How Can We Rely On the Counsel of Flawed Men? [JW Advisor]

- Saturday, July 02, 2022

A new post at JW Advisor discusses concerns over recent statements in the Watchtower study articles we discussed in the meetings the other month about obedience during the Great Tribulation.

Unconfident: How Can I Rely On the Counsel of Flawed Men?

Comments

Blog Posts

Science Myths Section:
- Debunking Bad Science
- Science Myths Suggestion Box
- Is Science Compatible with the Bible?
Critical Thinking, Logic and Reasoning
Atheism:
- The "God of the Gaps" Hypocrisy
Cosmology and Astrophysics:
Medicine
- Positive Media for Bloodless Surgery and Non-Blood Management
Genes and Evolution:
- Failure of the "Gay Gene" Argument
Physics:
- Relativity
  - Is Relativity True?
    
    Is Special Relativity's Length Contraction Wrong?
- Quantum Mechanics
  - Is Quantum Mechanics True?
    
    "Shut Up and Calculate"—The Problems of Quantum Mechanics
    
    "Superposition" Is Not What You Think
Flip-side Science News:
- Scientist Highlights a Problem with Evolution While Doubling Down
Scientific Definitions:
Related Advice:
- How Do I Address Gender Identity in My Ministry?

Cult Myths Section:
Cult Identification Areas
- Areas of Dangerous and Non-dangerous Group Identification
- Communication
  - Doctrinal Instruction From Healthy to Abusive
    
    Encouraging and Discouraging Questions
    
    From Truth to Fabrication
    
    Instruction Before Membership
    
    Levels of Scriptural Support
    
    Limiting Information Access—From Transparency to Opacity
    
    The Problems of Foretelling and Interpreting
    
    The Problems of Rhetoric
    
    The Usefulness and Dangers of Language
    
    Is It Wrong to Distribute Literature?
- Recruitment
  - Between Focus and Stockholm
    
    Voluntary and Involuntary recruitment
    
    Selective Recruiting
    
    Ways of Attraction
    
    savaging
- Structure
  - Between Sexism and Structure
    
    Direction From a Divine Source
    
    From Organization to Anarchy
    
    From Responsive to "Infallible"
    
    How Donations Are Used And Abused
    
    Open, closed and Secret Meetings
    
    The Reasons Churches Should Be Separate From States
    
    Reasons for Facilities
    
    The Road to Legalism
    
    From Syncretism to Parasitism
    
    The Use and Abuse of Rewards and Penalties
- Autonomy
  - Association Matters to Self-determination
    
    The Balance Between Self and Others
    
    Between Independence and Domination
    
    Confession is for Repentance
    
    Cherish Your Ability to Think
    
    The Dangers of Isolationism
    
    The Difference Between Belief and Credulity
    
    The Difference Between Hope-bringing and Doomsaying
    
    The Differences Between Temporary Partners and Perpetual "Buddies"
    
    Does a Radical Personality Change indicate a Danger?
    
    Dominance Tactics
    
    The Dark Side of Eastern Meditation
    
    How Joy Can Be Used to Manipulate You
    
    Loss of Self in "Sexual Liberation"
    
    How Much Is Too Much?
    
    The Morality of Activity Tracking
    
    Protecting Members From Government Overreach
    
    Reality Testing vs. Fantasy-seeking
    
    Standards of Membership
    
    Staying Busy vs. Staying Exhausted
    
    Using People as a Resource
    
    Value Your Sense of Self and Your Potential
- Community Relations
  - Inciting Persecution
    (Including Definition, Preventing, Reducing, Provoking Own, and Abusive Excommunication and Disassociation)
    
    The Benefits and Dangers of Child Services
    
    Between Pacifism and Militancy
    
    Environmental awareness or Destruction?
    
    The Claim to "True" or "More Right" Religion Is Assumed By the Group's Existence
    
    The Faces of Relief Ministries
    
    From Realistic to Poisonous Views of Society and Social Reform
    
    It's a Long Road From Peace to Persecution
    
    Politics, Pride and Nationalism
    
    Proper and Improper Uses of Public Ministry
    
    Relationship to Outside Groups
    
    Secular Acceptance, Nepotism and Exclusion
    
    Should a Group Be Condemned for Historical Sins?
    
    When Good Deeds Go Wrong
- Teachings
  - From Equality to Genocide
    
    From Paragon to Corruption
    
    The Good Deeds Between Apathy and Perfectionism
    
    Remove the Weight That Terrorizes
    
    The Value of Unity
    
    How Good Health Is Viewed
    
    What Importance Should Safety Have?
    
    Learn the Differences Between Science, Religion and Superstition
- Internal Conduct
  - Destabilizing By Making Crazy
    
    Inflicting Pain Is Always Wrong
    
    Familial Bonding
    
    Family Lives of the Group
    
    How Love Is Displayed
    
    Branding is for Commodities, not people
    
    Recognize Gaslighting and Reject It
- View of Life
  - Holy War or Cult Dominance?
    
