Quote:
Originally Posted by Moooo
pr_capone, that was an interesting read...
But what can a person expect, in an almost purely-capitalistic society where there is total separation of church and state?
Moooo
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I would expect an organization who hold "being no part of this world" to take that mantra literally. An organization that proclaims itself to be the mouthpiece of God should be more concerned about holding its own basic beliefs (such as the U.N. being the "scarlet colored wild beast") in a more serious manner than they do.
I would also expect an organization who proclaims itself to be the mouthpiece of God to not have to resort to blackmail to keep its members in check. The JW's practice a nice little thing called disfellowshipping which is the equivalent of ex-communication. But it is so much more severe than ex-communication though.
Imagine growing up as one of Jehovahs Witnesses. all your life you are told that you are to associate with noone but fellow JW's. Sure.... you have people in school or at work that you get along with.... but you can never really be friends with them. You are aquaintances (sic). Just people who know eachother enough to be civil.
Say one day you do something they dont agree with. Say you and your GF really get into it.... and you have sex. *insert appropriate gasp of horror here* If the "elders" (who usually compromise a group of men who have never recieved any proper semenary training other than a several week long "elder school" (with a book that noone else can look at) feel that you are not repentant enough... they disfellowship you.
Once disfellowshipped, noone that claims to be a JW can talk to youl... even a hello in passing. Your family (though never outright banned) is even discouraged from speaking to you. You are still banned from associating with anyone "wordly" (otherwise reffered to as non-JW) until you are re-instated. Re-instatement usually takes 6+ months.
All this time you are most alone you have ever felt in your life. My mother once told me that I should never even thing about comming by unless I was starving and didnt have enough money for food, or if I was sick and near death.
By the recommendation of my local "elders", my little brother (12 yrs younger and like my own son to me) was kept away from me for over a year.
What would I expect you ask?
I expect an organization that reflect the true spirit of this thing we all "God" which is supposed to be love and forgiveness. Instead, we have an organization that opperates on fear and punishment.
But again.... the majority of people have simply been blinded as to the truth about the organization. There is never any need to be rude to these people when they come to your door. Hell.... if any of you reading this are from Wichita... I prolly knocked on your door once or twice. *shrug*
