Jehovah's Witnesses Purposely Confuse Meanings of Words- to Control

by flipper 27 Replies latest jw friends

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  flipper

  It's well known that Jehovah's Witnesses are a mind control cult. Most would agree on that point. But have you noticed the clever ( allegedly ) way they try to blur meanings of words to control their rank and file members and any prospective incoming members ?

  Consider this : The definition of " generation " in the Reader's Digest Oxford dictionary is this , " The average time in which children are ready to take the place of their parents ( usually figured at about 30 years ) . " Yet in the WT societies publications constantly for many years they have pointed that the " generation " that saw 1914 would survive and live to see Armageddon ( God's war allegedly ) and that these same people would live and survive into a paradise earth ! This is false. 95 years has gone by since 1914 and if you do the math - it's a hell of a lot longer than 30 years ! So it has been a total controlling deceptive misuse of the word " generation ".

  Another word used is " worldy " . The same dictionary defines " worldly " as , " temporal or earthly , engrossed in temporal affairs , especially the pursuit of wealth and pleasure. " Most of us need to pursue wealth to survive. And who of us does not want to receive pleasure and be happy in life ? These are normal desires and human needs we have ! Yet Jehovah's Witnesses are made to feel dirty, guilty, or bad for pursuing these " normal " necessities of life ! They are considered evil for pursuing " worldly " things. It is given a definite " negative " meaning . The witnesses lump " worldly " in with immorality, drunkeness, lying, cheating, dishonesty and any other offense deemed by the WT society as being bad. So deceptively rank and file witnesses get the message - if you are " worldly " you are obviously evil and dissapproved by God.

  So are there other words you have observed that Jehovah's Witnesses twist and use improperly to try to control and deceive people ? Please feel free to add them here. Or what have you noticed in general about how Witnesses confuse people by words or other ways ? As always I look forward to your opinions ! Peace out to all, Mr. Flipper
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  jaguarbass

  confusing words to controll is a method all the controllers use.

  Realizing that we all end up in our own little world marching to our own drummer.
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  sammielee24

  It may not be in the same category but when I started studying with the society, one of the red flags for me was the language and how it was used as a sometimes subtle form of control and a slippery slope into the warm fuzzy world of the JW.

  I abhor the use of family terms that are used because it is very to me, and it was then as well, that this is a psychological means of slowly getting a person to switch off from biological family to spiritual family. The WTS is a closed organization and thus it's members call one another brother, sister and the organization is mother. Now - it's very simple to see where this goes. In the 'world' people refer to their blood family as mother, sister and brother and those words conjure up feelings of love, respect, loyalty and care. The words and the meaning behind them are as old as the hills.

  Now take those words and apply them to those inside. Gradually, the lines become muddied as the society gets the newcomer to start believing that the WT is mother and thus that is where you love and loyalty should lie. Ditto the term brother and sister for those on the inside.

  These actions do two things. By blurring the lines of real family and trading it in for your spiritual family - it becomes easier to transition your feelings and reliance on the spiritual instead of the blood. Thus when you are encouraged to forgo a relationship with your real mother, your real brother and sister - the society has already stepped in and made sure that the same message has been instilled by the use of the terms inside, thereby making you feel less alone, threatened or without your family.

  That was my first turn off. sammieswife.
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  Awakened at Gilead

  "Worldly" is generally a complement...

  While I was with my non-JW relatives and my mom, one of the relatives used the word "worldly" in a positive way... I pointed this out to my mom, and she was surprised at the use of the word.

  Apostate is also a loaded word. My non-JW aunt introduced me as an "apostate" to another relative, and he (a Catholic Minister) didn't flinch. My mom thought he would and was surprised when he didn't. She could see the use of words... good thread
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  sammielee24

  Worldly" is generally a complement...

  I'm not sure in what context you mean that. The first time I ever heard that word used was when I started to study with the Witnesses..and it's the only time I ever heard or hear the word use. Living in non JW land, we are just people... Now - since I'm aware of the society and the words it uses, the term worldly has only ever been used to invoke images of sluts, drunkards, thieves, drug addicts and any other demon, evil like character you wish to portray. My inlaws and family refer to me as 'in Satans world'..and 'we know what worldly ones are like'...and 'we know there is only one reason you would be with a worldly girl'...and 'we can't send you any mail because you live with a worldly person'...'how can you trust a worldly woman'......so you get the idea. It has never been a compliment and when 'in', I took great offense at the term because I found it slanderous to my entire 'worldly' family in trying to portray them as something they were not.

  I wouldn't introduce someone as apostate nor worldly to anyone outside the JW/exJW community because it means nothing to them. They are control words to keep people inside fearful of those on the outside...and to keep those inside believing that they are somehow special because they use 'special' words...sammieswife.
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  cameo-d

  What is "worldly" to a "worldly" person?

  I think a JW with a cell phone or a GPS in the car is worldly.

  I think a JW who is wearing the latest fad jewelry is worldly.

  I think a JW who has to have everything new (because worldly people leave their demons in things that are used)... is worldly.

  If a worldly person can see JWs as being worldly, i.e. caught up in the trappings of "everybody's got one I gotta have it, too"...

  then why can't JWs see that they themselves are truly worldly?

  If this world is so bad that JWs can't wait for all the worldly people to be killed off....then why do JWs support the things of this world that make it yucky? Why do they support McDonalds?

  If this world is so full of ruin and destruction...then why do JWs contribute to it?

  They contribute to the ruination of this world when they purchase products made by companies that are known major polluters, or products made by people who work for slave wages.

  I associate the word "worldly" as being related to a pretensious attitude and a shallowness that can only be satisfied by materialistic gains.

  Materialism and ego are things that I consider to be "of the world."
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  I quit!

  Spiritual is another word I think they have twisted. Witnesses refer to someone as spiritual if they go out in service a lot, attend all the meeting. They might refer to you as spiritual if you dress and wear your hair in a" theocratic manor". All physical activities (or works) that have nothing to do with being spiritual.
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  Spectre

  Spiritual is a word that got to me too.

  Some years after I had stopped going, I was taking a mandatory health class for college. The instructor mentioned that we need to keep ourselves healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. I rolled my eyes at the last one and he went on to define spirituality as being ok with what happens to you when you die. Believe whatever you want but just be comfortable and have resolved within yourself what may or may not happen when we die.

  I immediately thought, "If that is the case, I'm so much more spiritual now then when I thought it was about how much time you put in field service each month."
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  Witness 007

  I now love "worldly" people I want to be as worldly as possible.
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  slimboyfat

  This reminds me of a book I want to buy about the language Witnesses use, and the language used about them, if I ever see a cheap copy:

  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhetoric-Religious-Cults-Terms-Abuse/dp/1403942854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231494167&sr=1-1