"Witlesses", "JDumbs", other labels.. How do you feel about them? (page 5)

DIM

I think these are XJW Cult terms, I consider the extreme XJW's a cult themselves

AuldSoul

Okaaaaaayyy. Um, DIM, do you know what a cult is? Just curious...some people leave JWs seeing cults everywhere they look.

Maybe I don't understand what you consider "extreme XJWs." Maybe I have never met one.

Respectfully,
AuldSoul

rebel8

Someone on the board recently said that they knew of jws who referred to "worldly" people as "ITs".

In my cong we called them "the walking dead" or "the people on death row"!!!!!!!! How SICK is that?

AA I have to agree with your points....slamming the org or individuals for specific actions they've taken is a lesser wrong, if wrong at all. Name calling people because of their membership in a certain group is closer to a prejudice, and it feels a bit uncomfortable to me.

I totally understand use of those words though; it's natural to feel extreme anger towards these ppl. I can see though how outsiders would read those comments and think we are venomous, rabid, bitter crazies who are bullies or of the "sour grapes" crowd. It is for each person to decide, to each his own.

jaffacake

I don't like the labels they give to others, and me. So not to be a hypocrite, I usually just refer to JWs or Witnesses. When they call me and others names, like opposer, apostate etc I often quote Awake Magazine back at them:

Awake Magazine 2000 June 22 p. 6 The Manipulation of Information

Name-Calling

Some people insult those who disagree with them by questioning character or motives instead of focusing on the facts. Name-calling slaps a negative, easy-to-remember label onto a person, a group, or an idea. The name-caller hopes that the label will stick. If people reject the person or the idea on the basis of the negative label instead of weighing the evidence for themselves, the name-caller’s strategy has worked.

[ do examples of name-calling such as ‘opposers’, ‘apostate’ ‘haughty’ slap “a negative, easy-to-remember label onto a person, a group, or an idea”?

Do these labels convince witnesses to “reject the person or the idea on the basis of the negative label instead of weighing the evidence for themselves”? ]

Matthew 7:3-5 (

“Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, let me take the splinter out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.”

jeanniebeanz

I believe that it comes down to what you personally believe the 'purpose' of this board to be. Is it for recovering ex-witnesses? It is a 'service tool' to attract doubters?

If it's for recovering witnesses, then, bash away. Demeaning the perpetrator of a crime can help with recovery in that it makes the villain seem to be laughable and small. Takes the sting out of their treatment of you if you no longer have any respect for them and can help to rebuild your self-esteem. Of course, if you go all 'noble' and 'lets be better than them' I can see how it would irritate your 'widdle feewings'.

If it's for attracting doubters, then, exactly how ‘sensitive’ do we all have to be?

Interesting question...

Jean

jaffacake

Jeanniebeanz

You make an excellent point, it depends what the purpose of the board is.

Of course, if you go all 'noble' and 'lets be better than them'

Hey, no one would have to go all noble to be better than what the JWs stand for. Everyone on this board is 'better than them' without even trying. There is name calling on this board - but the difference is that it is backed up by sound proof, logic and argument.

We don't just say don't believe them because they are nasty JWs...on the contrary we examine their arguments and weigh up the evidence....

Lady Lee

I sometimes use the term Borg in reference to the org. But I never use various terms towards individual witnesses.

I used to be one. I used to be just as oblivious as they are.

And most importantly I refuse to stoop to their level.

AlmostAtheist

And most importantly I refuse to stoop to their level.

Good point! Reaching so low, you could hurt your back!

(Oops, I just did it, didn't I? Dang it...*OW!* My back!)

Dave

rebel8

Is the consensus here that all labels are bad? For example, I don't feel "dubs" is a negative label.

jaffacake

rebel

I think most labels we use are fine, like dubs. What could be offensive or derogatory about that. They call folks on this board far worse.

"Witlesses", "JDumbs", other labels.. How do you feel about them?

Share this