by skeptic1914 46 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Thank you sammielee24 for the extra research and information.
Another thing I noticed (I remember this, I think, from the book which I am planning to re-read) that Jones was very careful that the "public face" of his group was very positive, upbeat, everybody's happy, etc. No dark side. Think "spiritual paradise" and stories and pix in the lit of happy faces and lives changed only for the better. No dark side.
Skeptic1914
"White night, white night."
I watched the documentary. The thing that struck my was the look on people's faces. It reminded me of the glazed stare of Witnesses.
Grandiose levels of mental coercion, in essence mind fucking for the sake of control and to create mental slavery......sound familiar
Using the fear of god to build power and wealth, after all what good is a kingdom without a working group of slaves around to strengthen it
I agree that it is a big stretch to compare Jones and the Watchtower, I think that with a group of people deciding fate, there would have to be at least one guy who wouldn't want to kill everybody . What would be the point.???
Also, last time I checked, ther weren't any armed guards at the assembly hall stopping people from leaving.
-Integ.
IMO it's not about overt parallels, like armed guards. It's the dynamics. JWs are taught the the GB represents Christ, speaks for God. To question the GB is to question God. There is no doubt that questioning Jim Jones was viewed as disloyalty. Try "just leaving" the JW and see what happens. There is also no question that an "us against them" mentality has been bred into Witnesses since the days of Rutherford. All of these tactics breed FEAR. Fear to think for yourself. Fear to express yourself. Fear of getting on "God's" bad side.
Skeptic1914
Speaking of controlling cults, Next week is the 10th anniversary of the mass suicide of the Heavens Gate Cult Group.
Sammilee24:
Interesting about your quote "...living for a pat on the head" when relating the story of the Koresh religion. I am reminded of a sister who got insulted because I mentioned that she was looking for praise from some elder. The idea that I would need of one of these pharisees to give me a "well done" remark was offensive to me. I guess this is typical cult-like behavior where the followers are looking to be approved by the leaders. Even though the JWs are not a cult in the true sense of the word, there are too many similarities which cannot be ignored.
LHG
I saw the history channels special on cults. One thing I find striking is the fact that the reason for all the senseless deaths in these cults is that they (the leaders) thought that by there action they could bring about armegedon. Manson thought he could doit by killing the holywood elite. Jim Jones felt that mass suicides would bring it on and so did the heavens gate guy.
While the WT$ doesn't go that far, what was the popular belief about last years track campaign?
The JWs are not as extreme but they have nonetheless caused more deaths with their blood ban policy over the years than did Jones in one day. In addition their excessive demands and shunning policies drove a substantial number of JWs and ex JWs to suicide.
The JWs are not as extreme but they have nonetheless caused more deaths with their blood ban policy over the years than did Jones in one day. In addition their excessive demands and shunning policies drove a substantial number of JWs and ex JWs to suicide.
greendawn, with all due respect...your post shows exactly why they are that extreme! Their method of killing people is different, however killing is killing whether it is in dramatic fashion or a little here and a little there.
