The W atchtower Bible and Tract Society has unwittingly unleashed quite a viral sensation within the ranks of its former members. To summarise what has happened so far: - “Become Jehovah’s Friend” DVD is released. It is an animated feature aimed at children with modern computerised graphics. - The antagonist of the relatively brief cartoon is a self-described “warrior wizard” by the name of ‘Sparlock’ which was obtained by ‘Caleb’, the young subject of this material. - The unnamed mother in this DVD guilt-trips young Caleb into disposing of his Sparlock toy. - The video goes viral within the ex-JW community, with youtube videos being posted of the video. The WTBTS Society claims copyright violations and the videos are removed by youtube almost as fast as they are posted. - Sparlock is satirised both on ex-JW forums and spoof videos are posted on youtube. The “Become Jehovah’s Friend” DVD release is notable due to it being the first animated feature released by the WTBTS. It s content is correctly seen by many as bringing shame and guilt upon young Witnesses by forcing them to eschew ‘worldly’ influences. Sparlock seems to be a composite character stemming from the Smurfs in the 80’s, Pokémon in the 90’s, Harry Potter in the 00’s, and the vampire craze of Twilight and True Blood movies and serials of the new decade. Put simply, Sparlock is the WTBTS’s composite answer to these sinful pleasures. I have shown the Sparlock online videos to non-JW friends with always the same result. 'How stupid!' I agree with the notion that you cannot fully understand the surreal nature of the Sparlock phenomenon without being fully inside the exclusive circle of the Jehovah’s Witnesses at one point or another in your life. It’s an inside joke; something which perhaps is not meant to be completely understood outside of this isolated universe. With that said, why the extensive overkill and analyses of what is at heart a facile tool of an intellectually bankrupt and widely discredited American religion? Is this some sort of penultimate endeavour that this loosely organised movement we belong to has built up to? Unrelenting satire of a passing reference and teaching tool in a 15 minute religious and indoctrination DVD? I do admit to some sense of schadenfreude in regards to a religion that has had such a negative effect on my life and which has so literally rejected and shunned me. But the feeling lasted for but 5 minutes upon my consciousness. The stark reality of my own existence and life’s ever present challenges quickly overshadows any thoughts of Sparlock. I’d much rather discuss the background and modus operandi of the organisation which conceived of this tool designed for simple minds, rather than the tool itself. Do they really think their brethren are this provincially minded and dim-witted to accept this lesson precisely as taught? Have we as former members been so psychologically damaged that all we can think about is ridiculing the messenger rather than the overall message? The message has been made abundantly clear. Sparlock could just have as easily been a metaphor for higher education or extracurricular activity that to WTBTS so despises. Nothing distresses me more when I think about what I just came out of. It lies in direct contradiction of basic human principles and humanity in general. When I read about how this movement we once belonged to sprang originally out of the fantasies of a Pennsylvanian eccentric, refined by a sexually deprived and eternally bitter Missourian, and theologically defined by an awkward Kentuckian, it surprises me to no great length. The FDS principle was thus founded and carefully passed down to what is known today as the Governing Body. Anthony Morris III is but one of seven. Sparlock most likely originated in the extremely limited and doctrinally challenged mental thought processes of one of the Society’s anonymous writers. Sparlock in of itself is of no great consequence. The sub-culture that produced such a dull tool for the masses is of more concern to me. They can release more and more of this drivel, and it will make little further impression upon me. This religion is a lie, and is based upon faulty predictions and prophecy. The indoctrination process is as extensive as it is pervading. It is mankind’s own viral infection. We are all the amputated limbs of such a diseased body. Karl Marx is famous for saying that religion is the opium of the people. I say that the Jehovah’s Witness religion is the HIV virus of modern times. It invades and violates the safety and security of the human family. It then weakens the immune system to the point of complete mental breakdown and mindless conformity. We all suffer from it from our own unique backgrounds and experiences. As much as we would like to think we are truly free, there is always the burden of our past lives and connections to this religion. Sparlock is a symptom. The JW disease is pervasive and ever present. Emilie
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
JoinedPosts by Las Malvinas son Argentinas
-
33
Sparlock: The Sociology of the former Jehovahs Witness community
by Las Malvinas son Argentinas inthewatchtower bible and tract society has unwittingly unleashed quite a viral sensation within the ranks of its former members.
to summarise what has happened so far:- become jehovahs friend dvd is released.
it is an animated feature aimed at children with modern computerised graphics.- the antagonist of the relatively brief cartoon is a self-described warrior wizard by the name of sparlock which was obtained by caleb, the young subject of this material.- the unnamed mother in this dvd guilt-trips young caleb into disposing of his sparlock toy.- the video goes viral within the ex-jw community, with youtube videos being posted of the video.
