Word from the platform...?

by ESTEE 12 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  ESTEE

  SanFransiscoJim wrote:

  love without conditions. This has never been taught by the JW

  I agree with what you describe here. Indeed, the jws kind of love is all about conditions and rules. Anyone choosing to live outside their restrictive and controlling "boundaries" are shunned.

  cruzanheart wrote:

  if her child wasn't going to grow up to be a JW, it might as well be born dead ... And this year the kids are going trick-or-treating, and Jennie's celebrating her birthday, and I'm celebrating MY birthday, and we're having a Christmas tree, so nyah, nyah, nyah!

  Love it, cruzan!!! I too am celebrating and making up for all the times I didn't celebrate!!! Now I celebrate life!!! Dub extremism ... that "might as well be dead" crap ...

  shamus wrote:

  someone who loves conditionally. As SFJ pointed out, it's always "IF"...I think that you should just let your kids be, and if they ever come to their senses, good for them. Your job is to be the best person that you can be... live your life as you want to live it... happily, kindly, and without prejudice. These are true traits of a normal human being... not one that has conditions to everything.

  I couldn't agree more, Shamus! I know that I trained them wonderfully and that one day they will open their eyes. 'Cuz interestingly enough, I also trained them to "open their eyes" at one point, by recent example!!!hehehe!!

  outnfree wrote:

  Nope. Never heard the phrase "conditional love" from the platform ... But it was certainly taught as Jim explained above. To summarize: IF you're not marching in lock step with Jehovah's organization, you don't deserve to be loved.

  I don't recall that expression ever ... either. Yet, the sentiment was there. No one "deserved" their love if they didn't live by borg rules.

  garybuss wrote;

  the term conditional, that would be too open and honest, but they described conditional at many meetings when they discussed approved association. They used a scripture over and over about bad associations spoiling useful habits. I assume those useful habits had something to do with religious literature sales or new member recruitment . . . and bad associations were most likely people who did not support those activities.

  LOL!!! You are soooo right on, garybuss!!! You cut right to the chase don't you...? Religious litereature sales or new member recruitment!!! Sounds like a pyramid scheme to meeee!!!

  dannyboy wrote:

  Witnesses become indoctrinated with, "loaded language" is used to convey a course that would otherwise raise questions in a normal, thinking person. The "theocratic" thing to do or say gets around all sorts of obstacles, like kindness, love, family ties, common sense, and clear thinking.

  Loaded language ... yeah! Seems strange that loving family members or having common sense and clear thinking somehow becomes ummmm... un-theocratic ...? Only in dub-land!!!

  Special K wrote:

  When a parent and child cannot show a natural affection to one another....well,, that is just sick and unnatural.

  I could not agree more, Special K! It is twisted and sick to believe that natural affection might be anything else than ummmm ... natural ...?

  onacruse wrote:

  There are no occurrences of "conditional love," though it's obvious that that's the primary kind shown in the WTS. I guess that means that JWs can only expect to get unconditional love from dogs.

  LOL! The kind of dogs that stay with their vomit perhaps ...? Thanks for checking out those references for me, Craig. I have no dub literature. I threw it all out ... a box at a time.

  Thank you all who responded. I was feeling a definite need to vent a bit. Every once in awhile it just feels healthy to do that!!!

  And I appreciate your support!!!

  ((((Love you all!!!)))))

  ESTEE
• 

  uriah

  It is the same with all things JW.

  By mealy words they imply. This is builds into the mind set so that it does not have to be spoken, it is assumed, yet no one says it.

  This starts with the bible study. Amongst the first things you learn is that God will destroy those that do not do as he says.

  Then theocratic rules, associations, meetings etc., etc. By all these theo-speak (tm) words the accepted actions are soon made apparent and what may seem starnge at first is soon replaced by 'what comes naturally' They don't even know what they say or why, they just do at the appropriate time. An example of this:

  My daughter decided she did not to be a JW (this is before we faded).

  'Friends' comments were 'Oh well, you can have another daughter in the new system'

  These are people who had known her from day one, she had been friends with thier daughters and stayed at my house and all of a sudden she was a non-person. She did not exist and was dead as far as they were concerned. This stunned me. It happened at a CA after talks on 'love!'. Their faces did not register anything, no 'oh dear what a shame' even. Just 'Bright' and 'The kingdom first' type faces and they were smiling as they condemned her at armageddon - you could almost hear them saying 'hope she grows me some nice roses' - alluding to her being manure, as I have heard other 'loving' brothers say of others.
• 

  Eric

  ESTEE,

  Closest thing I've ever heard from the platform was advice and direction (read orders) for those with disfellowshipped family members. I believe it was one of those 'special needs' talks that get rolled out of the archives whenever a congregation gets infected with independant thinking.

  It went a lot like this: "Brothers, you may not find it easy to withdraw your contact, your association, your support, from a close family member. From someone you have deep affection for, from someone you love.

  "But consider, brothers, your deeper concern in this matter. (Pregnant pause) Your concern for their everlasting salvation, for their spiritual well-being, indeed, concern for their everlasting life!

  "How then will you show your love for these ones? Jehovah, the God of love, has provided the answer in His Scriptures..."

  And then of course the speaker rolled out the whole treated as a tax collector, not even eating with such a one verses.

  I know it's not exactly what you were looking for Estee, but what I recollect from that talk was a perfect example of something the JW's are expert at, the Orwellian double-think. Black-White.

  I will show my great love for this person by withdrawing my love.

  Or in the terms you expressed it, I can prove my unconditional love for this person by placing conditions upon it.

  And thus do the JW's practice conditional love. By being taught that is nothing of the sort.

  Eric