by blondie 30 Replies latest watchtower bible
Welcome, Oxnard (California?),
Nope. I live in Kansas, where we still hunt buffalo and drive around in covered wagons. j/k
Actually, my name comes from Oxnard, a character on the cartoon Hamtaro. I see Oxnard as a metaphor of myself; both of us are shy, socially awkward, skittish, overweight, and nervious around girls. LOL!
In all their talk about spiritual conversations they never encourage the flock to use their bibles to have some truly encouraging exchanges.
The spiritual conversations that I have ever been involved in were no more then how is the weather-type topics.
Most jw don't want to have spiritual conversations. In all the years of reg pioneering, I tried many times to have "spiritual conversations". I found that if you say to much they label you a "know-it-all". If you get too deep they say you have apostaste leanings.
Thanks blondie
How Spiritually Stimulating our last Ministry School was. Most definitely as Spiritually Stimulating as the ministry school the week before. But I cannot say that the Ministry School before that was any less Spiritually Stimulating. I am so Stimulated talking about the Ministry School. Aren’t you?
LOL! The 80-year olds in Brooklyn imagine that this is the sort of "wholesome conversation" that takes place between JW's at home, at the KH, in service, etc.
This is very interesting, Blondie. Good research.
I'm curious about one thing. Why is it that they keep regurgintating (sp?) material from past issues? Doesn't anyone at the Watchtower write original articles anymore? Did something happen to their writing committee?
I'm just wondering.
As per usual, you're not doing enough is all I hear from the drivel.
Blondie, I can't thank you enough for your comments every week. I don't know how you do it, but please, keep it up! I can't imagine this place without you here.
I read that garbage and thank God that I am out and never going back.
Brian.
Blondie,
Since I started reading this board, I always look out for your WT comments. It has got to be one of the best things here and it really helps me.
I am slowly drawing away from the organisation (but slowly due to family still in) and your comments really help me to look at things 'outside' the brainwashed way I used to.
Many thanks
Terri
Oxnard, my generation gap is showing. While I am a Powerpuff Girl, my knowledge of many current cartoons is lacking. After all those years of missing Saturday morning cartoons because of being out in "field service," I don?t take advantage of my freedom on Saturday and the 24/7 cartoon channels.
There are buffalo in Kansas? Yes, I noticed a couple of those slow-moving vehicles on the I-system. Actually, I have been to Wichita a couple of times.
Hi wannaexit,
We have had some very similar experiences.
Most jw don't want to have spiritual conversations. In all the years of reg pioneering, I tried many times to have "spiritual conversations". I found that if you say to much they label you a "know-it-all". If you get too deep they say you have apostaste leanings.
I can remember similar statements when I tried to keep it lightly spiritual. Once I suggested we read the weekly Bible reading while we waited for someone on a long RV. "Blondie, we don?t have to get that spiritual." A spiritual conversation was talking about someone?s private life and ripping them to shreds under the guise of "helping" them.
DantheMan,
The 80-year olds in Brooklyn imagine that this is the sort of "wholesome conversation" that takes place between JW's at home, at the KH, in service, etc.
Anyone who every encountered George Gangas at Bethel knew that his gambit was to ask people Bible questions. And how did these respond to this opportunity to exchange scriptural thoughts with him? "Oh, quick go this way, you don?t want to talk to him." "Oh, no, we?re trapped." "Try to avoid him."
Based on Ray Franz? account of life on the GB, many of the GB are not any more interested in deep spiritual conversation than the average publisher. But it looks good on paper.
Hi Roddy,
Why is it that they keep regurgintating (sp?) material from past issues? Doesn't anyone at the Watchtower write original articles anymore? Did something happen to their writing committee?
Regurgitating, I use that word a lot. The excuses the WTS uses is that the flock need constant reminders, new people are coming in all the time and it is new to them. But since the decline and death of several GB, Fred Franz and Lloyd Barry, there have been no GB members with that skill to step forward. Much of the work is done by the unanointed ones (given ones, nethinim, etc). A lot of it is cut and paste. The book currently being studied at the book studies is an edited version of the United in Worship book (3 chapters dropped and a few rearrangements of the paragraphs). They are just coasting along hoping the end comes some.
I wonder too, Shamus.
