I speak from personal experience here of being "emotionally abused" by local elders because, they failed to follow instructions as set out in various publications. I have had issue with them not the Org.
Sometimes a body of elders in a particular congo do not listen to the instructions given and will act when they should not, that is their fault not the WTS .)
JW Ben: So you said before that "For me the Bible best expalins these things" - so why is it that the organization is allowed to write out "instructions... in various publications" - wouldn't that be adding to what God has set forth already in his Word? You are saying that the Governing Body/WTS is in charge, through their instructions, not God.
Of course JWs are alowed to have their own ideas if they do not agree with the WTS. and they are allowed to talk about it. The Bible shows that the apostles had their own ideas at times. But in time they were corrected.
So for me any extra detail or modification has nothing to do with religous teaching.
Oh but it does for the WTS!! If you do not agree with them, and question them, you are considered "bad association", a "false prophet" etc. If you speak your mind, and voice your opinions or do not agree with the WTS the other JWs will stay away from you. Is this freedom to have your own opinion? And the very fact that you say "but in time they were corrected" says it all: you really are not allowed to have your own opinion or disagree with the GB/WTS - you're saying that any idea outside what has already been pronounced by the WTS is wrong. Only the WTS is right.
They do not say 10 hrs a month witnessing or meetings a week are necessay for salvation. Where do you get these ideas from? perhaps you were not paying attention when we are told to just do your best according to your circiumstances. There are many many JWs that, because of their circumsatnces, can not get to 5 meetings a week and can not spend 10 hrs a month and they are in good standing with their congs.
Maybe they are in good standing - but how many people call them to see how they are? How many people in the cong. would invite them out to socialize? The more hours you have, the more meetings you attend, the more "worthy" you are to everyone else, the more friends you have (and not because of spending all that time in service together, but because you are considered to be a good Witness for all the time you put in). I know this from personal experience. My circumstances did not allow me to spend much time in service, I went to all the meetings I could, but I went unnoticed by the rest of the cong. because I wasn't a prize JW. No one invited us for dinner, or to do something together. No one called. I struggled with taking two small children to the meetings and out in service by myself each week, with barely any help, and no encouragement. If your circumstances do not allow you to do as much as everyone else, you're just as unworthy as the one who decided not to do anything at all. If you can't keep up, you're not good enough. (My personal experience spans several different congregations, in different cities & provinces so it is not an isolated case).
My JW relative claims : Well the organisation is made up of humans and we are all imperfect, so the organisation makes mistakes. OK, but then why is it the one true religion?? Why can't the Catholic religion also be excused by God for making mistakes? Why are JW mistakes acceptable to Jehovah and Baptist mistakes not? Are our mistakes better? What a stupid logic!
Pope: You said it perfectly! It just doesn't make any sense!
Heart2Heart
