Is this a J.W. Bible study "Standard procedure"?

by hubert 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  hubert

  While listening to conversations between my daughter and my wife recently, I am hearing my j.w. Bible study daughter ask her Mom ...."How come you are always lying to me"?

  Which is very strange, because my wife, being a devote Catholic, would never lie, intentionally. That's just the way she is.

  When my wife would answer no to this question and try to explain what she is trying to say, my daughter also says...."YOU'VE LIED TO ME IN THE PAST, when I was a teenager". (She's 35 now).

  And, although this may be true to some extent because we tend to tell our kids "half-truths" to help explain situations that can help them understand life's problems, we don't intend them to be lies. I call them little white lies.... can't think of any examples right now, but I think you get the picture.

  Anyway, I've noticed a trend between my daughter and her j.w. aunt, who is directly responsible for my daughters involvement in the j.w..

  I remember hearing similar discussions between my wife and her sister. Her sister would "BRING UP THE PAST" when confronted by my wife, and was losing a discussion with her. She would say things like, "Well, WHEN WE WERE KIDS, YOU ALWAYS DID THIS TO ME OR THAT TO ME", ETC. ETC.

  My question is....Is this standard procedure? Has anyone else noticed this practice of "bringing up the past"?

  Are there any written rules about this procedure in their material to "help convert" the new members and turn them away from their natural family?

  Thanks in advance.

  Hubert
• 

  under74

  I don't think it's standard procedure and I don't think there are any written rules...if there are it would shed some light on my own family. Bringing up the past in the midst of an arguement or even debate seems to happen quite often with us, although not to extremes. I never really thought of it as having anything to do with the religion but....now that you bring it up I'm thinking that there's a lot of grudge holding that happens as procedure withing the WTS, shunning being the extreme example. Also, it's possible that new comers like your daughter are fed ideas about "worldy" people doing them wrong. They are being steered away from worldly people (family included). They are told to question everyone and everything EXCEPT the WTS...
  
  I'm really sorry hubert. I hope some others on the forum have some advice for you...
• 

  unclebruce

  G'day Hubert,

  I wrote you a long reply about this but my computer crashed (just got back up after half an hour - bugger - it never crashes when i'm writing short silly posts).

  Basically I think your daughter has personal problems better solved by a professional councilor than a manipulating bible cult. I think her aunt is using her to get back at her sister (sibling rivalry knows no bounds and what better victory than to steal the affections of ones sisters daughter.)

  The JWs would really prefer that your girl severs all communication with her mother, so the aunts bitching may be a blessing in disguise - where there's talk there's hope.

  sincerest best wishes,

  unclebruce

  hope this makes some sense - its well past my snooze time

  ps: dangerous as it is for a man to stand between his wife and daughter I'd be reminding your 35 year old of a few facts of life - that mom wiped her butt and dealt with her nappies (diapers) when no one else would. Respect your mother girl - you only get one!
• 

  A Paduan

  My question is....Is this standard procedure? Has anyone else noticed this practice of "bringing up the past"?

  "Whatever it takes"

  I'd think that bringing up the past (and I assume you don't mean happy holidays) is the very stuff of the new jw spirit being moulded in her.

  Jw-god 'forgives' (?) after someone earns it, and 'forgets' - well, maybe never - it'll be on record somewhere.
• 

  Maverick

  The goal of a bible study, ( and calling what they teach a Bible Study is the WTS's first lie), is to indoctrinate and alieniate. Indoctrinate; teach and instill fear/guilt driven need to come into Gods,(WTS) organization...(Second Lie). Alienate subject from anyone or thing that will keep them from being subjugated. This starts with family and covers anything important to the recruit, such as work/career, wealth, friends and even hobbies. The WTS uses fear and the belief they have secret knowledge that God has revealed only to them,( another big lie) to convice their subjects of the urgent need to be assimilated. A 35 year old adult person should not be upset about the tales their parents told them as a little child. Is she upset with Sesame Street for believing in talking puppets? At 35 she should have the thinking ability to know the stories she was told did her no lasting harm. Do not let her transfer her issues on to you or your wife. If she needs an excuse to dump all the things she was taught and replace them with the WTS fiction make her go elsewhere to do it. Tell her she should do outside research on this group. Warn her that they will not like her doing that because they can not stand up under scrutiny.
• 

  hubert

  Well, I got some very good "morning replies", now I'll kick it back up to you "night people" to see if I can get some more opinions on this. So far, I seem to have the right idea on why my daughter is acting this way, and the replies I've already got seem to verify what I am feeling.

  Has anyone else noticed this trend to bring up the past to win an argument favorable to the WTS policies?

  Thanks for your thoughts, "under 74".

  "Unclebruce", their is sibling rivalry between my wife and her sister, seeing that my wife is the older sister, and sometimes tried to help "manage" the younger girls in the family.(Would have loved to see your "long version" of this reply, but your short version hit home, also). I've done that before, too, write a long post, and push the wrong button, and poof!!! Gone!!

  Thanks, "A Paduan", I agree with you that this is how the W.T. works to gain more control of their converts.

  "Maverick", thanks for explaining the definition of brainwashing by the WTS, as that's the way I see it, too. I agree with you 100 percent. I wonder if this really happens to most converts? I would think it does.

  More replies? Thanks, friends.

  Hubert
• 

  Why Georgia

  My husband was raised a JW and has tooooooo many sisters.

  They always say " Remember when" it comes right before talking about something my husband did as a kid like borrowing $2 and never paying it back or stealing gum.

  I'm just thinking get the frig over it!

  So maybe it's a jw thing because they were all raised jw's.

  Record every wrong doing to be used against the person at a later date. Sounds like the watchtower to me!
• 

  Scully

  If your daughter is studying with JWs with a view to becoming one someday, it is a very common practice for the "teacher", with the help of the WT publications, to plant seeds of doubt in a student's mind as to their past experience.

  For example, with regard to Christmas... JWs view their position of not celebrating holidays as being better because (1) Jesus was not born on December 25, (2) the celebrations are linked with ancient pagan festivals, (3) there is no such person as Santa Claus. So the doubt that is planted in the Bible Student's mind is that: Your family lied to you. Your church lied to you. Your worship was based on false information. This serves to put up an emotional wall between the Bible Student and their loved ones. It causes them to be suspicious of anything you say to them from that point forward.

  JWs "conveniently" leave out the fact that Jesus, being a devout Jewish man, would have been brought up celebrating observances like Chanukah... the Festival of Lights... that falls in December.... and if we are supposed to be "footstep followers" of Jesus, why can we not observe the same Festivals that he would have done? Mention that to your daughter the next time she makes accusations about you and her mother "lying" to her. Remind her that you did what you did because it was what you knew. There is a place in everyone's life for traditions and celebrations.... unless you are a JW.

  Love, Scully