As long as I can keep getting current copies of the articles, I will continue the reviews. I can?t imagine this place without you either, Shamus, and all the ones who post here. I try to imagine what we would do without the ex-JW resources we have found on the Internet. I know there were others other there pre-Internet, but it would have been hard to find them.I don't know how you do it, but please, keep it up! I can't imagine this place without you here
.
SM62,
good luck on your quest.I am slowly drawing away from the organisation (but slowly due to family still in) and your comments really help me to look at things 'outside' the brainwashed way I used to.
I figure it is more important to be free mentally. If that is true, no matter where we are physically, we are free.
Blondie (free at last, free at last, thank God, I?m free at last)
Jgnat - I love your post.
I was once told to always ask myself why the Society felt the need to write todays article at this time .
Well it is clear to see that the "Brothers" need to to be told how to talk about the Bible and the New World . In reality that is true. I have been attending Sunday meetings with family for some 5 years now since I stopped being active. I am an undetected apostate , why? because no one talks about "The Truth" & if I raise a point in conversation, the eyes glaze over and I get no reaction . .. One does not need to tell football supporters to talk among themselves about their club, or remind political party members to talk politics, so what does it say about the f & f dubs these days? " Out of the hearts abundance the mouth speaks"
Even after todays meeting, there were conversations about cinema films, secular work and everything else . Not that I mind, it is just evident that they are not apparently interested in the message, deep down
Para 22 "Jehovah pays attention to our conversations and he rejoices when we use the tongue in the right way, citation Malachi 3.16 "At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another...and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening ", linked to Mal 4.5 "The coming of the great and fear inspiring day of Jehovah"... Reminds me of George Orwells 1984 when Big Brother had spies everywhere and you were in trouble for saying the wrong thing.
But of course this is the God of Love?????
We sat through the lesson today. To be fair, the underlying principle is sound - be careful what you say and how you say it and what we speak reveals our heart.
HOWEVER, the flip side, I felt, was that the implication was if you were to get bad stuff off of your chest, talk about frivolities and not talk about the how wonderful God's provisions are, as expressed through the org, then you were not spiritual people and should feel guilty for being such.
GUILT. Again.
Talk. Within the prescribed bounds.
Which brings me to wannaexit's point. That was precisely what I was thinking too.
Some of the best spiritual conversations are found online! If they are within the cong, generally, the conversations are at worst met with blank faces/suspicion or at best met with the WTS' current view. What is most frustrating is when one is not allowed to Scripturally [i]explore[/i] without the constraints of dogma.
Roddy said
I'm curious about one thing. Why is it that they keep regurgintating (sp?) material from past issues? Doesn't anyone at the Watchtower write original articles anymore? Did something happen to their writing committee?
One word: TRADITION.
I wonder if the WTS have got into a carefully-constructed theological tradition - built and strengthened on the previous beliefs. Now, due to the over-estimation of their own status, plus the belief system they have evolved, it is harder for them to change significantly without undermining a whole set of doctrines, which in turn would have an undesirable effect on the r&f.
As Blondie said
A lot of it is cut and paste.
LOL. So true. I like that phrase!
The one paragraph that really irritated me was 7 about how we can use spiritual gems from assemblies, meetings, publications and day's texts' comments as upbuilding conversation topics. At the side I pencilled in "and sometimes we can even use ones from the Bible too!" The manipulative use of the picture on p. 12 bugged me too - "Upbuilding conversations center on ..." mostly anything to do with what the WTS have published!
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I think I read in one of Franz' books, I don't remember which one, where somewhere in the WT Society there was an unofficial kind of book where all their beliefs and teachings were cataloged and organized. It was just an internal way of keeping all their teachings straight - or straighter. But I think the story goes that when Knorr found out it that he had it destroyed. Now that the Old Guard are losing their memories and probably too old to do anything, I guess their teachings are best based on whatever the WT officially wrote in the magazines the last time, plus whatever anyone remembers.
Other organized religions have their articles of faith which everyone can read and understand up front. With JWs its all dependant on whatever came out at the last summer convention, or watchtower, whichever came lastest. I believed that it was just "new light". But I was fooled. The Bible is timeless.
Sometimes I think they just like to constantly keep spinning in order to keep their presses going. What other reason could there be???
