And here I thought they spent 40 years in the wilderness because they sinned, silly me. Makes me wonder what sin the early "bible students as they were called" did.
Jahna
Circuit Overseer's Talk: " We need 5 meetings a week and weekly mags"
by truthseeker 39 Replies latest jw friends
-
Jahna
-
undercover
And here I thought they spent 40 years in the wilderness because they sinned, silly me.
Excellent point!
When I read where the CO said Jehovah could have taken them the shortest route but chose not to I didn't even think it through and see the fallacy of that argument. I guess some of my JW-think is still present. I think that represents most of the dubs...they hear a charismatic speaker and since he's commissioned by the org itself, what he speaks must be truth. No reasoning or thinking, just accepting.
-
candidlynuts
years ago a bro gave a talk..saying how pharoh kept the israelites so busy with work they wouldnt have time to notice their savior or have time to consider their plight.. then when moses showed up the king increased their workload for the same reason..
the talk was given to show how satan keeps us busy with work and family obligations so we dont notice what jehovah wants us to do now...
but boy on this side of the fence you look at how the wtbs overloads its members and increases responsibilities...... it looks like they are keeping the members so busy they dont have time to consider if they are doing what god wants or not.
-
FlyingHighNow
One of the things that caused doubt in me when I was still active as a JW was the burdonsome schedule they imposed on us. I would read Jesus' words, "Take my load: it's kindly and light." and think that the load they were asking to us to carry was far removed from kindly and light.
I think their heavy and burdonsome load contributes to depression and to physical illness and breakdown. I recall so many having immune system problems, chronic fatigue and other maladies. Then so many were taking prozac or zoloft, etc.
Oh yeah, I also recall that when Jacob was bringing his family back home he would stop for the children and animals to rest. I often wondered why the gov. bod didn't follow that principle.
-
willyloman
you look at how the wtbs overloads its members and increases responsibilities... (it looks like) they are keeping the members so busy they dont have time to consider if they are doing what god wants or not.
That's exactly what it looks like, because that's what they're doing!
-
jschwehm
They also need the literature and five meetings for the donations.
Jeff S.
-
SAHS
They also need the literature and five meetings for the donations.
Well, don?t you see? They really do need the donations so that they are able to produce more literature and keep the meetings going, so that they can get more donations so that they are able to produce more literature and keep the meetings going, so that they can get more donations so that they are able to produce more literature and keep the meetings going, so that they can get more donations so . . . . well, you get the idea.
Gee, I guess with all those donations, they would have no trouble giving all their volunteers a lifetime supply of teeth whitening strips to keep up that famous ?Bethel smile.?
?SAHS
-
itsallgoodnow
On the other hand, older JWs will tell you how much harder it was 20-30 years back, the meetings were longer and the district conventions went on for days longer than they do now. Can you imagine 8 days of that? Back then, people went in field service every Saturday, and the exceptions were rare, now... my guess is they go out about half that or less, and exceptions are rare.
IMO - They have determined the precise formula for keeping people still in from figuring out this is a cult -- keeping them just busy enough, but not TOO busy. If people regularly miss some or all of the meetings and stop reading the literature, they are more likely to learn to think independently of the WTS and find out about the lies, deceptions, cover-ups, abusive control tactics, etc. But it backfires to keep people too busy because lots of witnesses take an all or nothing approach to it. You know that by the kind of derision they hold for anyone not doing enough. This type of person will become disheartened and stop doing as much, with the same result.
They keep it the same because it works. One more night of worldly recreation could potentially bring the whole empire down.
-
XQsThaiPoes
The "problem" is JWs are not as loyal as they claim. THe watchtower does not control them. So more JWs are giving them the finger regardless of what the CO says. Many arguments now are simple speacial pleading falacies. Meaning they have no actuall argument, but simple begg you to listen because they are the CO, DO, Elder what ever. These appeals to sentiment are empty. One reason is they have no punishment for not making all the meetings. If they said if you miss one meeting you will die at armaggedon then people have a reason to go, but if you say if you miss one meeting thats like missing a physical meal (i heard this on the assembly) people say screw it I'll eat later on my own time. They cant have it both ways you can't not have a punishment, and yet expect people to eplicitly follow 100% of your eddicts.
The prolem is unlike 1975 fervor the new watchtower has become more main stream Every other talk now is saying not to tell people about armegeddon but tell them about the paradise, THats a HUGE change.
-
Flash
Consider the bible passage below, and then think of the Watchtower today... 1 Kings 12: 9-11
...And now my father, for his part, loaded upon YOU a heavy yoke; but I, for my part, shall add to YOUR yoke. My father, for his part, chastised YOU with whips, but I, for my part, shall chastise YOU with scourges."You are exactly right. The WTS has enslaved God's people with Heavy Burdons!