Go Bag and Catastrophes

by StephaneLaliberte 35 Replies latest jw experiences

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I live with my parents in law and yesterday, my mother in-law was very nervous about an email she got from the brothers in her congregation. It was asking if she would be able to receive people over at our house should there be a catastrophe. So, she asked me if I would agree with this. I said sure. However, we’d need to prioritize our family and close friends before we would welcome others. But if all our close ones were safe, then, yes, it would be our pleasure to provide shelter to others in trouble. She told me she would say “no” on the form, but that she would convey our message to the brothers.

  She than told me that lately, the WT has talked a lot about the “go bag”, that they can sense something, and we should get ready just in case. To put her mind at ease, I’ll set up bags for my family as well. I mean, no harm in it. But what got be concerned is how stressed she appeared about the topic, as if catastrophe was at our door.

  I then discussed with my wife about all this and my wife said that her mother made the right choice to say “no”, otherwise, it would give some “managing” power to the brothers about who would get shelter at our house. They would likely want to prioritize brothers and sisters over some of our close ones who are ex-jws or non-jws.

  I have to say that the “fear” card that they are playing lately, I don’t like it, I don’t like it one bit. I don’t mind getting people prepared in case of emergency, but it’s the fact that they’ve been “talking a lot about it” that gets me annoyed.
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  slimboyfat

  If the Watchtower is so good at “sensing things”, then how come they were promoting a “go bag” for years, and yet when the pandemic emergency arrived the instruction was to stay at home?
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  StephaneLaliberte

  That's the thing, a part of me wanted to calms my mother in law, but I know she's been conditioned to reject anything that remotely sounds contradictory with the WT. Instead, she'd be even more worried that we would not pass armagedon, so I played the game, for her, so that she may find some peace in believing that we might have a chance.
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  Sea Breeze

  I wonder why they didn't promote go bags in 1975? Weren't those Witnesses just as important as those today? What changed?
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  mikeflood

  When I think about all that money that the central banks are creating lately that make make me a little nervous too....but nothing is to happen. Remember, the Borg has been in catastrophe mode forever and ever.
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  WTWizard

  It is wise to prepare, but not for Armageddon. What happens when people you relied on to provide service start getting long term disability, or die, from their mandatory coronavirus shots? Instead of calling your apartment maintenance, you will need to be able to do things yourself. Instead of calling the city to get rid of that Chinese wisteria or oriental bittersweet, you will need to go out with your own saw and brush cutter and do it yourself (and deal with the poison ivy that might be lurking therein). Instead of going to your local walmart, you will have to grow your own food. Instead of being able to call the power company when the lights go out, you will need to prepare for longer blackouts.

  A bug out bag is useless unless you can get to safety, and if there are widespread race riots, you will be stopped from doing this. You will need to stay put, prepared for whatever to survive for periods that will make the coronavirus lockdowns look like nothing (not to mention, more lockdowns for these fake varieties that are nothing more than vaccine effects). And, you will need backups in case utilities go down--can you purify your own water in the event of said emergency?

  Of course, you should never trust joke-hova or the washtowel. Those entities only want you enslaved, and the whole human race mixed up and ruined so their masters can take this planet completely and use it as a base to engulf other planets, until the whole universe is ruined. Instead, get the supplies you need now while you still can. Tools are vital--pruning shears or brush cutters, saws, screwdrivers, wrenches, flashlights and rechargeable batteries, a solar powered battery charger for your phone, fire starting equipment, candles, food with long shelf life, and silver are vital (and, if it is still legal--it will not for much longer--guns and ammunition).
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  JeffT

  I wonder why they didn't promote go bags in 1975? Weren't those Witnesses just as important as those today? What changed?

  I became a JW (at age 22) in 1973. With oil shortages, wars etc lots of people were preparing for trouble. We all knew Mormons were supposed to have 7 years of food. But we all congratulated ourselves for being so much more faithful. We didn't need to get ready because when the time came, Jehovah would protect us.

  From my standpoint, I'd say what changed is they lost faith - in the GB, the elders, the magazines, each other, and themselves.
  
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  resolute Bandicoot

  Stoking Anxiety.

  RB
  
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  FFGhost

  The go-bag thing was a direct result of the Hurricane Katrina event in the us in 2005. Thousands of JWs were caught up in the mass evacuations out of Louisiana into nearby states, and elders lost track of many of them due to not having up to date contact info. Plus, without having time to take any supplies with them, JWs were forced to rely on "worldly" charities to survive.

  This situation was absolutely horrifying to the Bethel bigwigs.

  Not so much due to concern about the welfare of the affected JWs. Rather, it was the loss of control. If a New Orleans JW was relocated to Texas, what meetings would he attend? How would the elders spy on, er, shepherd, them? What if a relocated JW discovers "hey, these 'worldly charities' are not foaming-at-the-mouth devil worshippers"? What if he needs to go to a hospital - how would the local HLC be there to enforce the blood prohibition? What if a few dozen, or a few hundred, fence-sitting JWs used this an opportunity to "fade" from the organization?

  Terrifying for Bethel to lose so much control.

  So, since 2006 or so, "disaster preparedness" is now part of the WT platform. Each congregation must have a "disaster plan". Each publisher must supply contact information to the elders and update it if anything changes. "Go bags" to reduce dependency on "worldly" institutions are now strongly encouraged. Videos on hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, etc. affecting JWs are now part of the regular rotation. There are meeting parts, at least annually, reminding everyone of all of this.

  Of course, being prepared for disasters is a good thing.

  The issue is the motivation for pushing it. WT's track record over many many many decades is utter disdain, even contempt, for the rank & file. So now suddenly they want everyone to "be prepared"?

  Why? Which reason fits better: They suddenly have become altruistic and are solely concerned about the welfare of their adherents, OR they haven't changed one iota and are primarily concerned that lots of JWs could "slip through their fingers"?
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  asp59

  Preparing for the future, back in the day's, was seen as lack of faith in Jehovas providing powers.