"We don't make rules!", claims the WTS (page 2)

Mr. Kim

Jehovah's Witnesses avoid making rules and regulations beyond those provided in the Scriptures, and they do not follow traditions that contradict Bible teachings.

My response is: BULLSHIT !

at the appointed time........SOON.........

Mr. KIM

undercover

can you think of ANY rules they make that are not scriptural?

Brothers can't wear beards.

Have to go out in field service.

Have to turn in service time.

R-rated movies are not allowed.

Rap & Heavy Metal music not allowed.

Vasectomys, tubes tied not allowed.

Independant thinking not allowed.

Smoking not allowed.

Birthday celebration not allowed.

ozziepost

And there is more. Jehovah’s organization, as well as individual congregations, has to establish necessary rules and procedures in order to preserve good order. (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40) Why, Christians could not even meet together if they had no rules as to when, where, and how to hold such meetings! (Hebrews 10:24, 25)

I have no doubt this is how the R&F are persuaded to believe.

However, (don't you love that bit of Borgese!!) those statements are not supported by the texts they claim are the reason for their "Bible based" teaching. At 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is addressing a situation in the Corinthian congregation, well known for its "independent" thinking! The text at Hebrews leaves me stumped! The early christians only met in 'house churches', not purpose-built buildings like Kingdom Halls. How on earth can the WTS equate the spontaneous gathering of christians in the homes of each other with the well ordered Kingdom Hall meetings?!!

Sadly, many thousands of the R&F would go along with this free-wheeling distortion of scripture.

Cheers, Ozzie

iiz2cool

They don't make rules, eh? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

How about:

Facial hair on men.
4 door service vehicles.
Mandatory jackets and ties.
Pioneers.
Auxiliary Pioneers.
Bethel.
Circuit, District, city, and zone overseers.
Reporting of field service to elders.
Avoiding 'supplementary' education.
Bible study aids.
Judicial committees.
Telling brothers which hotels they MAY NOT USE. (I know one elder who was deleted because he stayed at a hotel that was not on the society's 'recommended' list during a convention).
5 meetings a week.

And a whole lot more!

Walter

ozziepost

Mandatory jackets and ties.

Freedom means not having to wear a tie.

Paradise Found

The W.T.S. HAD ONE RULE .

TO RULE US!! .......THEY FAILED!!!!!!!!!!!!

shotgun

Organ transplants

Vaccines

Worship an Organization

Avoid other org's like the YMCA while they become a UN NGO

Give freely and not under compulsion..we'll remind you several times though so you don't forget.

Hey Mr Kim....The next time I go to the hall can I use your comment...its a classic.

undercover

I got to thinking about this a little more....

Some rules are definately there, like the beards and the service slips and many others. But some things become rules unto ourselves. We think they are rules but really aren't etched in stone, written in the WT or in the elder's handbook. So where did we get the impression that something is a rule when it's not written anywere?

An example(please bear with me here): When I was a good little dubbie, I wanted to buy a motorcycle. I've always had the urge to own one. The more I decided I wanted one, the more my conscience bothered me about wanting one. I felt like I was going against the direction of the Society by buying one. Was it the materialism? Was it the supposed "lifestyle"? Of course there's nothing in the Bible about not owning one. I searched the Index and could not find anything that recommended not owning one. Why was I feeling unloyal for wanting a motorcycle? Since I could find no written admonition about not owning one, I proceeded to get one.

Forward many years later. After becomeing inactive and now owning several motorcycles and sports cars, I attend the occasional meeting. I went to the Sunday meeting the week of the COs visit. In his talk about worsening conditions(imagine that) he started off his talk about an unfortunate incident where someone was killed in a bungee jumping incident. He went on to compare bungee jumping, para-sailing, sky-diving and motorcycle riding with each other as a dangerous pastime. A pastime that "Christians" would not want to pursue due to the danger it presented. This little sidebar to his talk had nothing to do with the theme and I feel that it was aimed at a couple of the brothers who had taken up riding motorcycles. Now, there is no rule written anywhere in any of the WTS publications that brothers(or sisters) can't ride or own motorcycles. But to any in attendance that morning(who were awake and/or paying attention) this "counsel" coming from this particular brother becomes a rule. Hardheaded elders may even try enforcing this unwritten rule on its MSs and pioneers. They have no scriptural backing or even written backing from the WTS, but since it came from the CO, who represents "headquarters", that's close enough.

I feel that many of the "rules" are not actually sanctioned rules but preferences, suggestions or even prejudices that have been voiced over and over on the platform to the point where we come to think of them as rules. I'm not making excuses for anyone(or any publishing company) but just voicing how I think we get fooled into obeying these "rules".

Thoughts?

iiz2cool

Christians should not get involved in a dangerous pastime? Works for me! I have owned and driven motorcycles for 26 years. I never sustained a single injury in this pursuit. But in the field service I had numerous sprained ankles, 3 knee injuries and 1 back injury through slip and fall accidents, resulting in 2 knee surgeries, and much time off work. I eventually had to retrain for another line of work because of these injuries.

I think field service is a very dangerous pastime, and should be avoided at all costs.

And yes, they were constantly on my ass for owning a motorcycle.

Walter

Lady Lee

Jehovah's Witnesses avoid making rules and regulations beyond those provided in the Scriptures,

Bear with me on this

TRUE according to their definition

BECAUSE they use loaded language - a hallmark of mind control. They will insist they don't make "rules". They will however change the meaning of the word "principle" and substitute it for the word "rule" This playing with the language keeps people confused and buying into the propaganda that is heaped on them constantly

and lord help the poor person who breaks a "priniple"

"We don't make rules!", claims the WTS

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