    The Value of Life
    
    The Value of Religious Freedom
- Worship
  - Historical Types of Worship
    
    Sacrifices from objects to people
Correct Identifiers
- Traits of Dangerous or Destructive Groups
  
  Healthy
  - Accept Human Error
    
    Accessible Vocabulary
    
    Cleaning Neighborhoods
    
    Collection Boxes
    
    Cultivate Peace
    
    Disaster Relief
    
    Discourage Bad Associations
    
    Discourage Scrupulosity
    
    Encourage Analytical Self-Determination
    
    Encourage Good Behavior
    
    Encouragement to Seek Answers
    
    Focussed Meditation
    
    Freedom to Think
    
    Good Works
    
    Guard Against Corruption
    
    Healthy Family Life
    
    Hierarchy
    
    Hope of a Cleansed World
    
    Holistic
    
    Human Equality
    
    Instruction Before Membership
    
    Literature
    
    Meetings for Worship
    
    Mindfulness
    
    No judgment
    
    Organization
    
    Partnering Up
    
    Persecution Awareness
    
    Persecution Forbidden
    
    Policies and Procedures
    
    Promote Health
    
    Promote Relative Obedience
    
    Promote Safety
    
    Protect Members From Government Overreach
    
    Qualified Volunteering
    
    Reality Testing
    
    Reasonable Open Meeting Policy
    
    Reasonable Penalties
    
    Reasonable Rules
    
    Reasonable Transparency
    
    Reasonably Confidential Confession
    
    Reasonably Others Before Self
    
    Report Sins of Other Members If Refuse Confession
    
    Respect Government
    
    Room for Correction
    
    Sense of Community
    
    Sexual Self-control
    
    Singing
    
    Tough Love
    
    Value Identity
    
    Value Life
    
    Voluntary Membership
    
    Voluntary Recruitment
    
    Welcoming
- Harmless
  - Absolute Confidential Confession
    
    Ambiguous Prophecy
    
    Animal Worship
    
    Arbitrary Rules
    
    Apocalyptic Message
    
    Avoid critics
    
    Behavioral Restrictions (Social)
    
    Blind Faith
    
    Census
    
    Charismatic or Divine Leadership
    
    Clichés and Loaded Language
    
    Cognitive Dissonance
    
    Communal Facilities
    
    Conformity to Ancient Standards
    
    Conformity to Modern Standards
    
    Demand for Unity
    
    Dietary Restrictions
    
    Dress Code
    
    "Excessive" Meditation or Prayer
    
    "Excessive" Singing
    
    "False Religion"
    
    House to house ministry
    
    Idolatry
    
    Indoctrination
    
    Insufficient Criminal Prevention
    
    Legalism
    
    Membership Disqualification of Criminals
    
    Mystical Manipulation
    
    One True Religion
    
    Passing the Plate
    
    Process of Conversion
    
    Public Preaching
    
    Strange Vocabulary
    
    Syncretism
    
    Them Against God
    
    Them Against Us
    
    Time Commitment (Keep Busy)
    
    Unique Sacred Scripture
    
    "Unorthodox" (a.k.a. Sect)
    
    Unprotective
    
    Unverifiable Beliefs
    
    Withhold or Restrict Information
- Red Flags
  - Allow Only Positive Thinking
    
    Animal Sacrifice
    
    Artificial Ecstasy (a.k.a. Rapture)
    
    Chanting
    
    Childcare
    
    Class Distinctions
    
    Conscription
    
    Demand Bodily Fitness
    
    Demand Purity
    
    Discourage Outside Association
    
    Disregard Professed Holy Writings
    
    Divine Messages Without Proof
    
    Doctrine Over Person
    
    Doomsday Message
    
    Easy Membership
    
    Formal Military Trappings
    
    Grand Orthodoxy
    
    Identity Rejection
    
    Inappropriate Declarations, Singing or Prayer
    
    Infallible Doctrine
    
    Involuntary Information Collection
    
    Latchkey Program
    
    Leadership in Luxury on Donations
    
    Logical Paradox Teaching
    
    Manufactured Happiness
    
    Membership for Life
    
    Mentalism
    
    Nationalism
    
    Permission to Abort
    
    Permission to Commit Suicide
    
    Perpetual Buddy System
    
    Persecuting Others Not Discouraged
    
    Political
    
    Promise Sense Fulfillment to Recruit
    
    Prosperity Gospel
    
    Pushy Preaching
    
    Radical Personality Change
    
    Redefined Vocabulary
    
    Reject Specific Medications or Treatments
    
    Representational Rewards and Punishments
    
    Required Communal Living
    
    Sacred Science (Pseudo-science, Superstition)
    
    Selective Recruiting
    
    Sexual Freedom Doctrine
    
    Shunning (a.k.a. Ostracism)
    
