snare&racket, could you help me understand your metaphor? What do the river and rotten branch represent and where is the cult/comfort you spoke of?
Thanks.
Is remaining ignorant a choice?
by stuckinarut2 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OUTLAW
Is remaining ignorant about the society a choice?
Most JW`s refuse to listen to anything negative about the WatchTower..
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EndofMysteries
Of course it is, and if a person is choosing that, they'll generally say, "We must wait on Jehovah", "Jehovah will clean it up or fix any wrongdoings by those in charge", etc. Then they'll say, "BUT, it's still Jehovah's organization and not our place to fix it and if we leave we lose his favor, etc, or let Satan win, etc".
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Heaven
Any JW who has been in the Borg for years knows something isn't right. Botchtower's claims do not stand up to reality. Whether a person is fully able to identify it is another thing. One must seek information and knowledge particularly when situations arise that one is uneducated about. NOT doing so is a choice and is willful ignorance. The Borg encourages this.
A few years ago my aunt said to me "I didn't expect to get old". This speaks volumes.
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dubstepped
If it is a choice, why do psychological sales tactics need to be used on people? To me that shows that the goal is to override the ability to make autonomous choices. Drug addicts have choice overridden until and unless they get the tools to take choice back from chemistry in their brain. Everything being a matter of choice is a JW teaching that moralizes all activity. Psychology itself shows how easily manipulated we all are. We can do things and be made to think it was our choice when in fact someone manipulated us.
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Ucantnome
I don't think they are ignorant, at least the ones I have spoken to. I think they are comfortable with what they are doing and I know two that have given thought to various things that are mentioned by those that leave.
I didn't suddenly find out about 1975 when I left or what had been taught in early publications. I purchased old publications from book fairs in the early 1970's and I wasn't comfortable in the congregation with several different things. But I never thought of leaving.
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nicolaou
There's a difference between general ignorance and being wilfully ignorant.
Having a strict religious upbringing from birth any young person could be forgiven for being ignorant about the real facts of evolution for example. Even when confronted with the facts (as in Cofty's evolution series of topics) I can understand a vocal resistance to accepting the facts.
A few online debates won't easily overturn decades of indoctrination.
However, it's hard to sympathize with persons who choose not to investigate the central tenets of their faith or, even worse, perform the investigation and ignore the plain facts.
Understanding evolution takes effort. Understanding that a man cannot walk on water or raise the dead does not.
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stuckinarut2
Nicolaou: However, it's hard to sympathize with persons who choose not to investigate the central tenets of their faith or, even worse, perform the investigation and ignore the plain facts
You make a great point here nicolaou! Especially as witnesses try and make everyone in the community evaluate and research their religious faith and background! But that same deep investigation is NOT encouraged into the society's past!
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sir82
Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored....
Exhibit A: 44% of US voters are prepared to vote for Trump.....
/Exit pot-stirring mode
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Xanthippe
We had a family that became 'apostate' in my congregation when I was a teenager. He said he was anointed and would teach people on the coach to and from the summer convention. My mother suspected he was apostate and noticed he'd been talking to people on the coach. I had been sitting near him so I started to tell her what I'd heard. She practically put her hands over her ears and said don't you dare tell me. As if the words would do something bad to her. It was just weird. So yes I think ignorance is a choice.
My dad asked me to phone my sister and I told him it was pointless because she hadn't spoken to me for 16 years. He was shocked and a couple of days later he rang me and said he'd sorted it out and I could phone her, so I did. She rebuked me for saying she hadn't spoken to me for 16 years. I said well it's true! She told me that our father didn't understand the reasons why. I said how could he, it's cruel and unusual punishment!
She said I knew you would attack my religion if ever I talked to you about it and she slammed the phone down. That was me talking about her religion was it! I didn't quite get as far as 607 or overlapping generations did I? Is ignorance a choice, oh I would say so.