XPost: alt.religion.jehovahs-witn, talk.religion.misc   
   From: sornson@zk3.dec.com   
      
   Ida Luvdem & Knight Ryder wrote:   
   >   
   > "Mark Sornson"  wrote in message   
   > news:3F60D84F.F6E8366@zk3.dec.com...   
   > > >   
   > > > No lack of interest seems to be implied, rather lack of participation.   
   > >   
   > > That depends on how you define participation.   
   > > Whose standards are JWs supposed to meet?   
   > > Their own, or yours?   
   >   
   > $$ THEIR own or the WTs?  Let's get honest here.   
      
   When people join JWs -- which is a free-will thing --   
   they agree to adopt a certain set of standards and   
   values, and agree to adjust their personal priorities   
   to that of the JW organization.  People who join   
   who do NOT really adopt the values and priorities   
   of the organization are not being honest with themselves   
   or the organization.   
      
   >   
   > > > But the JW org recommends, in its literature, that "spiritual" (read:   
   > JW)   
   > > > interests should come first.   
   > >   
   > > Right.  To us, that is the clear message of the Bible.   
   >   
   > $$ To *US?*  How can you speak for all JWs?  Did they make you their   
   > spokesperson on Usenet?   
      
   I'm more qualified to speak for JWs in general   
   than you are, that's for sure.  In all the years   
   I've been posting on the net, I've never   
   heard another JW say to me, "No, Mark, that's   
   not what I and JWs in general believe."   
      
   [I have, however, heard ex-JWs say, 'Here's why   
   I flamed out.']   
      
   >                          You make them sound like a huge group of mindless   
   > LEMMINGS all following the leaders (the GB) into the sea.   
      
   They are a huge group of MINDFUL people who (for the   
   most part -- there are always a handful of exceptions)   
   have taken time to become educated in a set of beliefs   
   and values, and have each made a personal decision --   
   a dedication -- to follow those beliefs and live by   
   those values.   
      
   You may have a problem with joining a group and   
   making a dedication to a cause and a set of ideals,   
   but for normal people, it really isn't such a   
   difficult or unusual thing.   
      
   >                                                            Why not admit   
   > that not all JWs agree with this idea but are forced to comply so as not to   
   > stumble others, or rock the WT boat?   
      
   Why not admit it indeed?  Well gee ... one reason might   
   be because it's absolutely false that anyone is forced to   
   become a JW and agree with our teachings and values.   
      
   People who want to rock the boat are welcome to   
   find another boat or simply jump in the 'water'   
   and go for a swim.  JWs have no obligation to   
   brook or encourage boat-rockers (especially those   
   who real goal is to up-end the boat).   
      
   >                                       Just because they can't vocalize how   
   > they feel doesn't mean they agree with the WT's self-interested teachings.   
      
   Despite the misguided intrigue of the notion,   
   being a rebel without a cause or a clue isn't   
   really a sound life strategy.   
      
   JWs invite people who find agreement with us to   
   join with us and vocalize their agreement.  People   
   who don't agree have the right to be like you,   
   always complaining, but never really having a   
   better set of workable ideas.  But hey, if you're   
   happy in your agitation, pardon me for leaving you   
   to it.   
      
   -mark.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)