by phoenixrising 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Jehovah is going to provide a 24/7/365 free lunch buffet as son as Armageddon is over.
There will also be angelic antimatter clean-up teams disposing of corpses.
Yeah, THAT'S the ticket!
I have a couple of units of 'prepper' food. No water, though.
As for toilet paper, I'm so full of shit I need a garage loft to store it all, and I use BOTH SIDES!
In short, the go-bag idea as promoted within JW Land is ridiculous and illogical.
Assessment: The WTBTS comes up with things like this and applies a "one-size fits all" approach because they have little of value or interest to share with current JW members. If those in hurricane zones might benefit from a go-bag, then everyone needs a go-bag! Go-bag hysteria has replaced predictions like 1975, the selection of all 144,000 by 1935 and the generations predictions. Since WTBTS has largely abandoned or given up on making specific predictions they have to replace it with things like go-bags, volunteering for disaster relief and watching an ever increasing amount of JW produced streaming content.
As Sir82 mentions, the go bag "need" was a result of U.S. hurricane evacuations that caused mayhem for millions of people on the southern U.S. coast during the last 20 years. For anyone that might have to evacuate with at least some notice - the idea is valid and a smart thing to have some basic items ready to go. For hurricane evacuations this is likely something that makes a great deal of sense.
For 80-90% of the rest of the world, the idea that you will be able to grab your go-bag...get in the car...and just leave with what will fit in even a large hiking backpack is ridiculous. Also, many disasters are not evacuation events...meaning you are likely not evacuating to another part of the region or country. How many people do you know that have had to evacuate on short notice and that having a go-bag would have made it possible? I don't know anyone.
For what it was really meant, I can see that a go-bag is a good idea.
People living in areas prone to hurricanes, typhoons earthquakes etc need to be ready. I believe the Wt reprinted content lists from the civil authorities.
However a lot of dubs took it too far . They confused it with an "Armageddon bag".... which it never was.
For the majority of us, certainly here in the UK, it's not a "Go Bag" that we need but a "Stay Bag". Not a literal bag of course but provisions set aside for an unexpected event. This event is not necessarily a major calamity such as we are currently facing but just a bad winter with snow such that we don't want to go out shopping, unexpected sickness or whatever.
In the US they are called "preppers" and attract scorn and derision but preparing for future events is a very sensible thing to do. I cannot understand so many in my congregation have so little to no provisions set aside. I think they work on the "Jehovah will provide" idea. Well he hasn't and he won't.
George
I have the tendency to stock up on items that may not be available in the future. Such as odd colored pens (you know, the ones other than the standard red, green, blue, and black). Such as polymer erasers. Also, it never hurt to stock up on paper and stationery items, especially if I know there may come a time where I need such items and they might not always be available.
These days, it is more in line with the advent of communism. I cannot prepare for communism itself--that is impossible. But, I can get ready for some of the shortages and disruptions that precede it. I have plenty of NiMH batteries and chargers for rolling blackouts. I also have quite a few high quality flashlights--Fenix is the brand that gives me the best tradeoff for lumens and run time (and has modes around 6 lumens, which is perfect for finding my way around a store that abruptly goes pitch dark without helping others that do not deserve it). I have plenty of silver, just in case the dollar becomes toilet paper. I buy most of my clothing from L.L. Bean, which is way better and meaning that every shirt from there is worth 5 or 6 from the junk mart. I buy enough supplements to last 2 years, because I am afraid they will become illegal without warning.
In addition, I have an emergency bag that has survival items. I got a multi-tool system, a hatchet, a small saw, emergency shovel system, fire starter materials, and paracord. I know this could be money I didn't need to spend, but it is better to have these items and not need them than need them and not have them.
Of course, these days food is a primary issue. No one has ever died just from lack of toilet paper. Maybe it is a big embarrassment, maybe it can stink. But, food--I think more will die from the coming famine than from coronavirus. I am stocking up, gradually, on items like canned chicken, vegetables, cereal, grains, peanut butter, and the like. Instead of relying on those emergency rations that usually taste terrible or government handouts that come with RFID chip requirements, I rely on my local supermarket. And no, I will not go to that dump called walmart. I have been getting plenty of decent items at a highly ranked supermarket, and I would rather get more expensive and better quality items to save the cheaper items for those who have lost their job. Yes, this means I have as much farro and quinoa as these others have rice and legumes. It also means the rice and legumes are available for those who are in need, without work and whose stimulus check has run out or hasn't come yet and will need to pay their rent for three months in June or July.
