Jehovah's witnesses and control, what are your thoughts ?

by recovering 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  recovering

  As I reflect on my life as a JW I remember how the religion attempts to control so many aspects of your life. I decided to make a list with examples of the mind numbing number of things that they feel they have the right to control in members lives.

  1 What and how much education its members are entitled to pursue.

  The witnesses look down on formal secondary education. You can have privileges and congregational status withheld from you if you choose to further your education. This is quite unique among Christian religions. Most Christian religions in fact have either started colleges or encouraged their members to become better educated. This is particularly evidenced by the requirement of formal higher education for the leaders of these religions i.e. clergy. My question to the JWs is why are they afraid of higher learning?

  2 The leaders of the witnesses want to control what medical treatments its members receive. It would seem to me that whether to receive a blood transfusion in order to save one's life is much more in line with the sanctity of life than a dogmatic tenant that was never endorsed by god in the scriptures( the bible never can be specifically quoted as saying do not take a blood transfusion)

  3 The leaders of the witnesses also try to exert control over who you can talk to even when it comes to family members. This cannot be considered a loving and normal relationship. If a family member does not agree with the tenants of the witnesses "you cannot associate" or hang out with them.

  4 Even the sexuality of witnesses is fodder for the control freaks, who head the witnesses. They attempt to regulate what are acceptable relations between a man and wife. They condemn masturbation. They rail against homosexuality. However, their beliefs allow pedophiles to be protected in their midst.

  These are just some examples of their attempts to control their members. Please comment on them and any other control issues that they have.
• 

  TimothyT

  Good post this one. Im currently studying this subject. I am a gay 23 JW and i will shortly be leaving the organisation. Here are my thoughts:

  1. My brother and I both went to university, encouraged by our dad who was at the time an elder! The elders werent happy at all. Im proud of the fact i went to uni and i generaly see myself and my brother as two of the brightest and most intellecutal young brothers in our congregation. The rest are just drones who just mindlessly go along with everything they hear. In my opinion THIS is the very reason why they seriously discourage university. It gave me the ability to question and to evaluate EVERYTHING. I remember one sister said to me that i need to be careful when i question the society and doing so shouldnt be done like an academic exercise. Unfortunately, i have questioned it and i see it has no foundation and thus should have no future in my life. Simply put - University teaches students how to question everything in their lives, something the WTS DONT want their followers to do.

  2. I know very little about blood and how it works, and i can see their stand on blood. It does appear to be valid. However, i bleieve that they should NEVER condemn a person who decides to take blood. If a JW chooses to do so, he must consider his consciense and his relationship with God. It is true though - this doctrine does give the WTS a measure of control over peoples lives.

  3. This one really aggravates me. I have seen families destroyed by this VERY odd, and in my opinion, very unchristian doctrine. How can some men tell you not to associate with your own family??? Its absurd. The simple reason like you said is that the moment you do, you are made to believe that you are compromising your relationship with God. In reality i believe its a simple technique to keep you safely within the organisations grasp. Unloving. I cant believe this happens too. People DO shun their family for the sake of an ideal.

  4. This one forms the very core of my issues with the WTS. One sister said to me the other day... "Im so glad discrimination doesnt happen here!" Unfortunately it does. I cant be who i am and be a JW. I appreciate Jehovahs regulations but unfortunately homosexuality is a fact and in many cases it cant be changed. Why bother trying to change it? In other areas of sexuality, i personaly feel its up to a couple how they express their love. It shouldnt be left up to a number of older men sitting in a room. Again, its surpirsing how many go along with it.
• 

  Band on the Run

  For me, their control is what is fundamentally wrong. Other groups have silly doctrines. An observer from another planet may very well find them beliefs silly. Control is their hallmark. It is not a religion but a cult. The oral sex ban highlights how far they drfit from Biblical teachings. They seem to wield control for control's sake.

  I don't feel as though I know everything from college. They are deathly afraid of college. It reveals much about junior high and high school. I had to hide being a candy striper, a teenager hospital volunteer. Similar groups live on compounds. I never thought the religion was about money b/c I never saw any. The KH was an embarassment. Most lived in poverty. I never saw private apts of the elite at Bethel. The tour was not impressive. Yet I longed to do typing there. Someone else could clean toilets. Now from being exposed to this site, I see money as the main motif.

