Just wait five years

Euphemism

I was just reading Crisis of Conscience, and I was struck by something a judicial committee said to Ed Dunlap.

The committee urged him to "wait on the organization," saying, "Who knows? Perhaps five years from now many or all of these things you are saying will be published and taught."

It struck me because when I had my meeting with the elders, one of them said almost the exact same thing.

Ironic, isn't it? They aren't particularly interested in defending the truthfulness of their doctrines. They just want to keep you loyal to the organization.

I was just wondering... how many of you had something similar said to you?

Yep, something very similar was said to me. I've also noticed that, in debating with JWs and even my own family's comments, they have all said, "But I'm happy where I am," when major discrepancies have been pointed out to them. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that something that people of other religions say/feel as well, and JWs go out of their way to say that you have to worship God how HE wants to be worshipped, and now how it makes you feel good, or your worship is in vain?

seattleniceguy

Yeah, that's really true. I had a lot of people tell me that they could see where I was coming from, but that if it were true the Society would eventually get there. Well, why not just be a Catholic and wait for the Pope to get there? What's the difference?

shamus

I guess, Euph, it suprises me that they take such a silly approach to doctrines that do not add up. Just "be faithful to the org". Sounds like a cult more and more to me.

Narkissos

The JC was in a hurry to disfellowshipped me. They had evidently received instructions from the Bethel through the CO, so they didn't try to keep me in for a second. Just asked the 10 or so questions (do you believe in / 1914, the two hopes, etc.).

But I can remember something similar. When I went back to Bethel, a few days later, to take some things I had left there, I was received by the Bethel elder who was in charge of the translation dept. where I had worked for years. A really nice man. He had trusted me and I had trusted him, I knew how he really felt about many WT doctrines. He even admitted he envyed me somewhat when I resigned from Bethel, telling him how I felt most of WT teaching and literature was more of a hindrance than a help to understanding the Bible. This time he just sadly told me that "everything he knew and had he owed to the organization", wishing me good luck however. I heard later he became the president of the national association of JWs (doesn't mean any real power however). Years later, when I got married and sent an invitation to some former JW friends, he was the only one to respond with a brief but nice card.

peacefulpete

Same here. It really bothered me when back 10 years or so they said in the WT that the increase in letters from readers betrayed a lack of faith in the organization. The last 4 years or so have had nothing but cult reinforcement material. Loyalty, loyalty, submission, obedience, recruit, these are the new doctrines.

jst2laws

Yep,

As a loyal servant I done said it myself to those who had a "dangerous spirit of independance". The society long ago reached maturity as a 'movement'. It has lost site of its original purpose of exposing wrong teachings and has instead become obsessed with protecting the movement.

I highly recomment the book The True Believer by Eric Hoffer.

Steve

Poztate

When I questioned the DF'ing policy and the flip flops in how it was applied I was urged just to put it out of my mind and"wait on jehovah"

I just told them that that wasn't going to happen and did my thinking with my feet.That was in 1982 and I never regreted even for a second leaving that corrupt,manipulative sect.Blind,dumb loyalty is the first thing that a dub is urged to practice.They know and fear that the second that you start to question you will be gone.

stillajwexelder

I was just wondering... how many of you had something similar said to you?

I have had it said to me at least twice - -and sadly I have said it to others 3 or 4 times

undercover

The same answers(or non-answers) that I get for any topic:

1. Put that aside for now and concentrate on meetings, service and studying for the meetings.

2. Do not run ahead of the organization. Jehovah allows wrong "thinking" by the slave to test our loyalty to him(read his organization). Even if you're right, it's wrong to not allow the slave class to direct the work. Jehovah has his time table and the slave will reveal what he wants, when he wants.

3. The earthly organization is run by imperfect men. They make mistakes. They are not infalliable.

Those last two really get me. They make mistakes, but we can't question them. If you show them a doctrinal error or a inconsistancy, they immediately shut down. They can't think, they can't reason, they can't use logic. They are programmed to rely strictly on WTS teaching. When it's exposed as wrong, the fail safe switch flips, shutting down the system, much like a circuit breaker flips when too much electricity threatens the wiring system.