Encouraged to do something = forced/intimidated

by neat blue dog 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  neat blue dog

  In a recent article there was this experience from El Salvador:

  "During the meeting, Brother Baltasar Perla, Sr., who later became a member of the Branch Committee, asked all the elders present to give him their government-issued identity cards. He then informed the elders that their names and addresses would be included in a written request to the government for legal recognition... then explained to us that since our names and addresses would be in that document, if the authorities ever wanted to ban our work, we would be the first ones they would come after and the first ones to be thrown in jail. Brother Perla... offered to return the identity card to anyone who was afraid. No one asked for his card back."

  Well of course they didn't, who would dare? It's the same today with many "personal decisions", we all know the concept of choice is just an illusion, that is if you know what's good for you or want to retain your standing and social network. But this one is just an extreme example of putting these men in a potentially dangerous situation, without consulting their families, and just outright ordering them to do it... followed by an obligatory but meaningless option to the contrary.

  It also is right in line with their request to obey any and all directions including ones that don't make sense.
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  StephaneLaliberte

  Well, I guess that the persecution complex is still real and alive. Some people deliberately want to be martyrs. For the elders that were put in that position, well, they lack character. Even when I was a firm believer, I would have called out how stupid that plan is. I would even have called that brother a traitor.

  Even to this day, I'd rather die then name people to an authoritarian country. Without any persecution in place, that guy decides to go ahead of the curb and name people?? What's wrong with him?
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  TonusOH

  Some people deliberately want to be martyrs.

  While others --like the GB-- prefer that someone else sticks his neck out, so that they can use their potential martyrdom as a selling point for their religious grift. Don't worry guys, you (and your families) will pay the price, but we'll get an awesome article and assembly speech out of it!
  
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  FedUpJW

  I would even have called that brother a traitor.

  Exactly! How many times has WT said that it would be a matter of "loyalty" to refuse to give up the identities of their fellow believers to the government? And yet that is exactly what this idiot "brother" was doing. And they went along with it. Makes them all traitors to God Himself!
  
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  neat blue dog

  the GB-- prefer that someone else sticks his neck out, so that they can use their potential martyrdom as a selling point

  Like the "Palestinians" who put missile launchers near schools and hospitals
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  DATA-DOG

  I bet it’s a made up story. Andre’ is in there somewhere.

  DD 🤔
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  neat blue dog

  Andre is old light, it's Ethan for the past decade 😜
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  under the radar

  A few years ago, the Borg required each congregation's elders to review their "excess funds" and consider "whether" these funds could be "donated" to the world-wide work.

  Yeah, right. In actuality, they were being coerced into handing over those funds and to keep doing so if the congregation's balance ever got above about two months expenses. If any congregation balked, the elders were simply replaced with ones who would be more compliant cooperative. Sheesh! Talk about your strong-arm tactics. The Mafia could take lessons.
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  no-zombie

  Its just like any congregational resolution. I've never been in one where someone has put their hand up, to oppose it.
  
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  Disillusioned JW

  Last night or early today I read something (written about 30 years ago) along the lines of which said that one of the things which attracted people to the WT/JW religion (maybe especially in the Rutherford days) was that their congregations had control over the congregation's money., instead of the headquarters of the religion - unlike that of Christendom's churches. I am trying to find that content which I read, so that I get my precisely in mind what it said.] I then thought that appeal of being a JW ended when the WT started stipulating how much money the JW congregations must give away to the WT headquarters. Later I read the post by under the radar about how elders of the JW congregations are being coerced into handing over funds.

  In some ways the WT/JW religion is morphing into something they proclaimed as evil, namely what they referred to as 'Christendom's churches'. That is kind of like the pigs in the book called Animal Farm over time morphing into humans which oppress the other animals in the farm.