Org. Re-orging in JAPAN (page 4)

JWD

I mentioned this on another thread,but it fits in with this current
train of thought so I`ll mention it again.

It was a fairly common practice here in Japan for doctors to tell
Witnesses that they wouldn`t use blood, but then, if it became necessary during surgery, to actually use blood without the patients
consent.It was more or less the hospital`s `don`t ask,don`t tell` type
of reasoning.You would have to understand the culture here to fully
appreciate this, but the physician is the expert in medical matters
and should have the final word about appropiate medical procedure.Thus
it flies in the face of reason for a JW, who knows virtually nothing
about medicine, to tell the doctor what he can and can`t do merely
because of some article in a religious magazine. Anyway,the facade of
no blood while actually using it on occasion when necessary work well
for both parties.The doctor had a free hand and the JW`s conscience
was at ease. Then in came BIG BROTHER. The org. decided to make a
statement by using an older sister who had had surgery and was given
blood without knowing it.Thus several years ago the org. took one of
the leading hospital`s in Japan to court for violating patient rights
(never mind the fact that they saved her life...).The org. lost in
district court but appealed to a higher court and won round two.The
fallout is that now hospitals merely refuse to admit JWs who have a
blood related condition. The real losers? Naturally it`s the individ-
ual witnesses who live or die by WT edict.More blood on the GB hands.
I`m reminded of Christ`s statement to the Pharises when they stood
around waiting to see whether or not he`d heal on the Sabbath.`Which
is the right thing to do on the Sabbath,to take life or give life?`
The Bible says he looked at them with anger.
JWD

JWD

There was also a TV drama made and aired some years back entitled,
`Settoku` which means to convince someone. It was based on the true
story of a small boy who was in a bicycle accident and rushed to the
emergency ward where he needed blood due to extensive bleeding. Since
both his parents were JWs they refused blood. The story focused on the
battle the doctors faced and the frustration in the face of parents
who couldn`t be reasoned with. The story came out in book form as well
and pretty much sealed the WTs image as a religion which allows people
to die via their `no-blood` policy. JWD

JWD

Just flipping through some older WT Japanese yearbooks.Just to give
you a feel for how drastic the slowdown has been here take a look at
these figures for the last 12 years. (the numbers are rounded off)

1979 50,000 publishers 10% growth
1985 100,000 publishers 12% growth
1990 140,000 publishers 7% growth
1995 200,000 publishers 6% growth
1999 220,000 publishers 0% growth
2000 21+++++ publishers -1% growth

* The current totals for this year show a further decrease of a couple thousand. At the current pace, 2001 will also be minus 1%.

As you see the major downturn started around 1995. What happened at
that time? There we`re several things which affected the WT dramatically. Let me list a few.

1) A group called AUM SHINRIKYO placed a nerve gas `bomb` on a Tokyo
subway.As a result the airwaves were filled with programs about
cults and mind control. During that time JWs were told during
meetings NOT to watch those kind of TV programs because they would
be influenced by demons.

2) A very well known Moonie named Hiroko Yamazaki was exit counseled
and appeared on national TV to denounce the Unification Church as
a cult.

3) At the same time Hiroko Yamazaki denounced the Moonies, a major
publisher put Steven Hassen`s book, `Combating Cult Mind Control`
on the market in Japanese. It is reported to have sold 2 million
copies.

4) It was also at this time that the WT decided to change their
teaching about the 1914 generation.

In addition to the drop in publishers there was also a major drop in
`studies`, `pioneers`,`baprisms` and memorial attendance at the same
time.

That should help give those interested a little background on the
dynamics of `why everything went south` here in Japan.
JWD

ozziepost

G'day Had Enough, Owyergoinmate, orright?

In recent years, I have refused to carry a blood card, not because of a belief concerning the blood issue, but because the card has become a de facto I.D. card for JWs.

"Are you a JW in good standing? Where's your blood card?"

Remember that only baptised JWs 'in good standing' are issued a blood card each January. If the card is simply an aid to individuals who have a conscientious belief in not taking any blood products, then why restrict the card? It seems to be another of those things that might start out with the best of intentions but over time gets corrupted.

Of course, the manner in which the card is issued each January evidences that the Witnesses' 'stand' on blood is not an individual conscience matter. It bears all the hall marks of coercion.

Cheers,
Ozzie

"Truth persuades by teaching, but does not teach by persuading."
TERTULLIAN, Adversus Valentinianos

JWD

I only have the older version card. A sister who recently quit gave me here `new-version` card and I was surprised at how the content had
been changed. A legal manuvere to avert possible law suits(?).

JWD

Had Enough

G'day Ozzie:

I'm orright and still verticle! Not letting them get me down.

That was an interesting point you made about "only baptised JW's in good standing are issued a blood card each January".

I guess that means I'm not considered worthy of one since I haven't been given one for the last couple of years that I haven't been attending. Although....the elders and pioneers and those in the car group with them out in service still drop in for a coffee and bathroom break regularly and are very friendly, but I've never been asked if I want a card or have been given the new form or whatever it is, to mark my 'medical choices'...."choices"??? you're right..it is more like coercion.

And yes JWD, it seems a lot is being done now that smacks of protecting themselves from legal action.

Had Enough

JWD

Sometime back a sister who had been inactive for several years and
had actually been attending a Christian church was told she couldn`t
come to meetings because she might be a bad influence on the others
in the congregation.However, they said she WAS allowed to go out in
FS! That was a first for me. Apparently, `spiritually weak` people
can still peddle magazines okay.

There is often a great disparity on how people are disciplined.One
sister`s son is sleeping around and smoking,but he has not been
disciplined at all. On the other hand, one sister who was living
morally okay was DFed for attending services at a Christian church.
It seems the whims of elders and the way they personally feel about
an individual has a greater bearing on the action taken than anything
else.

The society here in Japan is much more authoritarian than in the
west and that makes the elders virtual dictators in their congrega-
tion. All manner of unreasonableness and inequity can be seen as a
result.

JWD

Don`t know if I mentioned it earlier, but the WT headquarters here in
Japan has a fledging legal department.They sent a couple of brothers
off to law school and made them into lawyers.One is a second genaration elder`s son. I`ve seen him `in action` in court several
times.He talks like he`s answering questions at a study at the KH.

There are three other full-time WT lawyers.At least one of them is a JW as well.They had a sister on the stand testifying against her
husband in a recent law suit.They had coached her to tell about how
free life was as a Jehovah`s Witness.They got her to say that JWs
were free to read and listen to anything they wanted to.In cross-
examination, her husband`s lawyer was able to show her contradicting
herself and lying about the nature of her religion.

After the hearing was over I walked up to three sisters and said ,
`Sister ++++ lied on the stand today,didn`t she?`. They claimed they
didn`t know what I was talking about so I quoted her and then refered
to a couple of articles in the WT and a recent Kingdom Ministry that forbade reading information critical of the society.When confronted
with that info, they ignored me and walked away.

Theocratic warfare strategy in action ...? Or is it just called lying?
JWD

hawkaw

Its called lying

It is amasing what people will do under oath.

hawk

Sunnygal41

JWD, beautiful break down on the reasons for the decline in Japan. I totally agree, and especially with the point about changing the 1914 reasoning. I remember when that information came out, I sat in my seat and my heart sank and I felt like vomiting, because the main thought going on in my brain was: "what a bunch of lying, conniving creeps!" Then and there I knew that I had totally wasted 25 years of my life following a myth. (is that a female moth?)

Terri

Org. Re-orging in JAPAN

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