This is a post from a poster I've gotten to know on one of the ex JW boards.
Triple J (JJJ) is an exJW, banjo/ guitar picker and is from Australia,
(thus the difference in spelling of some words here).
This is something he wrote, concerning doctrine and the modern interpretation thereof.
It was written *down under*, by an exJW, but it sure rings true here (to me at least).
His *parable* about current church practices, is worth the read.
(having been in a cult himself -- he sees ALL the B.S. -- and addresses it admirably).
:)
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE
By
JJJ
"Once upon a time many, many years ago lived a great chef who had the perfect recipe for spaghetti bolognaise. It went like this:
125g of pasta per serve
200g of meat per serve
Enough tomatoes to make the sauce rich and red
A pinch of salt
Some pepper
½ glass of wine
Some herbs for flavour
Put all the ingredients for the sauce in a pot and simmer for exactly eight hours
Just before serving cook the pasta so that it is just soft.
Well the chef was famous throughout the land. Many come to see exactly how he made his spaghetti bolognaise because it was perfect.
In time the chef died and although people endeavoured to follow his recipe, the taste started to change slightly.
Why? Everyone had the recipe what was the problem?
The reason, it was discovered, was in the recipe itself.
Although the recipe had some instructions that were exact and not open to interpretation,
other instructions were not so clear.
For example what sort of wine? Red? White? What herbs and in what quantity?
Then some started to argue that it mattered whether you used steak instead of mince, spaghetti as opposed to linguini or macaroni.
Some who favoured macaroni even began to argue over which of the various shapes of macaroni were correct.
In time some men began to stand up and claim (for various reasons) that they had a special insight into what the original recipe was,
and that their interpretation was the ONLY correct one. Either because of their cooking skills, personal magnetism,
or in some cases darker reasons, different ones began to gather around these men, form groups,
and champion their version of the recipe as being the only recipe that adhered faithfully to the original.
At various times these different groups would try to settle on one recipe for the spaghetti bolognaise.
After all, they were all adhering to the same basic instructions but they could not agree on the subjective measurements and ingredients.
When a consensus could not be reached these groups separated, each claiming to have the original recipe,
each claiming their group was right.
After a while members of the different groups would no longer share a meal of spaghetti bolognaise together.
Things deteriorated to the point that some of these groups began to persecute other groups and at times nations even went to war,
all over spaghetti bolognaise.
People forgot that the chef’s reason for sharing his recipe in the first place,
was so that people could share a nourishing and enjoyable meal together.
One day in a little town an interesting thing happened. Two men (Fred & Jim), who were neighbours,
had a very good relationship even though they belonged to different recipe groups.
They often helped each other, and on one such occasion Jim wanted to repay Fred for his kindness,
so he invited him to share a meal of spaghetti bolognaise the very next Saturday.
What would the man do? He did not want to refuse, as he would hurt his neighbour’s feelings.
Also the neighbour had been a fine neighbour for over twenty years and was a good man.
On the other hand he knew that to share spaghetti bolognaise with this man (who obviously cooked it differently),
to his group would be viewed as an act of disloyalty by his own group.
Before he realised it, he had accepted. Several times over the next few days, he was tempted to lie and make an excuse not to come.
Finally Saturday dawned and at lunchtime (climbing the back fence so as not to be seen by any members from his group),
he went to his neighbour's.
What did he find? Yes his neighbour’s spaghetti bolognaise was indeed slightly different to that of his group.
While slightly different he found it to his liking. It was not that it was better than his groups’ spaghetti bolognaise,
but it was still good. It was obvious by the taste that his neighbour had used the same basic ingredients, yet it was slightly different.
When he inquired as to the recipe he found that it was almost identical to his own groups’ except that his neighbour’s group
used white wine, where his group used red, and his neighbour’s group used some rosemary where his group used thyme.
All in all it was a wonderful meal and they realised except for these small differences they had much in common.
Their only regret was that they both had waited so long to do it.
At the next discussion with his group, Fred told them the wonderful news about sharing a meal of spaghetti bolognaise with a member of another recipe group. Instead of happiness, he was greeted with concerned looks. He was told that this was not to be tolerated and if he persisted he would be banished from the group. Although he tried to explain that the recipe only differed where the instructions and ingredients were not strictly stipulated, it made no difference. If he were to continue down this path it would not be acceptable to his recipe group. With this hanging over his head he decided not to try other recipes anymore. Unfortunately, the next time his neighbour invited him for a meal of spaghetti bolognaise, he refused and their relationship after these many years cooled.
One day two men came to his door with a sample of their spaghetti bolognaise.
Fred found these two men to be reasonable and they demonstrated that they were using the same basic recipe,
again with some slight variances.
Fred explained what had happened the last time he tried a recipe from another group,
and to his surprise these men at his door applauded Fred for having an open mind and being willing to investigate other recipes.
Fred found this attitude to be so refreshing, that he tried the spaghetti bolognaise and again,
he found it to be only slightly different to his group’s recipe but he actually thought it was better.
This fact coupled with the open attitude displayed by these two men at his door, got Fred interested in this new group.
After associating with this new group for a while he was shunned by his old group.
Although this caused him much sorrow, because he knew that he was doing nothing wrong,
and besides he had many friends in his old group,
he stuck to the new group because they continued to encourage him that he was doing the right thing.
A few months went by when Fred met another person in the park.
They got to talking and it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to spaghetti bolognaise.
This person mentioned that he marinated the meat first and he also used basil and just a touch of chilli.
Fred was interested to say the least. He raced home eager to try the recipe.
While he was preparing the spaghetti bolognaise, a friend from his new group called around.
On seeing the basil and chilli, his friend enquired as to what he was cooking. When he replied that it was spaghetti bolognaise,
his friend went into a long discussion about the dangers of straying in any way from the group’s recipe for spaghetti bolognaise.
This, Fred was told, amounted to an act of disloyalty and surely he must realise,
that no one from his new group would share his spaghetti bolognaise.
The group member suggested that perhaps a talk with the head chef of the new group would help him see the errors of his way.
Sadly Fred realised that his new group, at least in claiming to be the only group with the correct recipe for spaghetti bolognaise,
was no different to all the other groups, so he stopped associating.
Some time later he had a visit from his group’s visiting chef, enquiring as to where he had been.
He said that he had been staying home, and as he knew the recipe for spaghetti bolognaise he was happier making it himself,
because he could still stick to the original recipe and yet if he saw things slightly different to the group’s recipe
(where there was scope to) he wasn’t upsetting anyone.
The group left angry and told Fred never to talk to anyone from his new group again.
He was sad because although he was doing nothing wrong, he knew that they had felt he had.
In time he met others who like himself had their own recipes (of course with differences).
These ones were doing their best to hold to the basics of the original recipe,
but unlike most of the recipe groups who were bickering over who had the correct recipe,
these ones were more interested in the original chef’s reason for sharing his recipe for spaghetti bolognaise in the first place,
that is to enjoy a nourishing, but tasty dish of spaghetti bolognaise with decent-minded people and enjoy each other’s company.
The petty differences between the recipes were unimportant.
At last he could eat spaghetti bolognaise without getting indigestion."
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~
P.s. --- Paw (moderators) --- I put this here in About The Way,
because I felt it addressed the twi mentality.
If you feel it belongs in doctrine, put it there.
But I think this transcends doctrine, and speaks of the cult mentality.
