who's fault is it?

by bigdreaux 44 Replies latest social relationships

• 

  quietlyleaving

  John Doe

  I suppose I grow weary to the lack of personal responsibility that seems to be popular. People sue cigg companies cause they like ciggs, McDonalds because they have no self control, etc. etc. We're quickly becoming a society where the individual has responsibility--all the responsibility is being placed with others to look out for the well being of the individual. That's not right.

  I said most at fault not entirely to blame. You made a big jump from what I actuallly said to your conclusion above.
• 

  Who are you?

  If each prospective JW was given a full disclosure booklet that detailed everything about WTS practices and procedures before they entered into what amounts to a lifetime contract with a publishing company, then you could say that they knowingly signed on the dotted line and knew what they were in for. But it doesn't work that way. There are laws that cover full disclosure. They just haven't made their way to religion yet.
• 

  journey-on

  Both are to blame.

  If you became a witness prior to the internet, you can't be faulted too much. You didn't have easy access to solid information that could expose the origin, false prophecies, and experiences of Jehovah's Witnesses. So if you got duped, well.....lots of people did.

  If you became a Jehovah's Witness after the advent of the internet, you are to blamel. You're just plain stupid for not researching it and checking into all aspects of this mind-controlling repressive cult. I would have to say you are ignorant and your motives for joining would have to be something other than wanting to worship God.

  The Watchtower Society, imo, is well aware of how to use effectively all psychological techniques at its disposal. Looking back on their complete body of "bull crap", you can see the way they have manipulated words and designed their doctrines toward complete mind control of their followers. It's subtle, but, imo, well-thought out and purposeful. They use "trigger" scriptures over and over that instill fear and guilt. Their art work is designed to do one of two things: Make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside or terrify and instill fear. Go back through their literature and look at the way they use these trigger scriptures combined with their art work and you will see.

  I think the WTB&TS is sinister and their main purpose is to make money, invest that money to make more money, and use their brainwashed followers to push their literature and reach deep into their pockets and send more money to these power hungry business savvy higher ups. We don't even know who the real managers of this multi-billion dollar operation are and isn't it strange that their zombie rank and file don't show the least interest in knowing it either.

  They are told that if they question ANYTHING, they risk losing Jehovah's holy spirit, not to mention any friends and family that are witnesses. If you question the Great Faithful and Discreet Slave, you are weak and not worthy. They have a trigger scripture to emphasize this belief. They keep them in fear and guilt, and they KNOW exactly what they're doing to these poor wretched slave workers they call brothers and sisters.

  If you are a Jehovah's Witness today, with access to all the accurate information available to you, you are foolish. You are at fault.
• 

  OUTLAW

  If you cheat a senior citizen out of all their money..Whose fault is it?..The cheat needs to make a living,this is how he does it..The senior citizen was dumb enough to be cheated and someone else would have got their money anyway.........................Jehovah`s Witness`s are dumb enough to be cheated by the WBTS..If these people were`nt in the Jehovah`s Witness Cult they would be in another,and someone else would waste their lives and get their money...........................It`s time to stop Blameing the Victims!..And..Time to bring the Criminals to Justice!...OUTLAW
• 

  John Doe

  I hold that stupidity and irresponsibility can not be blameless.
• 

  Junction-Guy

  I agree with the last statement that journey-on made. There is way too much info available now about JW's. If you are thinking about joining the JW's and you have no family in it, then take my advice and run like the wind away from it.
  
  It does complicate things when you have family members in the religion.
  
  Outside of keeping your family ties intact, there is no reason under the sun to join and/or remain in this cult. If you do, then you are just helping to perpetuate this family wrecking cult.
• 

  sweetstuff

  The Org misleads because they have supposedly 6.7 million people who will believe every single word they say w/o questioning it. We all have a brain; it's up to each INDIVIDUAL as to whether or not it will be used.

  Yes the individual holds responsibility for their own adult choices, however, that's on the assumption that the individual has learned the tools of critical thinking, has learned the value of their own worth. Something no jw lifer was ever taught! I do not think any of us can look at someone who has grown up life long in it and say, well they must be an idiot, I see it, why can't they?

  Brainwashing is very effective, not just with the WTS. Children are turned into soldiers over short periods of time by brainwashing, drugs, slaughter of their parents.

  http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/02/12/child.soldiers/index.html

  A child brought up as a JW is brainwashed in the same way, not over a short period, but years and years of it on a more subtle basis. True, they are never forced to watch the slaughter of a loved one, just threatened with it, repeatedly. Fear of armageddon, the demons, losing your family and friends, being totally cut off, these individuals have had their mental facilities decapitated in a manner of speaking. It's possible to break free, but why does it take many years of fading to break free? Because of what they have to lose in order to gain their freedom. If the WTS was completely upfront and honest about their mistakes and openly acknowledged they can be and have been wrong, ya I know, when have they been right? Then I would hold not hold them responsible on any terms. But its the deception of people I find them accountable for.
• 

  Metamorphosis

  I agree with Journey On for the most part. The fault lies with lack of knowledge in many cases. If you were born into a room and was told the grass you saw outside the window was blue all your life and that you couldn't open the door to leave the room or you would die - and this was ingrained into you every day of the week from the time you were a babe - you would have very little reason to believe otherwise.

  Then somebody walks into the room from outside and shows you that millions of people live outside of the room without fear of dying and believe the grass is something called 'green'.

  Now that you have been exposed to new knowledge it is up to you. At this point i think the fault lies with you if you do not explore the second viewpoint. But before that time you knew of no other viewpoint.

  I don't fault myself for believing earlier in my life. I had no logical reason to think they were not telling me the truth; there's always just enough reasoning to persuade in their arguments. True, I could have probably reasoned on some items better - and I didn't agree with all of their viewpoints, but enough that the balance shifted in their favor. When presented with solid evidence to the contrary however is when the blame of fault can shift. I saw the emptiness of what I had been taught. It's those who continue to blindly follow the path even once they have been exposed to this knowledge that I can't understand.

  Morph

  (edit: FYI I was raised in the religion when my parents were baptized when I was 3)
• 

  OUTLAW

  Before the internet there was very little information readily available about the WBT$..The WBT$ had everyone isolated,in or out of the organization..Many of us were raised in this cult..We had a very hard time leaving the Jehovah`s Witness Cult and adjusting to the real world....Most are not Stupid or Irresponsible.....If information is presented and it is ignored.Then you can call that person stupid.....If information is suppressed and or hidden,then you are a victim......You cannot paint everyone with the same brush...OUTLAW
• 

  journey-on

  Meta, I like your analogy about the grass.

  Then somebody walks into the room from outside and shows you that millions of people live outside of the room without fear of dying and believe the grass is something called 'green'

  But, think about this. That "somebody" that walks into the room from outside according to the WTB&TS is theInternet and Apostates. So now the WTS has to build a belief or doctrine around their rank and file that makes them think that this "somebody" is a lying evil demonized group out to "getcha" and keep you from entering the New World. Now they are going to tell you to stay away and make it a vile sin to look and listen because when they tell you the grass is green, it's a lie from Satan.

  Think about it! Even now, before the Kool-aid edition comes out, they are telling the rank & file not to get on the Internet and research ANYTHING pertaining to the Bible or the WTS. What other religion would demand such a thing!?

  I'm telling you! This organization is SINISTER. There is, imo, something EVIL in the way they operate and it scares me for my family.