A Jehovah's Witness and A Muslim Walk into a bar...

      OK let me approach this gingerly because this in no way is to incite hatred for either choice of practices. I am simply relating an interesting pattern within both sets of religious beliefs that seem to be similar and not readily discernible.

      First off... there are obvious differences in religious doctrine between both Islam and Jehovah's Witnesses. Such as political involvement and diets. There are interesting similarities in tone, such as holiday recognition and women's place in the organization. What I am going to discuss here is the similarities in APPROACH to 3 distinct foundational tools each religion uses to disseminate doctrine. The Holy book. Their Scholarship. Their Harmonizer.

       The approach to either religions Holy book is unique. Islam of course have their book, the QUR'AN, championed by Muhammad via the angel Gabriel. Muslims regard the original language it was written as best so for a true practice of the religion you must learn and understand Arabic or you will fall short of true understanding. In comparison, the JW religion has the NEW WORLD TRANSLATION which is reportedly taken from all available sources to ensure its correctness. exJWs know all too well it was created by unqualified individuals in Bethel. Anyway the NWT is the only acceptable bible translation among the rank and file. Its understanding is held and controlled by the Faithful and Discreet Slave in New York. The vicious protection of the integrity of both books is the first part of a this three tiered program of control.

       The Scholarship of the religions refers to the authority of interpretation. The JWs hold the authority as being the governing body and its manifestation in the steady stream of WATCHTOWER and AWAKE magazines that constantly barrage its members. The magazines interpret and keep them up to date on the current doctrinal issues. Pulling here and tucking there to keep members in line. The parallel amongst Muslims are what is known as the HADITHS. The Hadiths are written by scholars who have the qualifications due to education, experience, blood, or whatever makes them qualified. The Hadiths break down what is written in the Qur'an. Much like Watchtower magazines they focus on a particular subject and flush out the principles that lie there in. Hadiths are not really known to outsiders but are very important to Muslims in being a path to greater understanding of the Qur'an.

        The third thing is the most insidious and possibly dangerous of both religions. It is how they each handle contradictions within this structure. I call it their Harmonizer. The JWs Harmonizer is called NEW LIGHT. It is the principle they get from the scripture that speaks of the light getting brighter as the day draws near. Proverbs 4:18. It allows those in authority to take older doctrinal issues and update them with newer reasoning. It is a get out of jail free card in a sense. Time becomes their friend because old knowledge becomes useless. It is a doctrine that undermines the foundation that any sense of self can rely on.   Muslims also have a very interesting approach to this. Their Harmonizer is called ABROGATION. It is a principle supported by their verse, Surah 2:106. Their scholars saw fit to apply this in relegating earlier written verses as impotent to later written verses. This is why you will find an apparent contradiction in thought. Allah was much kinder when Muhammad was writing out of Mecca but much harsher and dictatorial when Muhammad wrote out of Medina. A faithfully practicing Muslim will follow the path of abrogation the same as a faithfully practicing Jehovah's Witness would follow the path of new light.

       To understand how this three tiered function can work so well would take an article or maybe a book to figure out. This is not the article to get into it but I will at least reference it. The three tiers of control rely on 1) an incorruptible authority, 2) an "apparent" input of the people, and 3) a trusted adjustor/futurist. With these three things a person could probably rule the world... and they have. Case in point, the USA's Executive, Legislative, Judicial branches of government. Don't take the structure lightly... it has existed since the dawn of time as various Gods like Osiris, Isis, and Horus. In today's days and times, their influence is buried in the details. What you will often find is the greater the control, the more pronounced the separations.

        In conclusion, my studies of these two religions make it clear they definitely come from two different contemporary sources. This article is in no way exhaustive but could be something someone else could continue studying on. The underlying similarities, though, beg me to consider if the functions may connect them at some more ancient level. Both groups have proved to be high control groups. The apparent differences makes them seem totally unrelated but it seems they still appeal and control people in much the same way.

Bible predicts Bilderberg?

I was just looking over different youtubes and ran across one that talked about the Mormon bible discusses Bilderberg. I'm not all that sure about that. Maybe it does elude to it. I won't count it out but I also won't discount that the bible also eludes to an environment that would be primed for a group such as the Bilderbergs. Not only the Bilderbergs but also Jesuits, Freemasons, Illuminati,or any Fraternal Brotherhood organizations. See what often happens is that we focus in on the one group that has a name and reputation and not the beast as a whole which has many heads and faces all connected to the same beast. Sure, destroy the one head and you will have 3 more arise in its place. This is how it works. If the Mormon bible eludes to just Bilderberg then it is sadly short of a larger picture that I think the bible more capably tackles although we have people who interpret the bible with their own agendas. The bible was not to be solely a prophetic book which is why the details of the last days are not as succinct as our human brains would so desire. It takes though, meditation, and most importantly, holy spirit to understand. Even with those things, we are imperfect in our understanding and interpretation. So what are we to do? We are to begin the journey to understand in spirit. "learn as if we will live forever, live as if we will die tomorrow." I forgot who said that. Something I saw on Facebook. But it makes sense. Don't worry about finishing the meal just get to the table. Also knowledge will be brought back to mankind as we get closer to the time to make those crucial decisions. We are in a moment of change but we will soon be put into clearer focus where we stand. I believe that.

Life after the Watchtower

It has been a while since I have written a good and juicy article. So I wanted to toss in a current rant to at least give you a picture of where I am now. Life for me is now on my terms. I am proud, happy, and most importantly, at peace. In the last 3 years, now about to be four this month, I have divorced, lost a job, been laid off, dated, finished school, gotten best paying job, gotten my own place, and now I am saving up for a home. I'd have to say that the turn around is a real blessing. I have learned alot about myself and continue to. The latest element of my learning process has been about me and relationships. Apparently I work better alone. Probably just a preference or It could be something more. Either way, I seem to think clearer as a lone being. Hey, it works for me it may not for others. The whole point is that I am now thinking about things regular non-witness folks think about. Relationships, future, homes; outside the watchtower frame of reference... This is life on this planet right now. I can deal with the future as it gets closer. Of course the more I unplug from the organization, the less I have need of fighting it. The more distance from me it becomes, the less pain it seems to cause. I look back on this blog with fondness and will compile this into a memoir eventually once I gather a specific plan on how to design it. For those just leaving the watchtower, please write your experiences down. The reason you get out is probably the reason your other counterparts are getting out. It seems the wave of discontent is shared among the dissenters at particular moments. So WRITE! May God bless your Journey!