# *Legalism

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Posted by Kent [KENT] on October 26, 1999 at 02:19:22 {c/rgKhj4NcOJikFWJ7tMBSwZlMEBKg}:

In Reply to: Legalism posted by N.H. on October 25, 1999 at 23:52:34:

## Norm, you're out of line!

I feel you are intolerable accusing the Watchtower for interfering with the personal lives of their slaves. They are, and have always been, totally free to choose for themselves. Even extremely difficult matters, as what color you are allowed to use on your shirt in a Kingdom Hall!

> *** w89 11/1 30 Do You See Only the Outward Appearance? ***
> Guest speakers who showed up with a colored shirt were asked to change into one of several white shirts kept in the Kingdom Hall for just such emergencies.

This IS understandable, Norm. You got to understand that! What on earth would be the results if the brothers could decide for themselves the color of their shirts! It would bee totally improper - and I believe the reason for these and similar rules are the fact that the Watchtower leaders knows such decitions is too hard a strain on an average JW brain.

In fact, this is pure love from the Watchtower, trying to make sure that the brothers brains did not overheat by trying to figure out extremely dificult problems.

The same loving care goes for the sisters. Naturally, a church can not allow any sister to wear their hair as they want! The need for a theocratic crew-cut is absolute, to help them decide for themselves. To take a choise based upon christian experience:

> *** w91 6/1 31 Questions From Readers ***
> What message is conveyed by a Christian woman’s hairstyle and hair color (if dyed) or her use of jewelry and cosmetics? Is it: This is a clean, modest, and balanced servant of God?
> Someone who sees Christians in the field ministry, or who attends our meetings, should be favorably impressed. Observers generally are. Most Christian women give no cause for an outsider to conclude that they, on the one hand, are dowdy or, on the other, excessively made up or adorned; rather, they groom themselves “in the way that befits women professing to reverence God.”—1 Timothy 2:10.

> *** w72 5/1 272 How Your View of Authority Affects Your Life ***
> 15 The visible governing body of Jehovah’s organization has also been given authority by Him to direct the work of His worshipers on earth at this time. (Matt. 24:45-47) The congregation and its overseers show their proper view of authority by accepting willingly its counsel provided through the printed page, letters or its traveling representatives. Sometimes there is a tendency to doubt the fitness of certain counsel, perhaps about the matter of dress or hairstyle, regarding it as an undue invasion of privacy and one’s “freedom.” Yet one with the proper view of authority will realize the concern Jehovah’s organization has for the way God is represented to the world through us. (1 Cor. 4:9) He will view the instructions, not as arbitrary rules, but as an evidence of Jehovah’s loving interest in his worshipers.—Prov. 3:12.

As I said, Norm. Such details is just Jehovah's loving interest for his people, and as his channel, the GB has to exercise this love and care. After all, a JW can't be expected to be able to evaluate the different aspects involved, to make an informed choise. They do need help from Jehovah's channel.

Also, we need to take into consideration the fact that JWs in general can't be trusted. They might try to "outshine" each other, by fancy hair and clothes!

> *** w72 8/1 475-6 To Conform or Not to Conform? ***
> Is it just an attempt to present an attractive appearance in a somewhat different way? Then conformity may not be particularly objectionable. On the other hand, is it motivated by the desire to be outstanding, startlingly different, thereby expressing a lot of pride and desire to ‘outshine’ others? Or is there motivation toward encouraging loose conduct in sexual matters, or the use of clothes or hairstyle to express rebellion? Then the question of conforming or not becomes a serious one.

You have to agree, Norm, that if JWs should be allowed to encourage loose conduct in sexual matters, or use of clothes or hairstyle freely, they COULD MAYBE be expressing rebellion. And we can't have that, can we?

But naturally, the REAL reason for all this is to wear a uniform! And the Watchtower does know this. They want all JWs to be dressed like mormons, just in another fashion - in a way so that everyone can spot a JW 10 miles away!

> *** w70 2/1 90 What Do You Want Out of Life? ***
> Because of the pressure to conform and the tendency to imitate. It is unnatural to want to be different. Oh, it is true that many young persons make the claim of being individualists. Yet, by conforming to the group in hairstyle, dress, speech and actions, do they not show themselves to be conformists to the group that they have chosen?

So, what it's all about is this:

JWs should conform 100% to the Watchtower, and as a result the Watchtower will decide what color you can use on your shirts, what cosmetics is proper, how the hairstyle can be, how high heels you may use on your shoes, what to look at on television, what books to read, who to talk to, what work is proper, etc.

A JW should not bother his/her brain with difficult problems!

BTW: What is the theocratic toothpaste at the moment?????

Kent

- Watchtower Observer

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