Deluded Witnesses - View Themselves as Temporary " Alien Residents"

flipper

We see it everywhere we go. When we were once Jehovah's Witnesses , and after we left Jehovah's Witnesses,this organization controls it's rank and file members to view themselves as " temporary residents" who are waiting for a better world to live in the future , and are told to not put too much faith or stock in this world because it has nothing to offer them . In this way the Watchtower society controls the individual witnesses view of living towards the future, but not for today - in the real world.

Ways that the Watchtower society does this is as follows .

1. Discourages rank and file members from seeking a college education and tells them , " It's not needed , the new system is coming ".

2. Discourages materialism among them - so as to view themselves and "things " in this world as temporary or not needed.

3. Discourages young couples from having children in this " system" as times will be much better in the paradise !

4. Discourages single people from marrying - so as to "put the kingdom first" and waste their current lives preaching the " kingdom " message , living for the future paradise.

5. Discourages people from normal human emotional mourning at witness funerals being told , " we don't mourn as the rest do with no hope ". So , don't worry your dead loved ones will come back in the future paradise in a resurrection !

6. Discourages sick people from getting too down with illnesses that make them depressed or physically down because , in the paradise , " God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and no more sickness and death . " Wait for the future blessings they are told .

So, the point I'm making here is it creates in Jehovah's Witnesses people who DO NOT know how to live in the here and now and have the ability and know how to enjoy their life in the present sense. Because all their hopes and dreams are pinned on a delusional " future " as promised by a man made organization ! They are being truly deluded and " mind controlled " to believe that it is almost WRONG to enjoy any good things now , because they will have it so much better then, in the future " paradise " !

So, what are your suggestions to get around this " futuristic " reasoning that the witnesses have ? It truly drives me crazy when talking with them , because they are so future oriented , they don't deal with reality in the here and now ! What kind of things could we say to be able to jolt them into feeling, living, and being in the here and now ? Any suggestions ? I look forward to your responses ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper

Gopher

When someone is wearing a bad pair of eyeglasses they don't need, the first thing that is needed is for them to take off those glasses. The WTS gives its members a badly distorted view of reality and practicality. I heard ALL those points while I was a young JW, and it affected me. The only way I snapped into reality was after taking off the glasses.

For a current JW, maybe they could be persuaded on the point about education and a decent career. "Jehovah" didn't see fit to bring the end in the 20th century when many of "his people" were expecting it. Maybe you should consider pursuing an education and having something set aside, just in case "Jehovah" doesn't bring the end really soon. Even "the Society" continues to buy and sell property and make plans for the future, just in case Armageddon doesn't come.

Rapunzel

Flipper - In my opinion, your entire assessment is "spot-on,"that is to say 100% correct. As far as suggestions to remedy the sad situation, I have none and don't believe there really are any. If anyone ever does come up with an efficient and certain way to combat and redress manipulative mind control, I believe he or she will have a very bright future indeed. Unfortunately, I cannot foresee that day coming any time soon. It is very difficult to change people's mindset. It is difficult for people to escape from the all-pervasive psychological and emotional abuse so expertly exerced by the organization. It is indeed a pity.

Carmel

Weight watchers would have you replace the "candy" with real nutritional food. It can be just as tasty, (well maybe) but doesn't product the cycles of blood sugar that triggers more "need". Kinda like a drunk needing to hit bottom, before taking responsibility for his condition.

Now it took me thirty years of obesity to finally face the fact that I needed the support of other people around me to deal with the cravings I had for certain foods. Now minus 45 pounds, the cravings are still there, but it triggers responses that I feel good about heeding.

So, I've always thought one should use the Socratic method of asking loaded questions, and this is a good site to develop a list of them. Think about the many discussions on what "paradise" would really be like as an example. The absurdity of it becomes apparent rather quickly without having to propose anything but more questions..., which they hate by the way!!

now you're $0.02 to the good

carm

Casper

Great Thread Mr. Flipper. That list is perfect.

I don't have any ans. either, I just know that for me.... personal tragedy & "Time Away" from the congregation, and the daily mantra, allowed reality to set in.

I do remember when my Study Conductor was telling me the "Wonders of Paradise"... I looked at her and said... "You people don't live in the real world do you ?" And she responded by saying... "No, xxxxxxx, you're the one thats not living in the real world."

Can't believe a year later... I bought into that.

Cas

Nathan Natas

WARNING - TOWER SPEW! WARNING - TOWER SPEW! WARNING - TOWER SPEW!

12 To begin with, Peter said: “Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and temporary residents to keep abstaining from fleshly desires, which are the very ones that carry on a conflict against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11) True Christians are, in a spiritual sense, “aliens and temporary residents” in that the real focus of their lives is the hope of everlasting life—spirit-anointed ones in heaven and the “other sheep” in a future earthly paradise. (John 10:16; Philippians 3:20, 21; Hebrews 11:13; Revelation 7:9, 14-17) What, though, are fleshly desires? These include such things as the desire to be rich, the desire for prominence, immoral sexual desires, and the desires described as “envy” and “covetousness.”—Colossians 3:5; 1 Timothy 6:4, 9; 1 John 2:15, 16. - The WATCHTOWER, November 1, 2002, page 12, "MAINTAIN YOUR CONDUCT FINE AMONG THE NATIONS”

jaguarbass

They need therapy.

I went to AA for 7 years to learn to live today. I said to myself, I was a recovering Jw. Plus I read lots of self help books.

"Your erroneous zones" was a good one by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

Today is all we have.

If you have one foot in yesterday and the other in tomorrow, You end up pissing all over today.

Thats what JW's do.

Rubber band therapy is a good place to start. Tell them to place a rubber band on their wrist.

Everytime they think about the past or the future tell them to snap the rubber band. The snap is supposed ot bring them back to today.

flipper

GOPHER- That is a good point about the education and career angle you mention . Try to convince them that the organization is still buying and selling property planning for the future. So the witnesses should plan for the future too ! The Big A didn't come when expected so plan ahead . I'll remember that one.

RAPUNZEL- It is hard to break through the mind control in witnesses about their future hopes. But if you can reason with them on how they will benefit themselves today by seeing that they need to provide for their future financially , maybe it might make them think about the way they should earn a living now - not waiting for Jehovah to provide for them.

CARMEL- Asking loaded questions is a good idea too ! Witnesses hate being questioned , but if you try to open their minds maybe something will click !

CASPER- Thanks Casper. As I had time away from the witnesses I too started feeling like I was living more in reality. The witnesses try to make those of us exiting the cult feel like we aren't living in reality ; when in reality it is them who don't use reasonableness in daily living and are living in fantasy land

dogisgod

Very well put. I would like to add lots of international travel w/o meetings to create an awareness. The biggest thing that can free the mind is stop mentally eating from the same food source.

StAnn

There was an old man in my old congregation who gave this advice to young people: Plan for the future. If it doesn't come, great. If it does come, you'll be ready for it. He lived comfortably in his retirement and that advice made a lot of sense to me.

Deluded Witnesses - View Themselves as Temporary " Alien Residents"

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