists, Evangelical, Lutherans, agnostics, atheists. It didn't matter that they didn't share the same religious view.
I was embarrassed to see the lack of support showed by the JWs in all the individual congregations I have attended or known of. I wondered if there was something wrong with us. After talking to others in the circuit, I found that it was typical and I just had to accept it because people were imperfect.
Strangely enough, Craig, when my husband first became a JW his mother showed him a JW brochure where it proclaimed that only among JWs would true Christian love be found. She pointed to the love she had not seen and asked "why". I had no answer for her.
Look Brochure p. 28
As you associate with Jehovah’s organization, you will find the atmosphere very different from that of temples and churches. There is no soliciting of money, no backbiting or quarreling, and no discrimination because of family background or financial standing. The most outstanding quality among Jehovah’s Witnesses is love. First, they love Jehovah, and second, they love other people. These are marks of true Christians. (Matthew 22:37-39; John 13:35) You should attend their meetings and confirm this for yourself. No doubt you will be impressed by their unity.
Blondie