Do they themselves believe?

Kristofer

Sometimes I wonder, with the number of letters that the WT receives refuting doctrine & practices, does the GB really buy what they put out? Are they really self-convinced? Or are they just pushing literature and living off the collections from congregations.

I would think that if I received overwhelming evidence of the faultiness of my religion, I'd be forced by my own conscience to change or speak up or make a difference. But perhaps the money is too good to change? I wonder if the GB are actually "jehovah's witnesses" any more.

Mysterious

There is the concept of self-persuasion to consider, which essentially is the more you talk to others about what you "believe" the more you come to believe it for yourself. So maybe they really are convinced that they are special and know what's best for everyone else and have that perfect little spot in heaven afterall.

Legolas

Sometimes I wonder, with the number of letters that the WT receives refuting doctrine & practices, does the GB really buy what they put out? Are they really self-convinced? Or are they just pushing literature and living off the collections from congregations.

No...They know it is not the 'truth'.

Just read Ray's books!

DanTheMan

For every "apostate" letter they get that likely never makes it past the front lines, they get 1000 letters from the JW r&f heaping the highest praise on them for the latest Awake! article about Mexican flying turtles or whatever. Which ones do you think those geezers surrounded by yes-men pay attention to? They're very well insulated. I bet most of them haven't considered any 587 vs. 607 stuff in decades, if ever. The DF'ing of COJ back in the 80's closed the books on this issue once and for all as far as they're concerned, lol.

garybuss

It's a good question. To what extent are they dishonest and to what extent are they deluded? Either way the strict enforcement of loyalty by Witness people to doctrines later admitted as nothing but "guesses" does it's damage. Is the blood doctrine a guess? Is the shunning doctrine a guess?

The Jehovah's Witness people are giving out bad advise and people are getting hurt and dying and it's all legal. Should it be legal?

greendawn

They are part of the network that set up this religion to deceive and exploit its naive victims they know full well that this is a web of lies and do not believe it for a moment though they put up an appearence that they do. It's all a case of ruthless cynicism.

GodisRight

No...They know it is not the 'truth'.
Just read Ray's books!

So they encourage young people not to seek higher education and spend more time in service all the while knowing their doctrines are B.S

FairMind

In a previous tread on this same question the wise sage "garybuss" said something to the effect that they don't buy all of their own doctrine or why would they change so much of it?

Madame Quixote

I think for the R&F JWs, it's simply a matter of believing their own lies, the way bpd people do; and for the GB, well, some may believe; some may be complete users. It's more complex, I think, than belief. How many of the current GB are under age 80, I wonder? For them, they're lifers - they've known nothing else. I doubt that many of the GB were/are converts. (i'd love to know!) If you're brought up in it, it's a completely different thing from being converted; although my observations tell me that converts can be even more fundamental and extremist than those brought up in a cult because of the pressure to "prove" themselves to the other extremists. Does anyone know of the stats about the GB?

P.S. If I weren't such a drunk, I might feel a stalking episode coming on. Does anyone else feel it? LOL!

BTW, the GB are a bunch of ugly f@ckers, too; just take a look:
http://www.freeminds.org/bethel/gov_body.htm

Calliope

warning, this point may be offensive to some.

i immediately thought of the old "you'll go blind" warning parents gave to masturbating teens...

you did it anyway right? but wasn't there still that fear you might actually go blind?

cal.

Do they themselves believe?

Share this