The Average JW WILL NOT Leave!!!!

by minimus 100 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Madame Quixote

  Stockholm syndrome (from Wikipedia)
  
  Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed. Stockholm syndrome is also sometimes discussed in reference to other situations with similar tensions, such as battered person syndrome, rape cases, child abuse cases and bride kidnapping. The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg, Stockholm, Sweden, in which the bank robbers held bank employees hostage from August 23 to August 28 in 1973. In this case, the victims became emotionally attached to their victimizers, and even defended their captors after they were freed from their six-day ordeal. The term Stockholm Syndrome was coined by the criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who assisted the police during the robbery, and referred to the syndrome in a news broadcast. -Baba Yaga

  Thank you for reminding us that our families are like hostages. It makes it easier to arrive at forgiveness, a place I might someday reach.
• 

  Gayle

  It becomes their little 'village.' They are use to it now. They think they know everybody there well. They think everybody there believes the same as they and cares for them. Outside, everything scares them: different beliefs, different goals, people happy with their lives, unlimited education, free-thinkers, people who celebrate life and are thankful for every day, people who don't have a need for 99% of the world to be destroyed.
• 

  Madame Quixote

  Nobody has brought something I have been wondering about, it seems many jw children are constantly bribed by the parents to stay in or if they will just get baptized or go in fs, pioneer,etc.. I have seen any number of threads that the kid doesn't want to leave the borg & the family home because mom & dad bought me a car, no rent, new wardrobe, whateverif they will just do x,y or z for the org. Were these rare occurances or what?

  Edited to say, thank you Carla for reminding me of that thorn in my side, as well. I know very well that I could be living a bit of a more materialistic life than I do if only I did "x,y or z for the org." No, financial and emotional blackmail AND BRIBERY are not rare occurrences. My deceased grandmother hinted to me more than a few times that all I needed to do (for a share of an inheritance) would be to make sure she was "the first to know" when I decided to "repent" and "return to Jehovah." At the time, all the currently-owned JW family property belonged to her. Now, only witnesses own and/or control it, at least last I was aware. My brother and sister (still in the bOrg, in their late 30's - early 40's) essentially still live at home. Although my sis & bil technically own their own place, it's on the jw family property, practically next door to my parents. As far as I'm concerned, if you still share a driveway with your parents, and if they're responsible for building and designing the home you own, you're still living at home.

  Last I heard of my JW brother and his wife, they too had literally moved back into our parents' home. I was astonished at first because my brother seemed to be doing great financially after getting his engineering degree, buying a sporty car or two, and a new condo in the capitol, etc. Then I learned his wife quit her job to "pioneer full time." Shortly thereafter, I realized my brother was living with mom and dad - in his late 30's! And oh, so proud of his wife. Okay, where's the barf bag?!
• 

  minimus

  Peg, it's better to make new "normal" friends than to go back to the vomit.
• 

  Mrs. Witness

  Mme Q touched on what I think is the real reason most JW's don't leave...they don't have to make decisions. I know Mr. Witness is that way. Even a simple decision regarding where to go out to dinner can make him spin out of control. The WT takes the ambiguity of life, the messiness of life, if you will, away.

  They boil it down to a simple equation: do this, this and this and you will be a happy person and have everlasting life after you die. We have all the answers you will ever need...no need to think for yourself! We'll think for you! And by the way, over here in the corner...we have a nice Kool Aid stand we'd like you to visit...
• 

  sf

  It's why, IMHO, the WT will be around for a long, long, time.

  Humble, uh? Interesting word.

  In my non humble opinion, YOU and so many others just like you, are the very reason this DEATH MACHINE keeps grinding it's deadly gears.

  But go ahead and keep telling yourself how humble you truly all are.

  sKally
• 

  minimus

  Skally, who are you quoting?
• 

  Madame Quixote

  Interesting point, sKally.

  Where's the humility in assuming that one belongs to the tiniest fringe of humanity as "God's Chosen People"?

  Someone else already touched upon the "chosen" factor, and I'm sorry I can't quote it because I don't remember where in the thread it's buried. Maybe someone can help?

  Again, where's the barf bag?
• 

  AuldSoul

  My PRC lived in several Georgia and Northeast Florida congregations as well as three different Ohio congregations. I have been in racially accepting congregations and in racially divided ones. I have been in a racially divided Circuit, where the cultures didn't intermingle more than to say hello. I don't think this is a measure of any organization, but it is more a measure of the people that populate an organization in a given area. I am 4th gen from both sides. Paternally, the family became Bible Students in the 1890s in Fitzgerald, Georgia. The old Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence show the dates for studies in Fitzgerald, GA.

  The org propagandizes its own racial acceptance, but that doesn't mean there is racial acceptance throughout the org.

  I agree with those who call fear a strong motivator for maintaining the status quo. In fact, I believe mental laziness is an intentionally willed state in many cases, out of fear of what might be discovered if one were not mentally lazy.

  Respectfully,
  AuldSoul
• 

  jam

  when you have men and women that still beleive the grand canyon was create less then 5000 yrs ago, the earth was create in 7000 yrs. and the earth was cover with water complety less the 5000 yrs ago, what do you expect from a bunch of mental disable people.