hi guys, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've already made a topic making a comparison between the org and a totalitarian government based on Orwell's Animal Farm. (https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5699607742906368/christian-farm)
Now, basing on another work of his, 1984, I noticed another comparison. In this novel, he tells us about how the totalitarian government of the story control the people with something called DOUBLETHINK that summarizing is "to keep two opposite and conflitant ideas on your mind and accept both of them." When I read the novel, I didnt really understand how it was possible, and I concluded that it wasn't. Well, this month, in the middle week meeting, we studied Matthew 24. I ran a search on google on the subject and I found an article (in portuguese) with a way more sofisticated and reasonable explanation of this.
It said, in a not very long text, that Jesus was talking about TWO different happenings, 1) the destruction of Jerusalém and 2) the judgement day. It put very clear the differences:
The destruction of jerusalém: There would be a signal like wars and diseases; the gospel woulbe be preached and it would occur in that generation.
The judgement day: Nobody can know when is it, the christians should keep on the watch, the world would be proclaiming "peace", not "wars and diseases".
In a few words: Jesus was telling very clearly WHEN Jerusalém would fall while hiding when the world would end. The point is, the JW are taught that He was talking all the time about the same event.
So, it's clearly two different "days", with diffrerent, sometimes opposite characteristics. I think, how I never saw this before? I know the flaws of the org for a long time but I never had seen this. They teach two opposite ideas at the same time. It's the best example of Orwell's doublethink I can think of. Almost 8 million people have at this very moment these opposite ideas on their mind AND THEY ACCEPT BOTH. Creepy. Looks like Orwell was prophet after all.
PS: Good news, after "great tribulation" I made clear to my parents and my girlfriend that the org is not holy and we can't trust it as we trust God. There's no talks about leaving yet, but these things take time. I think important to see now they questioning what they read and listen, and simply not doing things they understand as simply manmade rules.