PRIVACY doesn't exist (inside Jehovah's organization)

by Terry 23 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Mary
    Mary
    Terry said: I know that the military deliberately breaks down recruits' sense of privacy as a tool for dominating their consciousness and gaining the ability to control them with immediate positive response to command without "thinking" about it as a personal decision. Are you saying this is a conscious tactic on the part of the Watchtower Corporation? Or, is it just a kind of eventual status that a JW is worn into through constant counsel?

    I'd have to say they use both tactics and it is very much like the army. The army wants soldiers to blindly obey orders from their superiors without question. Questioning or disobeying these order can result in severe punishment no matter how trivial the infraction. The Organization is not much different. They want the R&F to blindly accept orders and 'suggestions' from their superiors without question. To disobey anything that the 'Slave' class says can result in severe punishment no matter how trivial the infraction. And to make sure they keep you under their thumb, their counsel is provided repeatedly through several meetings per week, through their literature which you are expected to read the second you get it, through ASSemblies, through 'private study', through 'family studies', recreationally, and through going out in Field Serve-Us on a regular basis. When you factor in the fact that most Witnesses are not well educated, have a long habit of taking orders and are are strongly discouraged from any sort of 'independent thinking', then the simplest things (such as what sort of movie you should watch or if you are into oral sex with your husband/wife) all becomes public property (through either official punishment or sheer gossip Wednesday mornings with all the sisters out in Service).

    You're right Terry---there is no privacy in this cult, other than perhaps what brand of mascara you want to buy. Me? I'm partial to Loreal myself.

  • truthlover
    truthlover

    I agree with SD7 -- if you don't want your life public, stay as private as you can -without it bothering your conscience - after all its mine, not theirs.. I know they take the scripture - to keep your eye on each other - not quite that -- but its like everyone has the right to either tell you what to do, or report you if you get out of line, or argue with you -- me I would not stand for any of that stuff...

    Zid said its Rutherford's fault - I agree -- he did not want his life made public according to all the bad press he would have received..now today, we have letters and eye witness testimonies who saw him for what he really was.. its so sad the society wont come clean.. the two dvd's do not go into the early days of the org other than how they won legals fights.

    Usually, the person who thinks these restrictive guidelines up is going through the same things in their lives and feel restrictions apply to everyone cause they cant trust themselves.. such was Rutherfords mind.. as a lawyer-he would try to outthink and outwit those "beneath" him...

    how prideful he was!! It goes before a fall! Still waiting....

  • mummatron
    mummatron

    I agree!

    A couple of examples of the lack of privacy from my own experience...

    As a teen I had headphones pulled off my ears by an elderly MS to check for that "evil rap music" on my Walkman. When none was identified playing, I then had all the cassettes on my person checked and scrutinised. Fortunately I had a younger reg pio stck up for me and tell him there was nothing questionable but it was pretty humiliating.

    Also had an elder asking questions of my mother as he'd seen me walking down a street with a boy *shock horror*. Obviously I wasn't doing anything wrong as I was outside walking in full public view. I was 17 and not baptized at the time, so it was really none of anyone's business.

    With frequently being made to feel guilty and unworthy of anyone's trust as I was constantly under suspicion of wrongdoing for just going about my daily business, it's no wonder I felt I had to get out as soon as I could!

  • Medina
    Medina

    Yes Indeed Privacy is a lost cause for the WT Member. I once was a good friend of another bethelite who joined our Congregation. He loved Kite Surfing and Wakeboarding. I remember him in freestyle clothing and with his board under his arm going out of Bethels main entrance. They seem not to like this, this freestyle boardfreak to go out through the main entrance the boy was counciled and after that conversation we could only go out of the backdoor so we did not distrurb things!

    This boy was also the best friend in the Congo I had and he started shunning me after I had some 'apostate discussion' with him. At first I was still going to the meetings because I liked him so much, but then he started shunning me and there was no reason to go the the Congo anymore...

    There we're a few occassion where I was forced by my Mother to go into the backdoor for council on: ''apostate views'' ''congregation visits'' ''wordly girlfriend'' ''drunken on wordly party''... All that in like, 2 months. All these councils really annoyed me. I didnt had the subtle ways to fade anyway, I wanted to start my own life and stop living the dream. If it was not for these councils maybe I was still going, to please my parents, but the arrogance of the elders who are just plain arrogant about any matter, thinking only they are right just broke me up.

    Now the WT is obsessed with power instead of love. They seem to want to know everything about you, like an Orwellian State. If there is only a rumour about anything that could be wordt a JC you will be counciled and asked what this rumour was and if it was true. The WT controls every bit of information and therefor all knowledge and power.

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