by midnight 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I always felt bad for asking questions , did anyone else ? what question did you ask or want to ask but feel it was wrong ?
mine was regarding the circuit assembly and the amount defecit anounced .
also 1975 i got a stern reply too when i was studying in the 90,s
If you've ever seen the film Midnight Express you will see the expression "Bad Machine"
For me it was always like that. You can always ask questions..............BUT. Make sure they're the "right" GOOD Machine questions. Like how can I do more to help the wonderful GB & our dear organisation?
NOT. How can this or that be true? That will flag up big time & you will be labeled a bad machine & you can kiss your hassle free life away. Big time. They will tune in on your ass & you are in kind polite trouble but trouble all the same. They will want to "help you out"
Phats.
O.P. " Why does no one ask questions?
My guess is that questions exist, but the answers to those " questions" have terrible consequences on both sides.
According to witness culture, Asking questions about doctrine implies a lack of faith, or a lack of spirituality.
Witnesses have been indoctrinated to believe that if they have questions, the fault lays with them....NEVER with the society....
Fear of how they will be viewed - and fear of getting answers that might rock your world.
You were shamed and demeaned for questioning the GB (FDSL) because you were showing disrespect and unloyalty to god's chosen ones.
Within the JWS mindset it also shows spiritual weakness to deeply question doctrines, in spite of the lies, deceptions and misinterpretations of the bible the JWS's leaders put forth.
Better to have questions that can't be answered that answers that can't be questioned!
just saying!
My husband got a taste of the reaction he would get when asking questions within the WT ( His childhood memories are so distorted).
Years back when I was just reading and studying TTATT, while he was jumping in with both feet to WT studies on the path to baptism, I did a no-no. ( Not knowing the correct way to handle this stuff yet) I wrote out a list of questions to ask his study conductors. It was lengthy ( mistake) and hard hitting questions ( another mistake) and they didn't get past the first two questions before the conductors questioned where these ideas came from, accused me of being infected with apostate materials, then dismissed the questions as "only apostate and not real or worth the time". My husband came home chastising me for embarrassing him. He said at that time "oh if I had asked those questions after baptism, I would be in so much trouble". He later denied ever saying that. In fact claiming the opposite. But in the beginning he would tell the truth about things because he was still being indoctrinated and wasn't fully brain cleansed, and shortly later twisted reality. He refused to ever answer those questions, and later lied about how he thought they were good questions (in the beginning).
I am hoping the seeds I have learned to plant over these years are taking root. I do think he has questions but hides them, tries to compartmentalize them and lock them away. He has not been to a study for years, no meetings except the memorial. Infrequent conventions. So, we will see if he ever allows the questions out and really address them.
I never once felt bad for having questions, but I learned at a young age to keep them to myself. Asking my parents the sorts of questions that I had always resulted in 3 things: I'd get an unsatisfying answer accompanied by a stern/concerned look, my parents would force me to do more "bible study" of cult propaganda, and I'd get more scrutiny around how I was spending my time and who I was friends with at school, etc. I wanted the cult to be true, and all their deeply unsatisfying answers to what should have been simple questions that everyone had thought about only left me with stronger doubts and I didn't want that. Coupled with the punishment of more study and my parents ramping up on trying to isolate me from the world I quickly learned to just not ask questions. It was better to assume there was a satisfying answer to my questions than to hear the excuses they'd actually give me.
