Are JW's generally better than average people? (page 3)

veradico

I'm reminded of an article on the Phelps family. "In some ways they're a model family. All these things that you associate with the breakdown of families, like the dad's gone to the pub all the time or they just watch TV and the parents don't talk to the kids, well you can't put that on this family. They spend all their recreational time together and they all look out for each other. They don't really have friends outside the church because all their best friends are in the church. It's important to recognise the good qualities of the family as it helps explain why so many of them have stayed in it and embraced the hateful stuff."

You can watch the BBC show here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4413388146858417528&q=most+hated+family+in+america

The article I'm quoting from can be found here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6507971.stm

If you watch the video, I'm sure you'll all see how very like the Witnesses the Phelps family is. In fact, the Phelps family is exactly the way I imagine the older generation of Witnesses, like those in Hitler's Germany. They were generally nice people whose sense of persecution was validated by the fact that their provocative message incited violence against them, forcing their community to band together and thus producing, within that community, an intimate social bond and the sort of behavior we associate with truly kind and generous people.

The Phelps family's church owns the following websites:
www.godhatesfags.com
www.godhatescanada.com
www.godhatesamerica.com
www.priestsrapeboys.com
www.hatemongers.com
www.thesignsofthetimes.net

veradico

Oh yeah... could someone make at least the first two links clickable? You don't need to bother with the creepy Phelps' sites. I just put them down in case someone wanted to satisfy his/her morbid curiosity. :-)

aquagirl

no.if your a dub,then yes,by all means.but if you are a happy friendly person w/no ulterior motives,the jws are a pale simpering scared people.and yes,i DO believe that the mental illness is what creates such a strong bond..like shoe fetishists,or polo players or auto body experts.or folks that have had lobotomys...they feel some sort of 'kinship',,,interesting question!

trevor

JWS claim to better because they are only people who serve God in spirit and truth. Have they lived up to this claim?

They Claim not to steal or commit adultery but many of their member are disfellowshipped for these things. In normal society theft is a crime and adultery is seen as betrayal which often ends a marriage. So what actually makes them think they are better than the average person?

First we have to ask what we mean by 'better. What is the benchmark?

Does not pursuing higher education make someone better?

Does remaining celibate until marriage or not being gay make someone better?

Does dishonestly closing their mind to reason in an attempt to make the pieces of a religion make sense make someone better?

Does allowing children to die by refusing them blood transfusion make someone better?

Does turning their backs on their familys make them better?

Or perhaps viewing the mass destruction of most of humanity as an act of perfect love makes someone better?

trev

nvrgnbk

Excellent points Trevor!

Nvr

zack

The friends I had in high school were much better people than the dub kids that surrounded me. Amd my "worldly" family members have intact first marriages, kids that grew to be

good people. Much better example of what christians should be than my dub family. I think it is something about the JW religion that makes you less then honest. I always

thought it may be the legalism. As long as there is a loop hole in the law, they exploit it, reasoing that it's legal, though not necessarilty moral. They are devoid of spirituality,

since feild service time and meeting attendance is what substitutes for love, kindness, and compassion.

OnTheWayOut

even elders cleaning windows do jobs "on the side".

That's such a good, true statement. People are people. If you knew JW's with good morals,
then you knew people who happened to have good morals.

JW's go the extra mile to hide their side-jobs or dishonesty. They act better than others if
your standard is "avoiding public arguments and intoxication." In private, they are just people.

I think I prefer straightup people. If someone is "himself" because he is not afraid of the WTS,
he may be rough around the edges, but can be more trustworthy.

When you are taught to say "We aren't here to convert you." and you know it's a lie, but
convince yourself that it's okay to say, you are capable of convincing yourself that other lies are
necessary. JW's are also some of the worst gossippers, back-stabbers, hypocrites, and are
taught to avoid charitable work and avoid helping non-JW family.

nvrgnbk

When you are taught to say "We aren't here to convert you." and you know it's a lie, but
convince yourself that it's okay to say, you are capable of convincing yourself that other lies are
necessary. JW's are also some of the worst gossippers, back-stabbers, hypocrites, and are
taught to avoid charitable work and avoid helping non-JW family.

Wow OTWO! That little paragraph contains volumes of truth!

Nvr

TopHat

NO, they might have been better people before they became a JW....after that they became 'MENTAL DEFECTIVEs'

Rosalee

Having read quite a few threads on this site, I'd have to say JWs ARE generally better than most who post here.

This is the first I've seen any group get so uptight about their former friends. Does there actually come a time when you put a period on the past and move on?

As for the mental health issue mentioned in a few posts, I would suggest some of you get some help yourselves, never mind accusing others. But I suppose if any of you have mental problems, you know who to blame???

Are JW's generally better than average people?

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