The Walsh Trial testimony shows how controlling the Watchtower is when it comes to beliefs; Unity comes first, even before Truth. But what good in Unity if it is based on falsehood?
Contrast the remarks from the Walsh Trial with information in the Awake! about how controlling propagandists are.
Even though JWs are forced to all believe the same thing for the sake of Unity, and would be DF’d if they didn’t agree, the Society claims that JWs are “the most thinking people on the face of the earth.” This is a Propagandist’s method to make followers feel good about themselves.
(Awake 8-22-78 p3) See entire article; it is excellent.
Article Title: Do Others Do Your Thinking?
Subtitle: Propaganda has power. Does it overpower you? Or do you have a mind of your own?
(Par1) EDUCATION teaches you how to think. Propagandists tell you what to think. True educators present all sides of an issue and encourage discussion. Propagandists hammer hard on their view and discourage discussion. Many times their true motives are hidden. They sift the facts, tell the favorable ones and conceal the others. They distort and twist facts, specialize in lies and half-truths. Your emotions, not your logical thinking abilities, are their target. Many fall easy prey because it takes no effort to feel, whereas thinking is hard labor. And the propagandist sees to it that his message is made to seem wise, the right and moral one, and gives you a sense of importance and belonging if you follow it. You are one of the smart ones, you are not alone, you are comfortable and secure-so they say.
(Par2) Propagandists have little respect for people's thinking abilities. Hitler wrote: "The intelligence of the masses is small. Their forgetfulness is great. They must be told the same thing a thousand times." Lenin was more discriminating. He used historical and scientific arguments to persuade the educated minority, but slogans and half-truths to arouse the masses, whom he considered unable to grasp complicated ideas. ...
What propagandists do:
- Tell you what to think
- Hammer their view
- Discourage discussion
- Sift the facts, telling only the ones they want you to know
- Conceal some facts
- Distort and twist facts
- Experienced at telling lies and half-truths
- Target your emotions
- Make their msg seem right and wise
- Give you a sense of importance and belonging if you follow their beliefs
- Gives you a feeling of being smart, while discouraging true thinking
It seems very clear that the methods of Watchtower are the same as those of propagandists. Watchtower is so good at being controlling that most of JWs can't see it, and are are convinced they are "thinking people."
