A warning would be fair (page 2)

flipper

Greendawn- Such a good thread to start. Way to go! I think that once in as you say it is too late to be warned and that's why I used a threatening attorney approved, " I'll sue your a$$ off type letter" to the appeal committee when they brought me up on bogus charges at a jc this spring. Like I've told others I was not going to allow the elders to determine whether or not I could see my 82 year old dad and 80 year old mother who have been in the org. for 55 years. The elders were not going to be allowed to control that relationship too, damn control freaks. The fight paid off, I'm still fading quietly, they overturned the charges against me.

Yes, they should warn new ones about the shunning, as they are so willing to tell new ones that the brothers and sisters are the most loving people in the world. Then at the first sign of imperfection in people new ones freak out because the alleged "love" there has been put on such a high pedestal, the new ones don't know how to feel when they don't see it. It would be better to be truthful from the get go with them

brunnhilde

I've thought about this a lot, and I think the only thing worse than failing to give a warning to those they're attempting to convert is holding people responsible for decisions they made at 15, 10, even 7 years of age. I honestly cannot comprehend how the legal system can allow them to stigmatize an individual because of a commitment they made while their parents were dominating every facet of their lives. Truly unjust and wicked, to use their own terms!

brunn

Sassy

if we had a clue that if you ever change you mind you can never speak to your family members again.. no I wouldn't have done it....

Brain Dead

Thats a very good point your making Greedawn, all of the encompassing rules and regulations are not put forth and made apparent to the newly interested ones. They get the big welcoming

smiles and did you know that we are god's only true religion on earth at present and did you know that god is soon to destroy this wicked system of things at Armageddon and turn this earth

back to Paradise where we can live forever, now would you like to join us to live in Paradise or would you rather be destroyed by the hands of Jehovah. This is how the first hook is set to

the newly interested ones that are just starting to study with the witnesses, the so called spiritually guided and intrusive set of rules comes a long way down the indoctrination and

unfortunately catches many unwilling off guard. Whether people realize it or not there is a carefully devised and strategic marketing strategy going on here. As far as the dfing policy

that is in place I think some men want to impress themselves and others that they really do have the power of god in their hands and dfing someone is just that vehicle to prove that point.

For example my nephew was dfed last year for touching his girlfriend's private parts. and even I thought that was an extreme abuse of power, I kept on wondering at the time how many

men on that JC had probably did the very same thing with their girlfriends before they were married. But I guess power is power after all and isn't that really the main reason that men

start religions in the first place,.............. oh ya I forgot to sell stuff

changeling

Having been born "in", I didn't always realize what a "new" one did not understand. You're right, they have a right to know what's at stake.

LoverOfTruth

I would never have gotten Baptized into the Religion if I had known fully of this cruel behavior. With that said, I refused to allow my kids to get baptized while they were under age living at home. My husband (now ex) pushed hard to get them to go through with baptism but I stood up to him and he backed down.

VM44

Are you joking? No...no warning will be given!

Watkins

Good for you, Mr.Flipper! You must be quite the formidable adversary!

As I recall, the df policy was studied with me before I was baptised... but before you see it in action, it's more of an 'in theory' thing. The way it's presented is - those who 'turn their backs on Jehovah' are removed for the spiritural welfare of the whole congregation. I thought no one in their right mind would ever turn away from God after knowing 'the Good News'. So to me it seemed like a reasonable and scriptural doctrine 'in theory'. But when I saw it put into practice the reality was a whole ''nother story'! It was only after my baptism that I saw people in my cong. get df'd and shunned. What did they do that demanded that kind of cruel treatment - kill somebody? Play house with someone else's mate? None of my business, I was told to just pay attention to myself - to know would be gossiping.

Thank God my daughter had the good sense I lacked. When she studied she asked me if she would have to shun me if I ever left the cong. to which I answered - well, that's the way it's supposed to work, but of course we wouldn't do it that way! I couldn't foresee myself ever leaving for one thing... and nothing(I thought) could ever sever the umbilical cord between us. Maybe we never would've been convinced to do the right Witness thing, but I'm glad we were never put to the test that way. She never became a JW - thank GOD! - and now I'm out. My heart literally breaks over the sad stories of families torn asunder by bizzare ritual. It's just SO wrong...

I have no family in but all my former friends are scared to death of me and shun me, but oh, well - their religion scares the hell outta me too. It's a mutual thing that we steer clear of each other now.

If I'd know how it really works in practice, I hope I would've investigated it more thoroughly instead of swallowing everything as pure truth. It would've saved me a world of upset and instead of being here on this forum I would be doing ------- something else.

Watkins

WTWizard

Even worse is that they misrepresent the benefits. The shunning is just one more of the costs, along with the persecution, loss of material benefits, and even death that many Witlesses are brainwashed into thinking is part of the religion. But they are misled to believe that it is worth it when they get into that new order.

What really needs truth in advertising is (1) the "new" order is elusive, and (2) it is going to be extremely stagnant for anyone living then. Elusive--they have revised the date no fewer than 7 times, only to bust each time. And they have been hawking it as being closer since the 1980s, the 1990s, and even now. I have heard at least five different predictions since last summer (2006) alone where a particular action by the Society or a particular date would set off the Great Tribulation, only to have it bust (I also remember the rumors about June 12, which came and went exactly as I predicted). If it keeps busting, then who is going to want to waste their time and give up so much on something that is not going to show up?

And it is going to be stagnant. You will be spending all your time doing what someone else tells you to. They want you to marry a particular person when you had someone else in mind, they force you into doing as they want. You do the line of work they want you to, never mind that you hate it more than anything else. You live where they want you to. All the media are controlled by them. Stagnation at its very worst. No one has the chance to create any value. This is going to be one miserable situation. And what about those who they want to remain celibate? Are you, if you are a young person in reasonably good health, willing to live forever celibate because the Puketower Society wants you to?

True, a warning about the shunning is in order. But that only discloses the cost, which the Tower can offset by hiking the claimed benefit. After all, if the benefit exceeds the cost, then it is a good program. I therefore think more should be done to warn people that the benefits are illusory and probably will be negative.

nvrgnbk

Typical cult behavior.

A warning would be fair

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