If WTS said 1+1=3 would JW's accept it, would you have? (mind control ?)

by jwfacts 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jwfacts

  A phenomenon of cult mind control is that followers are not to qustion what the leaders say, regardless of how unrealistic or contary to human experience. Consider the following Watchtower concepts that JWs accept without question. These are common concepts that any JW could (but does not) prove to be either wrong or straight out lies.

  • There was a huge increase in earthquakes in the 20th century
  • Jehovah will kill billions of people because he is a God of love
  • The WTS correctly foretold the events of 1914
  • The Watchtower never suggested 1975
  • Lions used to be vegetarian before the flood and will be in the new system

  So if the Watchtower wrote that 1+1=3 would you have believed it. I think most JWs would, using one of the standard responses

  • It will be clarified in due time
  • Shelve any doubts
  • Who are we to question the mind of God
  • God is revealing through his organization some remarkable truth that those of the world can not understand

  How would you have reacted to such an obviously wrong statement?
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  Crumpet

  That's a toughie. Doubtless they would have presented it in such a way to make it palatable as the faithful and discreet slave do. They'd never say 1+1=3 straight out - you'd have to dissect several watchtower articles and in the end you'd have readso much about it and heard such reasonable sounding answers that you would believe it.

  JWs do not give straight answers about anything. Look at matt-fs thread entitled "Wow what a response" where a dub does just that! He refuses to answer the question and just asks lots of others instead. Its so accusatory and each word is filled with bilious guilt. I hate when this happens to me now. I recoil when people try to make me feel guilty - and people do all the time and its not hard because I am naturallly guilty !! okay - sorry went a-wandering there - I feel so guilty!
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  ninja

  yes they would...and yes I would have when I was deep in
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  jwfacts

  Good point Crumpet. They WTS rarely make controversial comments directly. They are often coated obscurely so that people can create personal interpretations. Salvation is a good example, the WTS teaching is that everyone nonJW will die at Armageddon, but it is never stated so obviously and many JWs do not realise that is the teaching.
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  needproof

  I'm not too sure whether I would or not. I remember taking most of their crap in but sometimes the rational parts of my brain kicked in. For instance, we once had a Kingdom Ministry article on the dangers of the internet which I sat through shaking my head. There were other things as well that I did not agree with; so I guess I would not have believed something so blatant as 1+1=3
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  nvrgnbk

  yes they would...and yes I would have when I was deep in

  True that ninja! As embarassing as it is to admit, we were fast asleep at one time.

  Glad we're awake now brother.

  Nvr
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  Narkissos

  Sometimes 1 + 1 = 3 if you allow them some time...
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  Pahpa

  Even as a devout JW, I always had mental reservations about some of the Watchtower teachings. True, I did rationalize that it was probably my own fault for not understanding and that, in time, the Watchtower would either explain to my satisfaction or give "new light" on the matter. I guess unlike many JWs I always felt that the organization was just a "tool" that God was using. And like a tool it could be discarded if it wasn't doing the job. Perhaps, it was my old Baptist background that prevented me from giving unquestionable loyalty to a group of men. The Baptist churches I attended as a youth were independent. Ministers could be dismissed by the deacons and congregation if not up to "muster."
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  Quandry

  • It will be clarified in due time
  • Shelve any doubts
  • Who are we to question the mind of God
  • God is revealing through his organization some remarkable truth that those of the world can not understand

  Yes, because of the above reasons.

  Basically, I would have tried to study the WT containing new information, not understood it, felt that I was deficient in my understanding, gone to the WT study and watched all the people confidently answering questions about the new information, felt even more guilt at my lack of spiritual maturity and vision, and even worse because deep inside I felt the nagging feeling that it was really the WTS who was not cleary defining the meaning, and that I was questioning things and shouldn't.

  Then, I would put all thoughts about this new light on the back burner, trying to feel confident that it would somehow all become clear as time went on.

  I was a good dub, wasn't I?
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  jwfacts

  Sometimes 1 + 1 = 3 if you allow them some time

  lol. I was waiting for someone to show that 1+1=3

  felt even more guilt at my lack of spiritual maturity and vision, and even worse because deep inside I felt the nagging feeling that it was really the WTS who was not cleary defining the meaning, and that I was questioning things and shouldn't.

  I was born a JW and so until my twenties accepted everything. But I always felt doubt because I had doubts, not anything specific that could be pinpointed, just the doubt that maybe things weren't quite right.