Current & Former Elders- Will You Help Witnesses - Get Out of the Cult ? (page 6)

flipper

A GUEST- Well I must say- Plato is certainly an interesting read. Thanks for the contribution

whyizit

Technically, this question isn't directed to me. (I've never been a JW.) However, I have beent rying to figure out ways to make a difference.

Someone on this forum mentioned HowCultsWork.com, which doesn't mention any cults by name, yet has questions you can ask if you think someone is trying to recruit you in to any group. It gives the tactics, the different types of groups, etc... I have used it to put together a cult awareness workshop. I'm going to get to try it out on college bound teens who will be away from home and loved ones for the first time ever. They are very vulnerable. The "instant friends" cult groups offer are very appealing to the lonely.

Since the info. I'll be using doesn't name any group, they will be able to come to their own conclusions based on the questions they can ask. They can be equipped to be informed consumers, rather than not knowing what to ask or simply taking everything at face value.

Afterall, most cults don't approach someone with a line like this: "Hi! I would like to indoctrinate you into a mind control cult. We will bombard you with love and affection, at first. Then we are going to separate you from anyone who won't join our group. We will then make you fearful of ever leaving. We will control what you think, what you eat, what you wear, how you cut your hair, how you have sex, who your friends are, what medical treatments are acceptable, what information you can read, etc... You will never have to think for yourself again. Infact, we highly discourage it! Doesn't that sound just peachy? And if you ever choose to leave, then we will make sure you lose every friend or relative that you have within our group. And the friends you have outside of our group are going to find you very bizarre, due to the wierd things we have hammered into your brain. You will be fearful of the simplest things. You'll also be hounded by former members of the group. Doesn't that sound great? Come with me now, and we'll get started right away!"

myababes

Hi Mr Flipper

My husband and I escaped 8 years ago with my son and daughter. he had been an elder for quite some years but due to a situation with my daughter resigned and just stopped going and me a couple of weeks later. However while he was an elder he always encouraged people to better themselves by getting an education even though he was really not supposed to do. My problem is that I have hardcore brother and sister and family still in, and it breaks my heart that they are so staunch. They have never turned their back on me all these years think that is mainly because they live away and Istill feel I lead a bit of double life not letting them know I smoke or celebrate xmas etc. Actually don't know what they think I do but they don't ask and I don't tell them. They would never listen to our arguments re the organisation and they would loose all their friends if they ever left and would totally cut us off if we hinted at any doubts that we held any negative views regarding the organisation. I don't se how I can ever sow the seeds of doubt but if I ever did and they left they would be leaving 50 and 60 years of indoctrination behind them and they would never be able to build them selves another life and I would feel so so guilty, but I can't stand to see them so brainwashed.

The Oracle

Whyizit,

Simply fantastic!!

I am going to use this interesting approach in some of my email and mailing campaigns.

Great idea!! It helps people to re-evaluate what they have gotten themselves in to from a different perspective. This helps to jolt the brain in to different thinking patterns.

Once again - great suggestion!

The Oracle

by grace

Afterall, most cults don't approach someone with a line like this: "Hi! I would like to indoctrinate you into a mind control cult. We will bombard you with love and affection, at first. Then we are going to separate you from anyone who won't join our group. We will then make you fearful of ever leaving. We will control what you think, what you eat, what you wear, how you cut your hair, how you have sex, who your friends are, what medical treatments are acceptable, what information you can read, etc... You will never have to think for yourself again. Infact, we highly discourage it! Doesn't that sound just peachy? And if you ever choose to leave, then we will make sure you lose every friend or relative that you have within our group. And the friends you have outside of our group are going to find you very bizarre, due to the wierd things we have hammered into your brain. You will be fearful of the simplest things. You'll also be hounded by former members of the group. Doesn't that sound great? Come with me now, and we'll get started right away!"

whyizit, wow, you hit the nail on the head of what happens with mind control. That's why I think I realized it all for what it was, when I read The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse. It is so subtle. You don't even realize it has happened. You are the boiling frog that has gradually gotten warmer & warmer, you don't know that you need to jump out now!!!!

Hope you are able to help keep some people free from the traps out there....all of them!

Thanks for the link, I'll be looking at it too!

I hope you people know what a great thing you are doing!!!!!

uninformed

I have one son out of my four kids that is still trapped.

He wont listen to me or talk to me.

He wont come out now. Possibly with the doctrinal changes he will start thinking. But, it is doubtful.

I think most people only come out when they start getting treated like ship and finally realize it.

Brant

mentalclearness

I've pretty much lost hppe in my family ever getting out. They will never see it as a cult or that they are trapped. They see the witnesses as their reason to keep on living. Every part of their life is decided by what the organization has to say....They are balanced in JW standards.(their kids are going to college, they take vacations and miss the meetings etc watch R movies..LOL...But I know they will never leave. Such a sad thing really....

Finally-Free

I was never an elder, but it wouldn't make any difference if I was. I disliked most JWs when I was one. Most of them were complete jerks. I have no interest at all in helping any of them leave the cult. I'm quite content to let them go on wasting their lives. Why should I interfere? They would never do that much for me. In fact, they were always happy to laugh in my face whenever I experienced some difficulty.

I'm willing to help people avoid joining the cult, but that's it.

W

flipper

WHYIZIT- Very good tactics on your part ! That is really a good angle to remember. Thanks for the information on the " HowCultsWork.com ". very useful !

MYABABES- I hear what you are saying. I'm glad your husband as an elder encouraged people to get an education. Like yourself- my parents have been in the witnesses 50 to 60 years also. I still have lots of family in it . But like you- it's a case of don't ask, don't tell when it comes to holidays. I know my parents wouldn't leave it- they are 82 and 80, I wouldn't want to pressure them at their age , however my daughters 20 and 19 might leave it if i use the right tactics. My 22 year old son is already out of the witnesses.

ORACLE- Great idea ! I agree that WHYIZIT had !

BY GRACE- It is a subtle thing how mind control works. The boiling frog analogy is perfect. All we can do is help the victims get out !

UNINFORMED- I agree. Unless people start getting spit on my the cult members personally, the criical reasoning doesn't kick in till then usually.

MENTAL CLEARNESS- It is sad that the only thing these people have to keep living for is the " empty " promises they live for in a " future paradise ". They don't know how to live in the here and now.

FINALLY FREE- I understand your feelings and can also appreciate your take of not wanting to help any get out of the witnesses. Yes, indeed lots of them were jerks to me as well. That being said, however, for some of us with close family members still trapped inside the cult, getting them out of it would be the greateset gift I could give them . Especially, my daughters

Current & Former Elders- Will You Help Witnesses - Get Out of the Cult ?

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