Posted by AF [AF] on October 30, 1999 at 00:44:08 {G0PnT/qYmk1EwaxRomAMdaOt1gg/Zk}:
In Reply to: ****Jesus Rule In 1914??? posted by Thes on October 29, 1999 at 16:54:09:
Your experience has much in common with mine. I questioned people at all levels of the JW organization. As did you, I found stonewalling on all these levels. The only people I found who didn't stonewall were those who admitted that they didn't believe some or much of JW teaching. This was a shock, to say the least. Naturally these people keep their opinions a closely guarded secret, even from their wives when necessary.
One of my biggest shocks was finding that my own mother was a deliberate liar, but that she justified it in the manner usual to JWs, that it was just a small bit of misdirection with a fine purpose that justified it. What happened was this:
I complained to my mom on the phone that all of my letters to the Society were going unanswered, and that she and her husband (my stepdad and an elder) could not answer any of my questions. I said, "Mom, you're just stonewalling on this stuff." She answered that she wasn't. I said, "Well, how would you handle it if your Bible student asked the same questions that I'm now asking?" She said that she would try to get the person to put their questions aside, and then go on to baptism. I asked, "Well, what about after baptism? How would you answer the questions then?" She said, "I'd hope that the person would have enough sense not to ask the questions anymore."
You can see how hopeless it is dealing with these people. Truth is whatever it needs to be to support the daily Watchtower teaching. That's an official doctrine taught to elders in the Flock book.
AF