-
-
-
12
"_____ Is No Longer One Of Jehovah's Witnesses."
by BroMac inim not exactly sure when this change came in, but when i was a kid i remember it either being.
"____ has been disfellowshipped or dissasociated".
if someone has been announced to the congregation as no longer a jw then they are the same as any other non-jw.
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
Not too long ago I was disfellowshipped. I was sitting in the back, knowing full well what was going to happen. To let them disfellowship me in absentia was to conveniently let them ignore what they were about to do to me on a real and personal level. I made certain that I made some casual conversation to several members beforehand just so they would know what they were being forced to do after the meeting. The announcement was made, and a few whispers were audible. I gathered my things, stood up, and left the building. My mother later admonished me for trying to make a scene, but I was just making a silent protest. The terminology is cute because I'd much rather be known as not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. 'Disfellowshipped' implies you are to have nothing to do with me. I suppose that they do this for legal reasons so that they can weasel their way out of court hearings and insist that they do not absolutely require people to shun others who have been expelled.
-
10
Field Service meetings?
by JWOP ini'm just curious: since the wts did away with book studies in members homes, how does the field service meetings go now?
do people still meet in members homes, or are all fs meetings now at the kingdom hall every day?
or do they now have some other arrangement?.
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
Most of the time we met at the Hall. In the city, sometimes the elder coordinating it had everyone meet at a conveniently located café. The branch found out about this somehow and put an end to it since we were in an inappropriate place for prayer and daily text reading. If you have people actually willing to go on the street for you and advertise your product, I think you ought to be thankful for that and let them do it the way they find most convenient. But this is not an organisation that values ad hoc arrangements.
-
47
OK, I am too old and missing it - but what is this SPARLOCK phenomenon?
by james_woods inat first, i thought it was some legitimate cartoon character (disney or such) that the society was putting down as "demonized".. then, i started getting the idea that perhaps (unbelievably) the society had made him up as a negative "teaching device" to warn jw kids about "worldly demonism".... can this possibly be true?.
surely not even the wtbts could be that stupid!!!.
can somebody explain this to me, please???
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
Sparlock seems to be the Society's belated attempt to combat the Harry Potter films and Pokemon craze. I remember getting in trouble for Pokemon in the late 90's, and now there's this whole vampire movie/book/serial fad. 'Sparlock' is a poor attempt to roll all of these into one and use as a tool to teach the masses to steer clear of these addicting phenomenons and focus more on preaching. J.F. Rutherford hated the clergy and government, and his books are full of venom towards these subjects. If I am to believe what the video says literally, they now view 'magic' related forms of entertainment as a huge threat to their control over their remaining members. A Society in full decline is what I see if 'Sparlock' is what they fear. A tacit acknowledgement that perhaps their members want to have lives, hobbies, and interests of their own, disconnected from the dictates from up high.
-
57
Love of video games = love of violence? August 2012 Awake!
by sd-7 inpage 4-5:.
"video games: 'the uncomfortable fact is, videogames have an unhealthy obsession with bloodshed,' stated a british magazine for video-game enthusiasts.
it added: 'to some degree, a love of videogames demands a love of violence.
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
- Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats. - H.L. Mencken
People relieve stress in different ways. For some, all it takes a video game where you wipe out an opponent. It can be as simple as Mario jumping on a turtle shell or graphically blowing someone apart who's trying to kill you. I don't buy into the whole 'fomenting violence' thing. It largely depends on how you feel after playing the game. Does it make you angry or upset you in any way? Do you play it all the time and does it consume your life? If so, then you need to stop playing it and deal with your obvious anger issues. Granted, I can think of a hundred more creative things to do than playing a violent video game. I just can't condemn someone for doing it anymore than I can get all pious on someone who's had too much to drink. That's the only thing I liked about being disfellowshipped. Now all this time was mine, and it was up to me on how to spend it.
-
57
Love of video games = love of violence? August 2012 Awake!
by sd-7 inpage 4-5:.
"video games: 'the uncomfortable fact is, videogames have an unhealthy obsession with bloodshed,' stated a british magazine for video-game enthusiasts.
it added: 'to some degree, a love of videogames demands a love of violence.
