I have a hard time blaming the Watchtower (page 13)

frenchbabyface

FBF, I respecfully disagree that everyone knows what "responsible" means. I believe that very few really do, and our world as it is today is proof to me of that statement.

Sorry but there is a misunderstanding here, I said :

Everybody knows what responsible means * ... that doesn't mean that they are able to be responsible or that their responsabilities (view and acts) are not molded by bad influences that control them.

We are talking about the same thing here ... (the proof of the statement) (A)

(A) Most of people will claim being responsible (I DO !)... we are still all different, have different experiences and molded by / an under different influences, and have to face different priorities and statements whatever they come from ... (nothing is that simple ... we'd like too ... sometimes where it is easy for you it is just impossible for the other one ... weak ? ... maybe ... but WHY ? ... There is always a reason. As to knowing who is to be blamed for this or that it's a question of knowing everything about what those who are coping with don't even know about most of the sometimes ... BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WTBS IS NOT INNOCENT !

You can't blame sensitivity ... only insensitivity ... but most of all troubles begin when the insensitivity is coming from sensitivity ... (self-protection till egocentrism - but in this way psycho issue is in the way for sure) ...

And when I say WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE ... I mean (unless we've got a killer or a pedophile here ... or something crapy like that) we all have just have been nice JW sheeps ... nothing to be ashamed of ...

Phantom Stranger

no problem at my end, fbf - thanks for clearing that up.

Here is a fascinating article, well footnoted, on the concept of cult mind control. It is 23 pages when pasted into Word, so even I daren't try to include the whole thing - I'll paste in the conclusion. The bold emphasis is mine. I have to say that this last two paragraphs sum up feelings about the entire topic and the entire thread very accurately.

"This carefully focused evaluation has shown that the bogeyman of cult mind control is nothing but a ghost story, good for inducing an adrenaline high and maintaining a crusade, but irrelevant to reality. The reality is that people who have very real spiritual, emotional, and social needs are looking for fulfillment and significance for their lives. Ill-equipped to test the false gospels of this world, they make poor decisions about their religious affiliations. Poor decisions, yes, but decisions for which they are personally responsible nonetheless. "

AlanF

Phantom Stranger, the article you linked to, by Robert and Gretchen Passantino, is a horribly illogical, poorly researched and badly argued piece of foolishness. It represents the religiously motivated opinions of the fundamentalist authors, whose very own evangelical style Christianity has been accused of various forms of "cult mind control".

AlanF

SixofNine

... funny, it's always been easy for me to blame the Watchtower for all that ails me, lol.

Phantom Stranger

BTW, before you decide if you want to read that article, you should know that AlanF doesn't like it very much.

It is perhaps not as well-written as his articles, and I do not neccesarily agree with every position the authors take, but I found it interesting and think others might as well.

Good evening, all - I'm off house-hunting.

jumper

going bankrupt = my fault

eating to much ice cream = my fault

staying loaded 10 years = my fault

feeling I never fit in = not my fault

being afraid God was going to kill me = not my fault

being batered for not ansewering at the wt. study = not my fault

being untrusting and afraid to reach out to other people = unavoidable

jgnat

Whee hoo, Jumper! Great early post. Welcome to the board, by the way. Internet connections are one step removed from flesh-and-blood interaction, but maybe chatting with us can help you reach out a little more in real life.

spiritwalker

Okay, Okay, Okay!!! I get it. Some people feel more comfortable with blaming the Watchtower and not feeling responsible for their actions and some others, don't (like myself). What I find interesting, is that the ones who seek to blame the Watchtower for everything. Seem almost offended that others feel different and are willing to accept blame for themselves. Blame, such an interesting word. When I here it, I think some form of guilt and not coming to terms with my own life and history. Guess that is why I do not need to blame anyone, as I am comfortable with all I have done. I don't blame anyone and I can move on, without anger dragging me back to some organization that is just not as powerful as some here would have you believe. Oh well, seems I have something inside that others don't.

As a side not, to villianize the Witnesses as some big bad guy and completely ignore the guilt of Christianity as a whole. Is not moving on. Christianity as a whole, is sick and pulls progress of humanity down to a level I think we should have moved on from by now. If you have not figured it out, I am a little anti-organized religion with a special spark for Christianity.

larc

I don't blame anyone. I don't blame the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and I don't blame myself. I was dealt a set of cards, and I played them, for better of for worse. I do agree those those who maintain that at some point in your life you have to stop blaming anyone and get on with living your life. To do otherwise is contraproductive.

amac

Good post Larc! It seems there are a few of us who feel that way on this thread. Others feel differently, which is fine by me...I just think life is more enjoyable when we stop casting blame.

I have a hard time blaming the Watchtower

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