Please don't take offence at this ... (page 6)

greendawn

I think the JW package is precisely aimed at people of a lower educational background and that educated people are unlikely to find their ideology and social environment attractive, indded everything here lacks real depth and is pseudo, pseudointellectual, pseudospiritual etc.

Very few of those converting to this sect have a university education.

dido

I think there is one word that wraps this up, and it is `vulnerable`.

BlessedStar

JWs are only human. Humans tend to be sincere even if they are following something that is untrue. JWs mainly love giving out tracks but when it comes to the nitty gritty they cannot function without WT material. So probably the easiest thing to do is to give out the material to all people.

What would an uneducated person do? Listen to the untruths?

blessedstar

Joe Grundy

Thanks again to all.

As Dido summarised, the crucial point seems to be vulnerability - vulnerability which leads to the suspension of disbelief or questioning. I suppose this doesn't just apply to religion, it can also affect, for example, major purchases.

As far as the publications are concerned, I believe that a problem that WTS has is wanting complete uniformity. In the real world media target their style and content towards a particular audience. WTS obviously can't do that and still maintain that their content, timing and methods are directed by their god.

I still have other questions (sorry!) and will raise them separately.

Cheers.

LaCatolica

Here's my experience with this....I'm not JW, but my husband and his family are:

Check this out, to this day, my mother-in-law has NEVER offered a "bible study" nor "explanation" as to what the JWs are about. I guess I intimidated her because I have a MA in Education and BA in Communications, seeking a PhD...I've had conversations with her where I tell her things I learned in college and she becomes wide-eyed with amazement. She guess she's smart enough to know that I probably won't buy any of the crap they teach or publish on those mags. Nobody in her family has a college education...it's a shame, but they chose to live that way.

And yes, I find the WT publications a bit elementary in their wording and the way they illustrate things. It's like a picture book that a bunch of second graders would really get into. They do tend to target those with low levels of education that can be easily manipulated...it's their target audience!

free2beme

Very few highly educated people in the congregation and most people who listened to be in the door to door work were people who were older and lonely and just wanting someone to talk too. In some cases it was woman who were home taking care of children and being friendly to neighbors. In the rare bible study, it was often someone related to an active Witness. Most bible studies were limited in production and very little was listened to or acted on. The door to door work is just for show, there is nothing being accomplished in this day and age. Only the Witnesses have not accepted this.

Mystery

My dad strong intellect was math. It was amazing the numbers and formulas he could configure in his mind without even blinking an eye.

After discovering the truth about the witnesses i t had really upset me about how intelligent this man was and how completely conned he was. How could he not see the issues with 607 BC? The Big A not coming in 1975? The other discrepancies relating to dates. It was utterly amazing that this man that could answer "every" mathmatical question given to him be so damn stupid!!

I have really been angry at him for a very long time for him making us live this lie and in the beginning, truly believing it.

My aunt called me a few weeks ago (non-JW) and I guess I was feeling depressed that day and she said something about mom and JW’s in general. I let out all of the questions and pain that I had been feeling for over 25 years. I ask her how could Dad not know this was all lies? How could he fall for this? How could he look at me (once I left – home and JW’s) like I was the biggest disappointment he had ever had?

She told me that possibly it was because HE NEEDED to grasp onto something to make his life complete at that moment. He NEEDED to completely believe in something at that moment in his life. He NEEDED the love bombing, the ‘family’ portrayed, the answers to life’s questions. He was desperate to have something good in his life because he now had a family and there had to be something to believe in. (He didn’t have a lot of support family-wise, emotionally or financially growing up) She said that maybe IT gave him the sanity he needed in his life at that moment. The rules IT made him follow. The structure IT gave him.

She changed my perspective on my dad.

I feel that most adult people become JW’s because of being vulnerable at a particular moment in their life. Needing help at that momment in their life. Wanting someone (anyone) to tell them that life is going to be OK. Who better than someone simply stating ‘the truth’ about Gods word.

I don’t feel it is intellect/education I feel that most adults absorbing all of the JW teachings NEED something to fill the void in their life. Who can do that better than God? Who can do that better than a JW leading them to salvation?

Vulnerability

serendipity

Just because people are educated doesn't mean they apply it (or their intelligence) to every area of their lives. I was a JW while I pursued my BS degree. While I can analyze things to death at work, I never applied it to the JW religion. Now that my eyes are opened, I just don't care to spend my time on critically analyzing the religion. I have more important things I need to do - like getting a life.

DannyHaszard

Jehovah's Witnesses and "Love Bombing" what is it?

This is what snared 4 generations of my Haszard clan and i would say most everyone else,same goes with the other cults.Then,when thinks start to suck the stockholm syndrome kicks in and this attraction/repulsion compulsion makes you stick with it especially after you've invested your life's assets.

wednesday

I knew at least 4 doctors who were jws, but all became docs before becoming jws, the org would never encourge it's youth to pruse carers of that sort. One of the docs I knew burned out quickly, discovered jws really did lack love and were fake, and he left. do not know if he ever came back. The other moved up the the "farm' to help all the jws up there. He was not born a jws but for whatever reason it appealed to him. . One had problems fitting in with his "own kind"(other docs). B/c he could not find friends in other docs, he sought out some jws, ordinary type. People talked about him a lot, I felt sorry for him , he seemed depressed. Another doc, well, he really did not get along well with his own profession so he became a jw and then he was sort of a "messiah'. Had his own followng. All kinds of people. None of them were born jws and all became docs before being jws and all seemed to need to be looked up to. so instead of being an elder, they were the docs, respected by the elders and they hung with the elders. There are several nurses,but it is not always easy to be a nurse, mainly b/c of the blood issue. The wTS expects the nurses not to administer blood, at least that is what is said. The offical, what is written may be different. I know nurses who have been successful, but most were nurses before becoming jws, and so had friends among their occupation so it was easier for them to sort of adjust their career regarding blood. some just got into areas were blood was not used to much. Others just administered it. A lot of it depends on who you know. If you are lucky to be in the "in" crowd,you can do most anything you want to.

it varies so much and it varies from one place to another. Believe me, the bible best is a much harder to work in than a lot of places.

I recall in the 80's a elderette and pioneer sister said to me that the org was basically dumping all the uneducated ones and trying to bring in those who had some college and could help the org, b/c well, hey what can toliet cleaners do to help the org? It was all what can you do for me. The sister also said the org was embarassed by the ignorant toliet cleaners, and wanted to upgrade its status among people they wanted to look like a middle class educated bunch instead of poor toliet cleaners. also down here in the south it was wispered in some circles that it was a 'religion of blacks and uneducated people". they were anxious to shed this image. anyway, i've been around a while, and that's what I know.

Please don't take offence at this ...

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