Minimus, great thread my friend! I too agree with many here that fear of losing family, friends and connections makes people not leave the organization. Many aren't strong enough to be on their own without props emotionally or otherwise. I feel ego keeps many in, the inability to admit it, when their belief system has been proved wrong , they won't humble themselves to admit they are wrong, for instance , the child molestation crises is one , and many other proven false beliefs. And , also I think you are right they are mentally lazy and sleeping , being hypnotized to believe in something which they will never challenge, till it comes up and bites them in the proverbial a$$ ! So we can all thank our lucky stars, we got out when we did ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
The Average JW WILL NOT Leave!!!!
by minimus 100 Replies latest jw friends
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sammielee24
Outlaw, they are like that because they are too lazy to look elsewhere
I think it's more a case of fear than it is laziness. There are many JW's who have twinges of questioning doubt about even some minor changes, that push them out of their head because of fear. If they dare question they show disobedience and are fearful of judgement by Jehovah - if they question and find an answer they don't like - then fear drives them back inward else they risk losing their family, their friends, their world, their identity and what has become their life.
In discussing this very issue this morning about people we know who joined the WTS as adults and those raised in - I still have to conclude that a person who joins as an adult, willingly giving up their world, family and friends, wishing to endure the punishment of shunning and cutting off their own kids, parents, siblings on order of a dictator - must be in some way mentally or emotionally disturbed. Those raised in it are not but become conditioned to the same fear, paranoia, guilt and judgement that they are raised up in. The more isolationist the JW family, the more harm that is done all way around. sammieswife.
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yknot
I will be the here and dissent, I am neither lazy, fearful, vain, nor dumb. I stay because I like not having trinity, immortal soul, hell...etc...etc. If there was a reasonably similar religion that was available, I and many others would happily defect. I stay because, you guessed it; "Where will I go".
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Vernon Williams
I was forty years in figuring this out:
Salvation lies in supporting the Organization....I ALWAYS thought the teaching of the Org caused a saving work....wrong....supporting it is the key. "My Organization right or wrong...."
Silly me,
V
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WTWizard
This is because of the number of times they cut the members off from outside information. The Tower claims it all to be lies. The Internet--demons. People that have been there--apostate. The media--biased. That leaves only the Watchtower magazines themselves, and the literature. They have been told so many times that anything else is a lie, and that whatever comes from the Tower is correction or enhancement, that they aren't going anywhere.
And they are programmed not to think. The ones that do are quickly harassed and hounded, and if they persist, they are cut off so they cannot infect the others in the fold with the real truth. What's left are the ones that cannot or will not do their own thinking. They are afraid that, if they do, they are going to die "real soon now". With this death threat, most will not realize that, not only is the "new" order not coming, but even if it did, it would be so stagnant that they wouldn't want to be there.
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WTWizard
This is because of the number of times they cut the members off from outside information. The Tower claims it all to be lies. The Internet--demons. People that have been there--apostate. The media--biased. That leaves only the Watchtower magazines themselves, and the literature. They have been told so many times that anything else is a lie, and that whatever comes from the Tower is correction or enhancement, that they aren't going anywhere.
And they are programmed not to think. The ones that do are quickly harassed and hounded, and if they persist, they are cut off so they cannot infect the others in the fold with the real truth. What's left are the ones that cannot or will not do their own thinking. They are afraid that, if they do, they are going to die "real soon now". With this death threat, most will not realize that, not only is the "new" order not coming, but even if it did, it would be so stagnant that they wouldn't want to be there.
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minimus
yknot, just because JWs don't believe in the trinity and hellfire, that doesn't make for a good reason to stay in. What about all the other lies and untruths and wrong doctrines they spew? What about their bloodguiltiness for their stand on blood? And how many sex lives have been ruined? And intelligent children not being allowed an education, etc.????
You should reexamine yourself.
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Madame Quixote
The ones that stay in are the dependent ones, the needy, those that have to have a sense of belonging or else they would not know what to do.
Do you agree with my assessment?? -Minimus
I guess those of us here can count ourselves as "above average," then, whether or not we're still needy or dependent.
Being human is a complicated thing sometimes.
The JWs want to make everything simple by shutting out all ambiguity, ambivalence, "gray areas," or questioning.
Life outside of a high control cult or religion is just not like that.
So much buried pain among those who stay locked into the mental traps of cult life!
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peggy
My 2 cents-----When I was an active witness, I knew where and what I would be doing for the week. I was BUSY! I thought I had a life. I went to three meetings a week, dressed nicely. I knew at least one person would smile at me, maybe a fun little conversation after the meeting. Also, the people watching, always something interesting to observe. As for the information delivered from the stage...absolutely MIND NUMBING!
I still attend meetings...occasionly. I walk away shaking my head on what an utter waste of time. Was it always this way?
I am now a single person after many years of marriage. At times I am lonely. I no longer belong to this group of people. My occasional visit to the congregation reminds people of how inactive I am. You honestly have to at some point come to a decision...come back to the fold or make a complete break. It is a VERY difficult decison when you have children and friends hanging on!
Peg
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Madame Quixote
I will be the here and dissent, I am neither lazy, fearful, vain, nor dumb. I stay because I like not having trinity, immortal soul, hell...etc...etc. If there was a reasonably similar religion that was available, I and many others would happily defect. I stay because, you guessed it; "Where will I go".
"Where will I go." ???
Aw, yknot! Y knot check out humanism or buddhism or unitarian universalism? I'm not into promoting religion, but if the alternative is between UUism or a cult, I'd recommend that.
At least they're not so cultish and they offer the freedom to explore differing ideas, quite unlike the jws, who do in fact expect the kind of intellectual laziness that prevents true learning and exploration of healthier philosophies of living.