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
My nephew introduced me to playing Scarface on the Wii. Now I have a grudge against those cockaroaches and Columbians, mang. Should have listened to the ¡Despertad! magazine.
-
40
Did You Feel Like A Pest When You Went House To House?
by minimus ini hated going from door to door.
it was really bad when the neighbors would call each other and say that we had arrived.. what pests we were!.
now, i don't bother anyone if i can help it!
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
I felt it was dishonest to sneak into a block of flats. Only people with invitations from tenants should be allowed in. That defeats the entire purpose of the magnetic lock and buzzer. Since we were always dressed properly, most tenants held the door open for us and assumed that we were coming home from work. When we rang the individual flats, people usually thought we were a neighbour or a family member that got accidently locked out. They’d say “¡Entrar!” (Come in!) and we’d just buzz again. They’d open the door with a puzzled look on their face, and would just lose it when they found out what we were up to. I couldn’t blame them. We violated their privacy using a ruse to get in, and circumvented their security systems in what was for many a high-crime neighbourhood. Despite warnings from the police and flat managers, we kept on doing it like Jehovah’s instructions superseded anyone else’s.
-
26
"You will live where you are told to live!"
by irondork inone of our most dogmatic, authoritarian elders at the congregation i used to attend made this comment.. .
the wts has beat the drum of absolute authority so long and hard that the idea of free will, or even the notion of a god who might take in to consideration the wants, likes, and desires of his own people has been strangled out of the jw psychology.. .
in one of his talks, brother that's final informed the congregation that it is pointless for us to engage in speculation about how our lives will be in the new system.
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
you will live where you are told to live doing the assignment Jehovah gives you
Assignments? Being told where to live? Take out the word 'Jehovah' and I'd assume that I am reading the famous Chairman Mao Red Book's instructions given to the proletariat.
-
63
Fistfights for seats at DC?
by Blind_Of_Lies in[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng /> </o:officedocumentsettings> </xml><!
[endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>en-us</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:enableopentypekerning /> <w:dontflipmirrorindents /> <w:overridetablestylehps /> </w:compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="--" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!
[endif][if gte mso 10]> <style> /* style definitions */ table.msonormaltable {mso-style-name:"table normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"times new roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif].
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
The one assembly I attended in the USA was a lot like that. I am too young to have been able to to witness the food distribution, but the rush for the seating! I didn't want to be there at all, regardless of whether I had a good seat or not. We spent a small fortune on travelling costs alone, and just to see the same thing we could have seen at home? Take me to a museum or an opera please! All the rush for seats to hear the same boring program year after year? Luckily we were at an indoor stadium. Something is wrong with an organisation that expects mothers with small children to sit at an outdoor stadium in the full heat of summer for 8 hours. Football matches last up to two hours. I don't know about baseball games. But I doubt they last anywhere near as much a JW assemblies last. All that for a good take at the donation boxes and to distribute more literature.
-
18
Have you ever been falsely accused or blamed?
by Fernando inread this on the internet today:.
"within jungian psychology there is a concept known as the shadow.
most of us encounter our own shadows in the form of projection.
-
-
Las Malvinas son Argentinas
One of the elders who was on the judicial committee that disfellowshipped me had aggressively courted me in the past. I went on one 'date' with him, and quickly found that there was no connection with this man. He forced a kiss on me when he dropped me off, which I still reel from when I think about it. Since I didn't kick him between his legs or slap/push him, he must have taken that for a 'yes, we're together now'. So the very next day my mother congratulates me on my new 'relationship'. We had a meeting that night, and so he goes straight up to me, takes my hand, and leads me to where I was to sit with him. Everyone knew we were 'together', and I just wanted to throw up. So I was forced into the unenviable position of 'breaking up' with someone I wasn't even with to begin with. His family then accused me of leading him on and of being a loose woman.
So there he pops up again, on the judicial committee. Not to my surprise, he was the one who asked all the dirty questions. I could almost see him getting aroused while talking about it. I didn't play his game and refused to go into details. They knew what I had done. They could draw their own conclusions from that without the full scoop. Since I refused to humiliate myself further, he stood up and said that there was nothing further to discuss, and that I was being uncooperative by refusing to answer these probing questions. I was to get my answer soon, he said, couldn't wait to get me out of the room.
I still feel that it was his way of getting back at me since I had publicly rejected him. To me it was never that way at all, and he brought the 'public' part of it on himself by announcing it to the world without bothering ask how I felt about it.
Emilie