Explosions at JW Convention, India and WTJWorg PR

[Srecko Sostar]

I listened to the PR representative of JWorg in India who was interviewed after the explosions at the Congress in which 3 people were killed and many wounded.
Several things stand out.

-He, Joshua David, says that JWs love the country they live in. He says; "We love India". This is the first time I have heard such a thing from the mouth of a JW. Saying it publicly like this speaks about a new twist on WTJWorg public policy and propaganda.

-He says that the core messages when JWs preach is to explain to people why there is so much suffering and why God allows suffering. On the contrary, according to the JWorg page, it is said that one message is core, and that is; "In fact, we may summarize the core message of the Bible this way: Jehovah sanctifies his name by means of the Kingdom ruled by his Son and restores righteousness and peace to the earth.
- https://www.jw.org/zib/search/?q=core+message

-His explanation to the public regarding the attitude of JW believers towards the doctrines of the Organization/Bible is worrying. From his explanation, one gets the impression that there is a great deal of individual freedom and decision as to which doctrines and instructions an individual JW will choose to follow or not to follow. He mentioned that this also applies to blood transfusion.

-When it comes to the hymn, he says that the JWs stand during the hymn. He did not delve into all the possible versions that are explained on the website about it. -https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/School-and-Jehovahs-Witnesses/Flag-Salute-Anthems-and-Voting/

All in all, this representative of WTJWorg in India is really misleading about some important things about the Organization and the position of followers inside this religious system. From the article I found on the official site that explains the flag and anthem and how JW adults or JW children behave in a variety of situations, it doesn't say at all that it is left to their personal decision, but rather everything is elaborated in quite a bit of detail as expected from JW how to react and behave without any other choice or conscience involved. Because JW conscience have to be trained by organizational rules of WTJWorg.

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 The next thing I noticed was from an article that, among other things, includes an interview with an eyewitnesses to the event who was at the Congress and has been a JW since childhood. One is named Prakash and other is Poly. “

What is preached in Church doesn’t often match the Bible,” said Poly. He, too started questioning his beliefs and turned to the Biblical text for guidance. After learning more about the Witnesses from his wife and daughters, he decided to formally join." 

His statement is identical to the one Geoffrey Jackson made before the ARC in 2015. It is also regarding some of the posts on this forum regarding WTJWorg doctrinal things and the opportunity for members to personally test and question them.

Prakash said ; “We’re a peaceful community, and we don’t blindly follow rules — we do what is best for us and for God.”

How contrary to this; “All of us must be ready to obey any instruction we may recieve whether these appear sound from a human standpoint or not" -Watchtower Nov. 15, 2013 pg. 20

 

The curious thing is that neither in the case of the attack in Hamburg nor here in India did I read in the JW official news that the perpetrators were ex-JWs.

link to article - https://theprint.in/india/no-birthdays-no-blood-transfusions-jehovahs-witnesses-have-a-committed-way-of-life/1829912/

link to video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoU9Apc_Oj0

 

 

[TrueTomHarley]

4 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

He, Joshua David, says that JWs love the country they live in. He says; "We love India". This is the first time I have heard such a thing from the mouth of a JW. Saying it publicly like this speaks about a new twist

“Those who claim that their own nation is superior to all others, even to the point of worshiping the State, have been manipulated by rulers and regimented in order to carry out their policies, whether good or bad. As a result, the Goliath class has arisen to test the loyalty of God’s people, who love the land of their birth but decline to worship the State and its symbols.”  [italics mine]. (Wt 1/1/89, pg 22)

[George88]

It is truly disheartening that the sick individual had a reason to justify his actions before the tirade was removed. That former witness clearly belongs in a psychiatric institution.

However, my post about the incident went largely unnoticed until another ex-member brought it back into focus.

[Srecko Sostar]

5 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

“Those who claim that their own nation is superior to all others, even to the point of worshiping the State, have been manipulated by rulers and regimented in order to carry out their policies, whether good or bad. As a result, the Goliath class has arisen to test the loyalty of God’s people, who love the land of their birth but decline to worship the State and its symbols.”  [italics mine]. (Wt 1/1/89, pg 22)

I like the idea of togetherness and not emphasizing tribal and national affiliation as a value that makes everyone else less valuable. This kind of manipulation is obvious in some parts of the world where there are conflicts, and it is covert in some other parts of the world. However, not all people are captivated and affected by nationalism in their everyday life.

When a JW representative in India says he "loves India", it sends the message that the JW in Canada says he "loves Canada" and the JW in Russia says he "loves Russia". Or should we wait for the GB interpretation of such attitudes?

Didn't GB abandon the idea of type and prototype interpretations? But the "old truth" is still "the truth", isn't it?

To love the country. What is a country if not a political creation. If JW love "political creation" in land where he/she lives .....then in the current perspective it seems that the brother in Russia loves his country less than the brother who lives in the USA.

Here we have the saying, "stand on the ball" (soccer ball). Stand on the ball for a while and think about the direction you want the ball to go.

[Srecko Sostar]

5 hours ago, George88 said:

It is truly disheartening that the sick individual had a reason to justify his actions before the tirade was removed. That former witness clearly belongs in a psychiatric institution.

However, my post about the incident went largely unnoticed until another ex-member brought it back into focus.

The crime of that former JW deserves full condemnation and the most severe punishment. I hope that the court will punish him severely if he is guilty. Lives are irretrievably lost, the wounded may live hard with the consequences, and everyone else will have permanent trauma. It's a tragedy.

[George88]

17 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

The crime of that former JW deserves full condemnation and the most severe punishment. I hope that the court will punish him severely if he is guilty. Lives are irretrievably lost, the wounded may live hard with the consequences, and everyone else will have permanent trauma. It's a tragedy.

Unless he is accepting the blame to protect someone else, it is clear from the video he posted that he is guilty. I won't speculate on how the punishment should be determined under secular authority, but it is safe to say that person belongs in a mental institution.

[TrueTomHarley]

14 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

To love the country. What is a country if not a political creation. If JW love "political creation" in land where he/she lives

Sometimes when coming to grips with a calamity, people do not speak with a thesaurus in hand. He meant ‘land of his birth, same as that 89 Wt.

[Srecko Sostar]

10 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Sometimes when coming to grips with a calamity, people do not speak with a thesaurus in hand. He meant ‘land of his birth, same as that 89 Wt.

Pardon my rudeness, but this reminds me of GB jargon when they say; "Jesus meant"...this or that, so they justify their new doctrine that way.

The PR representative spoke very calmly and knew what to say because he had prepared well. He was not influenced by emotions, but calmly answered the questions. That's why he was appointed to that role.