Jehovah's Witnesses (page 2)

garybuss

Jehovah's Witnesses are abused by each other, not by the printing corporation, just like their dedication is to each other, not to God or to the Society. The printing company just writes papers and gives orders. All rank & file Jehovah's Witnesses only have contact with other Jehovah's Witnesses unless they take a bus tour to a corporation owned facility like Wallkill.

The Watch Tower Corporation writes preposterous literature but I don't call printing literature abuse.

Back up to the dedications, the baptisms. The Jehovah's Witness people dedicate themselves to each other. I can prove who are the principles to the contract by who must perform and who can foreclose. The Witness get baptized and has a couple good years at meetings and service, then she gets disfellowshipped and shunned.

Look at this: Who does the Witness notify she is baptized? It's the other local Witness people. Who does she report her debt payments to? It's the other local Witness people. Who monitors her to see if she is complying with the terms of her contract? It's the other local Witness people.

Who notifies her she is in violation with a part of her contract? It's the other local Witness people. Who conducts an inquisition? It's the other local Witness people. Who convenes a court and tries the Jehovah's Witness? It's the other local Witness people. Who makes the decision to disfellowship? It's the other local Witness people. Who carried out the disfellowshipping order and shuns the Jehovah's Witness? It's the other local Witness people.

Who abuses Jehovah's Witnesses? It's the other local Witness people.

FairMind

Who abuses Jehovah's Witnesses? It's the other local Witness people.

So true...but it is the WTS that set up the rules that make this an OK thing to happen. So, in a way the WTS has a large share of responsibility in the JW on JW abuse.

garybuss

I used to think that too. I asked Witness people who were shunning and snubbing if they were just following directions from the Watch Tower Society and every single one of them said no. They said they are shunning and snubbing by their own free will. They said it is their personal decision. I'm quite willing to accept what they say.

AuldSoul

Yes.

Even though the sky only appears to be blue due to Rayleigh scattering [winks at Lilycurly!]

But I think VERY many are past wanting to be abused. I think they stay in because their friends and/or families are in and they are afraid to lose them. The publishing corporation isn't directly abusing them, but they are publishing the instructions of the Governing Body. Those instructions call for widespread abuses.

Respectfully,
AuldSoul

yaddayadda

I think to say that the only ones doing the abuse are witnesses abusing each other is similar to saying that no one is stumbled from being a JW unless they 'let' themselves be stumbled. JW's may sincerely believe that are doing what they do purely because of their own free will, but that cannot possibly be the case when they are so thoroughly information-restricted, brain-washed, and mentally controlled by their leaders, historically and currently? The average JW is in many ways a victim of a propagandized, high-control, brain-washed belief system in the same way as those in more extreme examples, eg, Jim Jones, Moonies, Nazi's, Satanists, or whatever. You could argue that the person who allows themselves to become so controlled is responsible for their own abuse, but they are still an unfortunate victim of an insidious process that has stacked the odds against them. Often it can be put down to nothing more than who we are born to and the beliefs we inherit from our parents.

garybuss

The Witness people want to be the way they are. They find an environment that supports that which they enjoy. Those of us that didn't enjoy it left. I don't buy the brainwash idea at all and I don't believe I was forced to leave the group anymore than I was tricked into staying until I was 30. I stayed because I wanted to stay. I left because I wanted to leave.
I've polled lots of Witnesses and they all say they are not brainwashed. They say they are doing what they do on their own. I accept that and I hold them individually and personally responsible. No excuses! Responsible!
The only victims are the children. They don't have a choice. Once they become young adults, once they refuse to stand up against the first injustice they see, they are willing and they are responsible like their fathers.

heathen

The Watch Tower Corporation writes preposterous literature but I don't call printing literature abuse.

It oughta be tho . Especially when you tell members they are only a good christian if they believe everything written and sell it door to door with no compensation whatsoever also to add that alot of the literature has secret satanic symbols in the art work . Perhaps they are there to induce satanic attacks making members feel as if they aren't doing enough and need to please big brother organization , because after all that's what they've been told by the organization over and over and over again . I agree that the children are the real victims , they get crap kicked out of them for disbelieving . The WTBTS is very supportive of child abuse when brainwashing children.

slugga

I used to think that too. I asked Witness people who were shunning and snubbing if they were just following directions from the Watch Tower Society and every single one of them said no. They said they are shunning and snubbing by their own free will. They said it is their personal decision. I'm quite willing to accept what they say.

Can I just stand up, stick my hand up and say that as a one time "witness person" I snubbed people not because *I* wanted to but because I was made to on threat of being Df'd myself. I know for a fact that I wasn't alone in this thinking, when someone got df'd it is as much a kick in the balls for the congregation as it is for the df'd person because you are not allowed to speak to them.

Matt

garybuss

Adults who take the Watch Tower produced literature door to door are not brainwashed, they're stupid!

:-)

DanTheMan

probly a symbiotic kinda thing, people with an exaggrerated sense of their own authority tend to find insecure people to authoritate to, and vice-versa.

Dan, enjoying a few Heinekens on a Friday-night class ;)

Jehovah's Witnesses

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