I very much appreciate all the posts and hope to get some more. There are some things I need to mention.
First, I chose the title as a way to provoke people to post. I read JW Facts's page months ago, and used his own title in my post. Maybe my choice of words was not the best one. With all due respect to most of you, who either were or still are witnesses, I also believe that the WTBTS is telling people a bunch of dangerous lies that may eventually result, as Leavingwt said, in their bleeding to death over something that not only is unbiblical but is also a lie. I have read a lot about all the pain and the suffering that result from these beliefs.
My question, perhaps, was how to measure whether someone is ready to hear what he or she should hear, or not. I have particular interest in one witness. I know she has suffered a lot in the religion. A friend and I agree that she would personally be better off if she were to stop believing all the lies. But, being a third generation witness, all of her family and friends are in. This means grandmother, parents, siblings, children, grandchildren. Would it be a good thing to expose the Watchtower in her particular case? I have read Steven Hassan's Combatting Cult Mind Control and am aware that you just can't remove a set of beliefs and leave people with a void. And, I know that shunning is a real painful thing, one I have never had to endure because my group of people don't do that. It's not only her, here. What about this woman's grandchildren? What about the children, who would not see their mom anymore? I feel like I don't have to think of one person only, but many.
Yet, when I think that all it takes is a car accident for these people to bleed to death, I feel like I need to speak up, the sooner the better.
At the moment, it escapes me who mentioned the example of the East German woman who didn't physically flee, and her reasons not to flee. That post I find very helpful, and I can really relate to it because I knew those societies because of my work. I'm absolutely sure that George Orwell's 1984 very well describes the witnesses. Maybe she needs to be mentally free, even if she physically can't do it. Perhaps it would snowball into other members of the family leaving, too. I can't know. And, since I am not a witness, I can't really determine who is a deeply in and who is not.
I will very much appreciate any more posts. Maybe I won't be able to help her, but I might help other people. I think I already helped a relative out. This man was studying with the witnesses and was shocked to hear much of what I had to say.
Thank you very much for any further thoughts.
