the gb seems to have a bunker mentality, that they are special, and that the world is out to get them, so they tend to keep within their tightly controlled, protective environment.
bottlegate proved that there is some danger outside of the rarified atmosphere of their echo chamber; you never know when a camera might be trained on you, or that someone might recognise you as being something more than plain old "joe citizen".
further, tm3's new address was quickly found and distributed, and (as i understand it) someone drove to his gated community to tell the security guard that tm3's "ass is grass".
" I honestly don’t think authoritarian leaders actually experience cognitive dissonance, and, in fact, are unable to understand people who do."
Well, the buggers DESERVE to have a good dose of it then !
I wonder what you base your conclusion on please ?
I am interested in trying to get a handle on their "thinking",
last night's jeopardy match made reference to sandro botticelli the famous italian renaissance painter and his painting the birth of venus.
it led me to read more about his story.
you can follow the links to wiki to learn more, but in short, i wanted to focus on one of his later paintings, the mystical nativity.
Thanks P.P. Botticelli is an Artist that has not drawn my attention before, thought the name has gone in to common parlance because of his depictions of females with rather fulsome figures. And Savonarola's name was all that was known to me.
I am amazed at how so many periods have seen Apocalyptic fear engendered by a charismatic Preacher, and often by a date on the Calendar ! as happened in the year 1000 of course, inevitable that one !
But Savonarola's followers seem to be early iterations of other fanatical groups we have seen in later times, it shows the power of propaganda mixed with belief, something not lost upon today's Politicians !
Thanks again, I shall delve further !
so, i finally saw the annual meeting video part 2.. this is the one with the “new light” on who might survive armageddon, vs. those who do not.. in summary, for those of you fortunate enough not to have to sit through it, it’s something like this:.
old light: once the “great tribulation” starts, that’s it for non-jws.
the “door of the ark” is closed.
Your question B B reminds me of the one I posed to a M.S. shortly after I left, I said " It is correct isn't it that anyone who dies before Armageddon gets to come back in the New System if they never heard the "Good news" ? he confirmed that was so then, so I said "Well then, would it not be better to take a gun with you on the D to D work, and shoot whoever opens the door dead ?".
Silly I know, but I wanted to highlight how silly their ideas were LOL.
the gb seems to have a bunker mentality, that they are special, and that the world is out to get them, so they tend to keep within their tightly controlled, protective environment.
bottlegate proved that there is some danger outside of the rarified atmosphere of their echo chamber; you never know when a camera might be trained on you, or that someone might recognise you as being something more than plain old "joe citizen".
further, tm3's new address was quickly found and distributed, and (as i understand it) someone drove to his gated community to tell the security guard that tm3's "ass is grass".
When you look at those guys, they must have a terrible dose of Cognitive Dissonance, all of 'em. They have grown up knowing the "End" is near, but they know they are making up themselves anything about how near, but they still deep down believe the bullshit that we are in the "End Times", how painful that level of C.D must be to carry around !
Hence they have that "Bunker Mentality" , have found it keeps them going, and keeps their faith in the bullshit fairly strong, so they engender that mentality in the JW rank and file.
This IS a form of Paranoia , so a resounding "YES" to the question in the Thread Title.
As to this " or on some tropical island somewhere." I think this is highly likely, when you look at the income the Org. has had for many decades, they haven't spent anywhere near all of it. Hence, they are worried about Cash Flow all the time, but they are not paranoid about the Org. toppling, because THEY will be O.K !
with what is arguably the biggest change to jw life in recent decades (the scrapping of publishers counting hours) what does this lead to?.
in my mind these are the results;.
1) a massive decrease in 'preaching hours'.
I wonder if the move toward being able to report some probably fictional "Witnessing" will spell the end of the door to door work ??
I presume at present they still have Meetings for Field Service, but if these become so poorly attended, because nearly every JW hates D to D, they will drop those F.S arrangements ?
perhaps this has been printed here before...but still it gave me a few laughs...so here it is again.. the apostates' handy jw glossary.
by doug checketts.
"anointed" - an experience that, unfortunately, no "anointed" one has ever been able to explain.
"honest hearted ones" always got me, such an obvious Mind Control phrase.
in b.c.
, canada, a victory for ex-jws.
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/privacy-commissioner-orders-north-okanagan-jehovahs-witnesses-to-hand-over-private-records/it92596.
Always follow the $$$, the org. is probably quite rightly concerned that such records may leave them wide open to litigation form the victims of their harsh DF'ing policy.
What next ? numerous Appeals etc, and eventually a new Seminar from the Org. for Elders on how to hide what is discussed in a J.C. so that the "Representatives of Satan" ,i.e the Justice System, cannot ever find them.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-jehovahs-witness-privacy-battle-1.7079252.
Thanks for Posting this yalby ! This is great news ! I suppose the Org. may appeal, if so they will lose. What a nonsense to claim the records were for "Journalistic or Artistic reasons" !!
This has ramifications beyond Canada, as the Legal Systems of the U.K and other Countries study such Rulings, and often will adjust their own later Rulings on such matters in line with what a case such as this decided was Legal.
Another tool of Control is being taken from the Evil Org !
couple years ago as a promising ms i had some weird conversations with two young elders.
it was always as we where alone only i and the elder.
they would initiate a conversations about things like blood doctrine, celebrating birthdays, view on homosexuality etc.
" The fornication stakeout guys " are a JOKE ! but they strike lucky some times , from their point of view, or someone copying the technique does.
I knew a young guy whose marriage had ended in reality, his wife wanted a divorce so she could marry a very rich guy about 10 years younger than her.
She followed her husband to his new girlfriend's house, stayed all night, taking pics. of him entering and leaving, Bingo ! she had her proof !
He was duly DF'd, but he told me he didn't give a shit anyway, but he also told me that "fornication" did not take place that night, or before, he slept in a spare room, he only stayed because he had drunk too much to drive.
But according to the J.W "Rule Book" just staying the night is enough " Where da fluck is THAT in Scripture ??
couple years ago as a promising ms i had some weird conversations with two young elders.
it was always as we where alone only i and the elder.
they would initiate a conversations about things like blood doctrine, celebrating birthdays, view on homosexuality etc.
If this happens to you, and you do not wish to be appointed, then, even so, answer carefully to make sure you do not show your real feelings on such matters.
But it would be fun to say something like " I think we should wait on the Faithful Slave to give us guidance on these things don't you ? I am surprised, you seem to be "running ahead". LOL.
