Would Witnesses REALLY drink the "Kool-aid" if the faithful slave told them to? Yes or no? (page 11)

ziddina

Crap...

They've drunk it - swallowed it - so far, haven't they???

Zid smiley drinking

ziddina

(After reading quite a few of the responses - am on page #3...)

Poor Places said, "Be realistic, guys. Very few Witnesses would literally drink the Kool-Aid. A lot of the Witnesses I know aren't even dedicated enough to go out in service regularly. You're telling me they're going to commit suicide? ..."

Ah, but who says that the WTBTS would actually TELL the rank&file Jehovah's Witless that they were being given poison??? Look at the WTBTS' track record; the leaders MUST KNOW of many of the blatant flaws in their reasoning, yet they maintain that "Everything is fine; we know what's best for you; don't think for yourselves; believe EVERYTHING we tell you..." facade...

If such a situation arose, I suspect that one crucial deciding factor would be whether or not the SOCIETY'S LEADERS would honestly and accurately inform the rank&file Jehovah's Witnesses about what they [Guv.Bod] were asking them to do...

Based on their previous track record?? The Guv.Bod would LIE thru their TEETH, which would make a "mass suicide" scenario much more likely...

Zid smiley drinking

Deputy Dog

I don't know about drinking "Kool-aid", but the blood issue and no vaccines have already killed far more over the years then Jonestown. By at least a factor of 10X

life is to short

After spending my whole life as a JW with a die hard husband, I totally think the ones I know would drink it without question.

Scully

Regarding Stan Milgram's obedience studies: he actually did a similar study where it clearly demonstrated that the more education the test subject had, the more likely they were to question the authority of the researcher when faced with an instruction that would clearly cause harm to another person. The more educated subjects viewed the researcher as a peer rather than an authority figure, and tended to rely on their own expertise and refused to inflict harm on the individual connected to the shock machine.

I think this is one of the reasons why the WTS hates higher education so much - because educated individuals are more likely to disregard orders when faced with an ethical or moral dilemma that their critical thinking skills determine to be harmful or just plain wrong.

I posted about this follow up study a while back: Study Finds Education Enhances Personal Conscience & Diminishes Obedience

cyberjesus

watch this video and post back. Did any of the people there thought they were gonna die? Why did they go there? What were their plans..... they didnt even think of a paradise or coming back to life. In a moment of confusion and panic look at what all they did.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1984081816666746895#

inbetween

Most witnesses would probably not follow the FDS. Why ?

Well, it was often compared to the blood issue. But there is a difference: With blood, the information given to Witnesses is mostly taylored so they believe, there is always an alternative to a blood transfusion, and that this alternative method is always better anyway.

So obeying not to get blood, is not really endangering the life, but its even beneficial health-wise.

Once I heard from a brother on the HLC, that there are situations, when only blood can save life, it was for me part of the awakening.

I think, in western world, where even people with low education, have at least some education and critical thinking,most JW would not follow blindly in order to become suicidal. Of course, a few percentage of crazy ones are to be found anywhere, also among JW (maybe a little bit more then elsewhere)

Additionally this is highly fictional anyway, since the WTS is like any corporation, it tries to survive. A situation like jim Jones would kill it off, literally, they would never do that.

Rather I see in a few decades JW becoming more and more mainstream, maybe before that they tighten up, and then with a newer generation and more people they become more like Cathlics or any other religion....

ziddina

"Rather I see in a few decades JW becoming more and more mainstream, maybe before that they tighten up, and then with a newer generation and more people they become more like Cathlics or any other religion...."

Man, I hate to disappoint you, but during the 1960's an author by the name of William J. Whalen made the same prediction about the Watchtower Society, in his book "Armageddon Around the Corner"...

He postulated that, when the predicted "Armageddon" DIDN'T come in 1975 as the Watchtower Society was predicting, that the Guv.Bod would claim that "Armageddon" came invisibly, and that the Borganization would then go on to become more "mainstream"...

Boy, was he wrong...

Zid

teel

If presented gradually it is entirely possible many would drink it. I know for sure my wife would, if it's presented to her in an acceptable way. She already told me if the WTS asks her to move somewhere she wouldn't hesitate to go without questioning the reason why - these are her exact words. This was Jim Jones' first step. If she would do that, the drinking of poison is not very far either.

Fortunately the GB likes their position as demi-gods too much to kill off their servants, so I don't see this as a real possibility.

blondie

Though it is from the bible, I have always felt this applied to many if not most jws: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful in what is much.

Despite what jws might SAY, it is not always an indicator of what they DO. I think of all the jws I have known and seen who have not obeyed the WTS lesser "suggestions" finding ways to get around it. I find it unlikely they will "follow" or "obey" greater "suggestions."

I seem to remember that the people at Jonestown and Heavens Gate, knew that they were ending their lives or being forced to end their lives. No deception. Now I do believe the people in Jonestown only knew this after they reached Guyana when they were trapped, unable to leave, with no communication with the outside...they were dead as a group at that point whether it was voluntarily or execution.

While some say that the WTS is not a suicide cult, 2 suicide cults were used in comparison to initiate this thread.

http://www.guyana.org/features/jonestown.html

Previous post (w/emphasis)

A "spiritual leader" tells his followers the must put on Rebok running shoes and "drink the Cool-aid" to join a UFO in the tail of a comet and "go to a better world" so, afew dozen young people do just that to get "beamed up" to the mothership. HEAVENS GATE CULT 1990's.

My Mother says "she is faithful to the Organisation till her death" which makes me wonder if they ordered a mass suicide like the Reverend Jim Jones did to escape a "great Tribulation"....how many Witnesses would really drink the Cool-aid?... without a gun pointed at their head of course!

Would Witnesses REALLY drink the "Kool-aid" if the faithful slave told them to? Yes or no?

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