Gawd! Outlaw, do you do standup comedy? I bet you would be great at it! ..........journey-on
Would Witnesses REALLY drink the "Kool-aid" if the faithful slave told them to? Yes or no?
by Witness 007 116 Replies latest jw experiences
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daniel-p
Some would drink the Kool-aid, for sure, but by and large most of them wouldn't. Despite the cultish aspects of the JWs, they still don't have quite that level of control over their members. I think the JWs that say they are loyal "to the death" are referring to situations where they would have to make a decision based on their "Bible-trained concsience" that would then put their life in danger, such as not accepting blood, or refusing to heil hitler, or whatever.
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steve2
There will always be crackpot individuals who will kill others and themselves in some delusional belief of heaven or paradise awaiting them. These individuals are no respecter of religions either. Fundamentalist evangelical Christians could also be included. I concede that the blood doctrine is evidence that JWs accept death for themselves or their children rather than accept a blood transfusion...although, when push comes to shove, I have heard that some JWs have quietly expressed relief when hospitals have applied to the courts and succeeded in having children transfused. Indeed, I've heard of cases in which adult JWs have (again quietly) allowed transfusions. You get a hard core of believers in almost any religion who will do anything to uphold its values, but usually a larger number who are not as devoted to folowing every single teaching.
Speaking of crazed devotion to upholding one's beliefs, dear old Abraham showed a scary-level of obedience to his Creator, being poised to kill his son. Whether in Scripture or real life, this kind of mindless obedience is repugnant.
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Mickey mouse
50%
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WalkTall
Mind control is so powerful and so dangerous. What else could make a mother walk right past her young adult crying disfellowshipped daughter without even a glance? I've seen it happen. What is stronger than that mother-child bond, but the WT manages to break it. That is the kind of thing that convinces me that there would be some, especially the older JW's, who would obey the Society no matter what they asked them to do.
I saw a documentary on Jonestown, and in it they interviewed Jim Jones, Jr, the adopted son of the cult leader. He was not at the commune on the day of the massacre so escaped death. When asked if he would have drank along with the others, he replied " Yes I would have. I drank the Kool-Aid long before it was served". I think that applies to many Witnesses as well.
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journey-on
What is stronger than that mother-child bond, but the WT manages to break it.
THAT SAYS IT ALL! Thank you. -
NeonMadman
I asked my ex one time whether she would drink poisoned kool-aid if the org told her to, and she said yes. I was horrified, and asked if she would also feed it to our (then) infant daughter. She thought better of it from that perspective, thank God.
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InOregon
After I was having doubts about the organization, I asked my elder dad:
InOregon: If the WTBS told you it was now time to take up guns and kill the wicked, would you?
Elder dad: They would never ask that.
InOregon: Let's pretend that they do. Would you?
Elder dad: Yes
I asked another elder/pioneer the same question and he also said Yes. That was when I knew for sure I had to run for the hills. People that I liked and respected would blindly do whatever they were asked. That was very hard to handle at the time.
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poor places
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? Many Witnesses would be disturbed that the religion they love went haywire, (I think I mean more haywire), but they wouldn't continue believing in it.
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AllTimeJeff
As currently constituted, most in Western countries would NOT.
Most in 3rd world countries, isolated from information, would be more likely.
I get that Jonestown is the touchstone for all discussions on cults, but let me just say that this will never happen with JW's. Yes, there is always the potential I guess. But the precise reason that Jonestown was so shocking was that it was so large and unprecedented, and largely unrepeated by a group that large.
7 million people aren't going to kill themselves at the behest of the GB. The GB is not ever going to ask or demand this. So while I appreciate the bottom line sentiment that JW's are a controlling cult, they aren't THAT kind of cult.