My worldly grandfather, god bless his soul, told me back in the 60's when my flacky mother was dragging me to the meetings that them nut jobs where predicting the end of the world when he was a kid.
How Can A Religion That Predicts "The End" Every Few Yrs. Maintain Members?
by minimus 32 Replies latest jw friends
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oompa
MANY of these folks are great people....and seem truly happy...esp. those super active in the RBC's.....they live for it and enjoy the club. There really is a brotherhood for many of them, but other groups and religions have the same thing...AA, Mormans and many others. I think trying to convince them how happy they all are is effective.....at least they have each other and are in a big club....and sometimes that club comes in handy...............oompa
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Blueblades
LWT. Next to Ray Franz's COC. Don's was on the top of my list. Both excellant eye openers.
Blueblades
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Quandry
- "But man's resourcefulness goes beyond simply protecting a belief. Suppose an individual believes something with his whole heart; suppose further that he has a commitment to this belief, that he has taken irrevocable actions because of it; finally, suppose that he is presented with evidence, unequivocal and undeniable evidence, that his belief is wrong: what will happen? The individual will frequently emerge, not only unshaken, but even more convinced of the truth of his beliefs than ever before. Indeed, he may even show a new fervor about convincing and converting other people to his view. 3 (italics ours)
Yes, this sums it up nicely. That's why it is never effective to try to argue with a family member who is a fervent witness...they become more entrenched. Some people, like me, have to find out about the organization the hard way- by being on the receiving end of their "love."
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minimus
Being a Jehovah's Witness is like being in a unhealthy abusive relationship.
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WTWizard
They can maintain members if the members are witless.
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BluesBrother
It takes courage to face the fact that you have been wrong..It is nothing to do with God.
The fading dub has to admit that HE made the wrong choice, that He was silly enough to be duped by those who claimed to be the F & D Slave of God, but were not. The fader suffers the chagrin of disappointment, he is not going to live forever, he is not going to grow young again, he is not going to have a small farm in paradise and be able to play with all the animals. His wife is not going to grow back to be the girl he married.
Given that, it is far easier, far more rewarding to stick with it, to stay with "Millions of Brothers", to re read the WT words and close the mind to doubts (and view doubts as attacks by Satan) . He views the delay as a "test" allowed by Jehovah to separate the true Christians from the waverers...Others may falter , but not him, HE is loyal..............and so it goes on, and on and on and........................
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stillajwexelder
I think if we knew the answer to that question minimus we would have the wisdom of Solomon. It has to be "Cult Mentality" in a simple phrase
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Blueblades
When they re-write the Bible and call it The New World Translation, the members are holding in their hands, their hope for a New World. They make many brackets in their version of what could of , should of , been the meaning of the verse. So that the verse fits into their doctrine of a New World on the threshold. That oringinal green Bible, now Black and Maroon with its title on the cover New World has impacted the members minds.
That to me is another way they can maintain their hold on the members. "New World" sounds nice!
Blueblades
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AGuest
May you have peace! You ask:
Are Jehovah's Witnesses that "dumb"?
While it is true that they are being subjected to mind control, the answer to your question is, yes, they are dumb, to some degree. This is because they are uneducated on a lot of levels both secularly and spiritually. Being limited to quasi-high school level education, they are very often victims to word misuse/abuse, mistranslations, mistransliterations, misleadings, misapplications, the whole gamut. For those that can read, comprehending what they are reading is also a problem: the WTBTS often uses words that have more than one meaning to depict their particular interpretation. In this way, they are able to convince their members that the Bible says one thing, when it actually says something quite different.
This is even easier for them to do considering the multiple and major errors in the transliterations from ancient Hebrew to ancient Greek, ancient Greek to Aramaic, Aramaic to Modern Greek, Modern Greek to Latin, Latin to Germanic and/or Old English, and Germanic and/or Old English to Modern English (in the case of the OT)... or Aramaic to Modern Greek, Modern Greek to Latin, Latin to Germanic and/or Old English, and Germanic and/or Old English to Modern English (in the case of the NT)... all which leaves MUCH to be desired.
But there's something more going on than them simply being "dumb,” as I am permitted to explain below. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, the majority of whom find a way out of that organization because their motive is NOT rooted in the following:
1. The PRIMARY reason for those who adhere to the doctrines of the WTBTS... even in the face of being shown where they are wrong… is fulfillment of their desire... to be "right." This is the number one driving force behind the WTBTS membership. That is why the WTBTS’ false label of calling itself the “truth” is so powerful: if you have the truth, what else is there? Even I can say that answer to that is, “nothing.” Unfortunately, their truth is NOT the Truth, and so their rightness…or “righteousness”… is self-righteousness. It is not founded by or in the Truth, but of their own designation.
2. Second, people such as these love to have their ears "tickled" - they want to hear what they want to hear (in this case, primarily that the punishment, retribution, vengeance, and ultimate demise of their enemies is a righteous expectation and takes precedent over any obligation they might have to exercise love and mercy... and FORGIVE their enemies). Many of us here were among them on this (and, unfortunately, may still be – although they may have physically left that organization, their words demonstrate that there hearts remain within it). The ears of some, however, were not “tickled” but, rather, were ASSAULTED: by the lies, misleadings, false prophecies, hypocrisy, blasphemy, and lack of love.
3. Third, most are adherents for the same that most cling to religion: they don’t truly know how to live as a FREE PEOPLE… and still serve God. Because they don’t have the Law (of love) WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS… BY CHRIST… they need to have others… who are no more righteous or “deserving” than they are (and, in many cases, are actually far less so!)… tell them what they should and/or should not do… think… say… be… pursue… give up… desire… like… hate… love. Because they are NOT being led by the HOLY SPIRIT that is Christ… they are led… by earthling man… not one of whom can save them from the very things they fear will occur.
4. Fourth… fear. They live in fear… on SO many levels… and think that by following what these “men” tell them, they will avoid the thing they fear MOST: death. Everlastingly so. So, you get all of these religious institutions that preach all manner of message of “everlasting life.” Yet, not one of these institutions… or those that lead them… can GIVE it. Only One can… and it was… and IS… upon these… ALL of them… to do nothing more than LEAD others to that One. Nothing more… nothing less.
But most of these don’t want that. Why? Because it requires faith… and they would rather walk by sight… than by faith. As one “sister” said to me (although her purpose was to persuade me BACK to the organization): “People don’t worship what they cannot see!” Which brings me to the final reason:
5. Because they lack faith, and so walk by SIGHT… and the WTBTS touts itself as the “VISIBLE representation of God on earth.”
I bid you the greatest of peace!
Your servant and a slave of Christ,
SA