  Why do Witnesses have to live at the poverty line? Anything that is self-empowering in any way is barred. I could not like my own music. Beatles, Stones, the WHO,Dylan were repeatedly confiscated. My mom let me go to college, not that I needed her approval. It was so hard I would not have stayed otherwise. Clothing, hair styles, aluminum pans, all was regulated.

  They only want followers, blind followers. Many people might fit in if they gave up a smidgeon of control. It is purposive on their point. HOw I'd love to have secret recordings of their conversations.
• 

  NVR2L8

  Recovering, you are 100% right! The control is established in a very subtle manner: WT direction will say that each one decides for himself but then they tell you what a mature Christian would do, how you will have to answer to God for your decision or they depict the negative conscequences for those who rely on their own wisdom. Humble people are whom God loves...by submitting to the WT you are showing true humility...

  One of the things that made me realize I was being controlled was when we received the WT folder depicting how JWs must dress to visit Bethels...the one that is posted on every KH buletin boards. Every detail including the type of shoes one should wear was discussed several times during Service Meetings. When you think about it, why would you have to dress in your meeting clothes to visit any other printing facilities, warehouses, garages and workshop? Would Bethel workers be stumbled if visitors came dressed in casual attire, similar to what they wear to work? Would the WT refuse access to non-JW visitors because they are not in their best attire? Surely not! But JWs are controllable...Bethel workers at our branch have to change into meeting clothes in order to eat at the cafeteria...so at lunch time a liftruck driver or mechanic has to go to his room, change in his meeting clothes, eat his lunch, got back and change into his work clothes, back to his meeting clothes for dinner...what do you call that if it is not control?
• 

  recovering

  I think that control over the masses is the sole purpose of many of the watchtower rules. I think if they can get you to remain uneducated, ignorant of other theories and beliefs, as well as socially isolated they have won the battle. Question everything , find your own truth. I wish I had come to this realazation sooner.
• 

  recovering

  any one else have any thoughts on the control factor of jws
• 

  prophecor

  Just the beard thing. NVR2L8 that issue over mealtime and work attire is frightening. There were times when I would be at an older sister's home, doing work for her. Painting, putting up ceiling fans or something of that nature. One of the brothers, who was her son in law would quietly counsel me over my not being in the same proximity of an unmarried sister without someone else present. DGIH, she was old enough to be my mother, for crying out loud!!! And what was the professionally paid service worker going to do if he was working on his own?

  Also as a teen, I was studying underneath an elder in the KH. I stopped by his house one day just to say hello. He wasn't there but his wife was. Later on he cautiuosly pulled me to the side and abruptly, though seemingly a little peeved, expressed to me in no uncertain terms that I should never darken his doorstep without his being present, as his reputation as a morally upstanding Witness in the community could be compromised by my being there when he was not at home. I was like a pin in abowling alley, knocked over. I was a sprite 14 y.o. kid. On a 3 speed bicycle, mind you. I couldn't quite understand the logic, but just accepted it. It left a bad taste in my mouth ever since, though.
• 

  nugget

  As a witness it is very improtant that the organisation controls you 24hrs a day.

  You are controled where you can go for information. Internet and university papers and journals are disparaged unless quoted from the publications. How the information is presented by the organiation is misleading to make you believe that all the research is done for you and you can read their books with confidence.

  You are taught to control your thoughts since god can read minds and hearts. He is also watching you all the time and when he isn't Satan is looking for a way into your mind.

  You are controled how you express yourself no individuality is acceptable. Dress, hair, what you do for a living are all filtered through what is acceptable to JWs. Children are taught not to be boastful or think too much of themselves to constantly bend to the wishes of the society. Others are more important than you.

  Bible stories book and Great teacher type books teach conformity and self deprecation laying the foundation for later conditioning. Very scary
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  any one else have any thoughts on the control factor of jws

  Yup.

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cult-Free-Radio/230771686936547?sk=app_196506863720166 is the general entry page for Cult Free Radio. Please go ahead and "Like" it.

  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14640675 discusses BITE control

  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14750602 discusses higher education

  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15027266 discusses how the organization takes over Kingdom Halls
• 

  recovering

  interesting. The examples you guys have demonstrated make a question come to mind. Why do they want to control members choices even when it has nothing to do with religion. i.e clothing choices, facial hair etc