Well, I was a born-in and never believed in it. My Mom is sweet, anive and was lonely and looking for friends when she was hooked. My Dad, well, his attitude is, the truth's available to everyone, If people don't want it, then it's their own fault. He's obeying Jehoopla, and will be rewarded. He doesn't see himself as special, just making the correct choice.
Did u convert to JW because u were ignorant, arrogant or some other reason?
by jwfacts 30 Replies latest jw friends
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diamondblue1974
To believe the Watchtower story takes a high degree of arrogance. To think you were so special that God drew you to his organization for salvation. but 6 billion other humans deserve destruction, is placing huge value on your own importance.
I wouldnt go as far as to call it arrogance and I am sure theres a lot of us here today that didnt behave or think in an arrogant fashion whilst a JW.
I think primarily the whole watchtower story appeals to people who possibly have a low sense of self worth; the fact that you are told that you are special and chosen appeals to such ones probably because nothing else in their lives at that point in time is supporting such belief.
Dont get me wrong there are those that are arrogant as witnesses and there are those that allow the dreams of grandeur to go to their heads but have to respectfully say that it would be unfair to tar every JW with the same brush.
DB74
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Quandry
The war in Vietnam was going on, and when we started talking to witnesses, were impressed by the brotherly love and not going to war. My husband nor I was arrogant; we truly thought we'd found the truth. We were willing to endure any persecution to truly serve the true God. I did know something about the Bible and could see all the answers there.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Organization was truly filled with caring people who wanted to uplift and help you? Wouldn't it be great if they just owned up to joining the United Nations as NGO? Wouldn't it be great if the Society admitted that they have problems with pedophiles just like every other organization? Wouldn't it be great if they announced that instead of leading all to live a life of guilt, of never measuring up, of fear of being disfellowshipped, of ever more and more rules, of blind obedience to elders, they concentrated on helping everyone to feel good about themselves (not arrogant) and concentrated on showing love to all mankind, instead of just themselves?
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diamondblue1974
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Organization was truly filled with caring people who wanted to uplift and help you? Wouldn't it be great if they just owned up to joining the United Nations as NGO? Wouldn't it be great if the Society admitted that they have problems with pedophiles just like every other organization? Wouldn't it be great if they announced that instead of leading all to live a life of guilt, of never measuring up, of fear of being disfellowshipped, of ever more and more rules, of blind obedience to elders, they concentrated on helping everyone to feel good about themselves (not arrogant) and concentrated on showing love to all mankind, instead of just themselves?
In an ideal world I suppose I see your point but in reality I dont think it is possible. The key words in your post are society and organisation and this is telling.
Where you have organisation you have perceived power. Power corrupts, it always has...it always will.
DB74
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apfergus
My family wasn't the slightest bit religious until my mother converted when I was six or seven. I started going to the KH with her, and even believed what I was told there, just so my mom could be happy. That's all I really wanted. Now that I've left I'm sure it's really hard on her, but being a JW was really hard on me.
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blondie
I grew up with an abusive non-JW father, and a weak JW mother. The KH offered me a haven from the abuse at home. The congregation was a lesser of 2 evils. It took awhile to sort out the sexual, emotional, and verbal abuse at home and to recognize the spiritual abuse at the KH. Once I saw it, I left. The WTS is very good at hiding at putting on a good front until they have you in their claws, baptized and at risk of being DF'd.
Many, many otherwise intelligent people get involved in cults.
Part of Steven Hassan's BITE Model
I = Information Control
1. Use of deception
a. Deliberately holding back information
b. Distorting information to make it acceptable
c. Outright lying2. Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged
a. Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
b. Critical information
c. Former members
d. Keep members so busy they don’t have time to think3. Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines
a. Information is not freely accessible
b. Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
c. Leadership decides who "needs to know" what -
Quandry
Yes, Blondie, you are right. Power corrupts. I guess I am still in the mortified stage of disbelief. When the WT Society buys or renovates property, they proudly announce it in the KM. They sought out acceptance for many years by the U.N. They actively promoted its interests. Yet, they felt that we underlings were not able to grasp their lofty reasoning, so hid the fact. If there was nothing wrong, why not announce the venture in the KM so that we would all know? And the fact that they disfellowship people when they question the Society concerning this is, well, mortifying.
It is just so hard to come to grips with. Yes, they kept us so busy, who had time to think about little nagging inconsistencies? I felt that to even think about the fact that the "governing body" was all so old, yet they always said that only the annointed could be in charge, would be tantamount to questioning Jehovah. Then they started digging up men that are annointed but in their fifties to be on the GB. How does that happen? The nethenim thing also sounded very convenient. But as has
been broughtoutpointed out before, everyone sees the Emperer's royal robes so you don't want to be the only one. So illogical, yet so human nature.I got to the point where I figured it was like the nation of Israel. Just accept that you are a member. Let others do the thinking. Just do what you are told. After all, you want your family to live, don't you? Just go along for the ride, and ride into the paradise!!!
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Arthur
To believe the Watchtower story takes a high degree of arrogance. To think you were so special that God drew you to his organization for salvation. but 6 billion other humans deserve destruction, is placing huge value on your own importance.
If you converted to being a JW do you think you were sucked in because you did not know the full story (ignorance) or was it because you really wanted to believe you were more special than everyone else (arrogance)? Or is there another factor that I am missing?
You very well summed up my own mentality for so many years. I was born and raised in the org. I can tell you that for me personally, the idea of me being part of a small elite force in the world felt very good, and to some extents, was addictive. I really looked down on everybody else and loved to rip on other religions. I was indeed filled with false pride and yes, much arrogance.
Ironically, it was this very concept that had the biggest impact in taking me out. The doctrine of God killing billions of people just because they were not JWs began to disturb me more and more. I just couldn't accept it anymore.
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Gordy
I had always had an interest in the Bible. Then these JW's came along who seemed to know all about it, and they hooked me.
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serendipity
My mother became a JW when I was 10. This also describes my mother, adding judgmental and opinionated as descriptors:
My mother is a very controlling person, and I wonder if she was conned by the WTS, or if her personality drew her to a religion where she could say she was right and anyone that disagreed deserved to die.
My father followed a year later. He didn't like all the pomp of the Catholic church, and he disliked rituals and the collection plates and begging for money at other churches. I wonder what he'd think of the WTS now, if he were alive.