PHOENIXRISING:
The ‘Go-bag’ thing was a response to hurricanes and natural disasters.
The JWs came out with this suggestion after everybody else heard about it first on the media. They want to give the impression they are on top of things but also because too many JWs are in a news blackout.
When I heard from my JW friend getting all excited over Go-bags, I asked humorously “where are you going”?..The reason I said this is because the average person who has a Go-bag knows it means they have it in case they need to evacuate to higher ground because of flood conditions because of heavy rain, hurricanes OR if they are fleeing wildfires.
The impression and vibe I got from this Witness was that they were preparing for Exodus 2..I’m in agreement with BLUES BROTHER. I think they thought they were going to be crossing the ‘Red Sea’ or hitching a ride to neverneverland.
That’s why I asked this JW “where are you going”.
What George Carlin says about the Government, can also be applied to JW's. The JW organization offers the feeling...the illusion of security and JW's have become neurotic about perfection and so obsessed with security that they are willing to trade away their freedom and often their family members in exchange for the illusion of security.
What we are going through now is a world wide disaster of sorts and all that JW's have to offer is information that they've cut and pasted from government guidelines and empty soothing words but noting in terms of tangible help. Why is this disaster any different than any other disaster she is expecting to face? If they don't have anything to offer now, what will they have to offer If there are worse disasters in store for us?
The JW's that are currently out of work or in trouble financially, physically or mentally because of the pandemic have turned to the worlds governments to get any kind of real time help, just like everyone else has. If your family was in trouble, her JW friends might offer her encouragement over the phone for a few days but they'd have nothing to offer in the way of real help...not for very long anyway.
My wife's Uncle is a long time Elder and his wife has regular Pioneered for decades. (wonderful people with 5 kids) At the time he was a substitute C.O and was also in charge of the finances at the assemblies etc. There was a lot of "tribulation talk" going on back around 9/11when my kids were small. In terms of the "great tribulation" we were all thinking when the towers came down, "this could be it". I was telling him that I was worried about how I was going to feed and protect them during the Tribulation if I were to loose my job. I asked him what he'd do if his business went under because the economy crashes during the tribulation. He said he'd move to where he could find work. I asked him about leaving the all Brothers and Sisters in his congregation behind who need direction and he said "Jehovah doesn't expect me to let my kids starve...I'm not in charge of other people's lives".
This was a real eye opener for me. Up to that point, I had naively believed that the we as JW's would band together during the tribulation and the Elders would be guiding us through whatever happened. Apparently he had a much different idea about it.
If my wife told me that she was going to dump me the minute anything went seriously wrong in the world, instead of rally around me, I'd have to seriously re-evaluate the future of our relationship.
Ask your wife if she were to suddenly to become a lone divorcee right now, how many of her JW friends would include her in social gatherings or put up with her need for emotional support on a long term basis? Ask her what the plan is when the things she has in her "to go" bag have all been used up and there's nothing left in anyone else's to go bags either, who will she turn to if you're not there?
JW's tend to live in a fantasy world when it come to "the tribulation" they don't think of it with any detail. Ask her for specific names of who she will turn to, what they will have to offer her and for how long. Ask her to paint a detailed picture for you and describe where she is, who she's with and where you and your boys are when she's using her "to go bag".
^^ Sorry... my previous comment was meant for another post ^^
I enjoyed it anyway Pete Z
PETE ZAHUT:
Witnesses entertain fantasies about the great tribulation and Armageddon..I felt that some thought they were going to hold hands and sing lah di dah into the new system.
The admission by that elder was sobering. “He is not in charge of other people’s lives.” (ie. the “friends” are on their own) 🤣...Here you thought it was going to be everybody looking out for everybody else (their friends in the hall). Meanwhile, this guy was worried about the reality of making a living and feeding his family!.. (We know now in this pandemic that would mean we have to have a functioning infrastructure and supply chain!)
Your comment to your wife was right on target!..If she were to be alone: would she be included in whatever??..Let me tell you right now: as a single woman I can attest to the fact that she would NOT be..Even under ideal conditions back then, I was viewed as an outcast - with maybe a few elderly or person here and there being kind...SO, I knew full well if there was any kind of real disaster I would be on my own.
This is why I am forever grateful I followed my instincts and held onto my job until Retirement..I cannot imagine the scenario for a needy single older woman dependent on the charity and mercy of people in the religion??😳..How would she REALLY be viewed in a time of disaster and privation like the great tribulation when people are worrying about themselves??..I’m so glad I’m not in that religion anymore.
Anybody’s Go-bag would make them feel good for a very short time.