    Social Reform Goal
    
    State Religion
    
    Teach Thought-stopping Techniques
    
    Transcendental Meditation
    
    Unerring Leadership
    
    Voluntary Tithing
- Dangers
  - Abusive Disassociation
    Abusive Excommunication
    
    Anti-social Rhetoric (Bigotry)
    Inciting Persecution
    Negative Propaganda
    Provoking Own Persecution
    Approval Needed for Personal Decisions
    Authority to Execute
    Branding or Tattooing
    Cannon Fodder
    Castes
    Condemnation of Sinners
    Confession Abuse
    Constant Preoccupation (Meditation, Chanting, Singing, Prayer or preaching)
    Crazy-Making
    Deceitful Recruitment
    Demand All Property
    Domination
    Donation Abuse
    Doomsday Threatening
    Emotional Suppression
    Enslavement
    Faith Testing
    Fleecing the Flock
    Food or Water Deprivation
    Forbid Outside Association
    Forced Conversion
    Gaslighting
    Harmful Diet
    Human Sacrifice
    Inability to Leave
    Inflicting Pain
    Isolationism
    Jihad (Holy Uprising) Teaching
    Love-bombing (Not simply welcoming)
    Lying to Members
    Militant Preparation
    Obsess Over Other or Former Group
    Others Instead of Self
    Parasitic Religion
    Permission to Murder
    Reasoning is Evil
    Reject All Medical Treatments
    Required or Forced Medical Treatment or Substance (Drug Inducement)
    Secret Society
    Secretive Worship
    Segregation
    Sexual Exploitation
    Sleep Deprivation
    Spying
    Stockpiling Weapons
    Promotes Abortion
    Toxic Positivity
Cult Types
- Conspiracy Cults
  
  Control Cults
  
  Cults of Personality
  
  Doomsday Cults
  
  Jihadist Cults
  
  Mafia Cults
  
  Motivational Cults
  
  Murder Cults
  
  Opposition Cults
  
  Prosperity Cults
  
  Purifier Cults
  
  Sex Cults
  
  Shaming Cults
  
  Street Gangs
  
  Suicide Cults
Psychology and Sociology
- Do Not Be a "Victim"
- The Bigotry of Elitism
  
  Conditioning—The Psychology of Exposure
  
  Anxiety Over Cults
  
  Establishing Your Boundaries
  
  God Cannot Be a Narcissist
  
  How to Think Effectively
  
  The Leadership Void
  
  The Obsession of Disgruntled Former Members
  
  Overcoming Bias
  
  The relationship of Cults to Narcissism
  
  Satan Is a True Narcissist
  
  Victory Over Enslavement
Flip-side Anti-cult News:
Anti-cult and Psychology Definitions
- Dangerous or Destructive Group
  
  Persecution
  
  anti-cult
  
  authentic self
  
  brainwashing
  
  coercion
  
  cognitive dissonance
  
  conversion
  
  conversion therapy
  
  counter-cult
  
  deprogramming
  
  exit counseling
  
  exposure therapy
  
  mental conditioning
  
  mind control
  
  programming
  
  reality-testing
  
  reprogramming
  
  sociology
  
  thought reform
Related Advice
- Do Not Be a Victim
- Resolving Cognitive Dissonance

Theology Myths Section:
- Debunking False Theological Claims
- Theology Myths Suggestion Box
Bible History and Archaeology:
Bible Translation:
- Does James Strong's affiliation matter?
Higher Criticism:
- How Do We Know That Paul Wrote Hebrews?
Interpretation
- Deep Research Takes Effort
  
  The Problems of Foretelling and Interpreting

What It Is Not

Salvation vs.

Non-Thinking

Hellfire
- Hellfire and the Underworld

Law, Faith or Grace Alone

The Trinity/ Binity

Flip-side Bible News:

Proof of Older Bible Timeline?

Theological Definitions:

What "This Generation" Is Not

Related Advice:

Testimonials

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"Again... I just wanted to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to you. Please don't ever delete this resource."—Jay (United States)

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"Fantastic work you're doing. Many questions I had difficulty answering were answered here. Thank you. ...

If it weren't for Opposers Dismythed (and there’s also some others) I don't know where I would've been by now. (I read too much [negative] junk on the internet—something I NEED to [cut out], I know.) Well done with the article on the ARC. When I watched bro. Jackson being questioned I couldn't help thinking if some apostates weren't somewhere behind the scenes influencing the commission. You clarified what that kind of questioning was all about." —Jesse Hendrix (United States)

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Thank you so much for this. I myself have fall[e]n away. [I] saw the bitterness of apostates and fell into apathy. Studying the Bible with my wife has led me to seek out fine reasoning instead of the apostate [garbage]. Thanks for this. Believe or not you help people.—Hobgoblin238

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"It is so wonderful to see yet another webpage dedicated to upholding our most holy faith in Jehovah God and Jesus Christ and begs us to keep our faith in the Organization with Christ as its head. We may not make a very big dent when compared to all of those apostate/anti-JW sites on the web but at least we can have our voice heard." —Sean (United States)