by Momma-Tossed-Me 12 Replies latest jw friends
On a previous thread a non-JW made the linked the JW's to cult status excluding the Mormons.
Can we as a group add JW's to this Mormon-Cult controversy to get some mileage out it?
Surely there are some on this board with some media contacts that could do the trick.
Make some correlation between the two comparing the relative similarities of the two.
MTM
Well, jws don't wear special underwear.
They also don't believe they will be gods ruling their own universe.
The problem with this is that most people have no idea what jws believe or even mormons...and would mean teaching them that.
Mormons are patriotic, salute the flag, join the military.
As far as not believing in the trinity, it is a technicality with mormons, they do believe that Jesus is Jehovah or God, thus they believe in a Bi-inity.
Both are freaky-weird. Go onto the ex-mormon boards for a bit, it sounds like this board, just with its own language.
As far as running a corporation, I think the Mormons actually win. They have tithing, and are worth billions.
The two are apples and oranges, but both are in the same fruit basket.
Momma, that idea is a great PR strategy. Follow and connect similar news stories to get coverage of yours.
Especially since the decorated General Eisenhower was, reportedly, effectively raised around Jehovah's Witnesses, Bible Students, as both of his parents were associates of Russell and his mother died claiming to be associated with the Watch Tower organization and is said to have had a 'Witness' funeral, where Eisenhower spoke of his mom. (At least as accounts indicate) His home was used for meetings of the Bible Students while he was a child and growing up. Some may dispute the accuracy of some of the details, but there is such overwhelmig evidence that it was mostly the case.
Eisenhower himself did not get baptized in any church until a few days, maybe weeks, after his innaguration as president. He, a republican, served two terms as President of the United States and was previously the first ever Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces, won the war in Europe, and was eventually succeeded by a democrat, John F. Kennedy.
A VERY VERY easy connect for journalists, from cults, religion, success as a President of the United States. (With the Republican nomination issues this past week, and their conservative conference.)
Eisenhower's Watch Tower involvement did come up during his campaign, but having been a hero during World War II helped overcome that, along with his brothers' hard work to distance themselves from that past. They too had a difficulty in business and public life due to it.
Interestingly to note though, this was all in part connected with the Watch Tower's teachings and harsh stance against vaccines that made it a topic for conversation or debate. Sounds cult-ish, does it not?
I've been searching for an old thread that listed parallels between ex-Mormons and ex-JWs and how they're treated but I can't find it. It was concise and accurate, IIRC.
I can tell you that I find lots in common with articles written by ex-Mormons and ex-Mormon videos on Youtube. But I have to say, their beliefs are weirder than the WTS's.
Many people seem to believe that JWs are just your garde variety protestants who like to knock on doors. That's one of the reasons they get so many things wrong about JWs when they appear as characters on TV. Some are sympathetic for this reason and get annoyed when we post criticisms about JWs.
You'd have educate people about their beliefs and especially their culture before selling them on the cult idea, I think.
Eisenhower isn't a very "hot" president now. Most people see his term as one of stagnation and old values. I believe some historians are re-evaluating his presidency. He sought out strongly agains the military industrial complex. Truman was no good when I was growing up. A lousy president, akin to Jimmy Carter. Now he is considered in a very different light.
Romney is going to be getting it from the evangelicals. People would soon know what the Mormon church believes and the crazier stuff will come to light. If I were a journalist, I'd see linkage as a play. Letters to the editors with concern about cults in general, triggered by concerns of a Mormon president, may get published.
On the surface of things, Mormons are so much more respectable and successful. It is only b/c of Big Love and my wikipedia searches that I feel concern about a Mormon being president. I don't like my fear but it is very real. My answer to myself is the power elite determines what is crazy and what is good faith. Besides doctrine, I would focus on cult behavior in mind control.
O
I like to think of JW's as third place in the big 3 cults of the United States (and maybe the world).
There are many many cults, but the big 3 have all the clear signs of a cult.
Mormons definitely lead the pack. Here's Steve Hassan's BITE method to determine a cult applied to Mormonism: http://freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/mormon/bite-mormonism/
Mormonism is definitey more bizarre than JW's, yet they have managed to pretty much mainstream their beliefs as far as many outsiders are concerned. That's probably because they serve in the military and encourage education- stuff that Blondie mentioned already. They are also much larger than JW's. Their whackiness and huge membership makes them Number 1.
Scientology is Number 2. Even though they are not as big as JW's, they lead JW's in the big 3 because they are totally totally bizarre and are generally recognized as a full-blown cult. They don't beat out the Mormons in my opinion because of their size.
JW's are not anywhere as big as the Mormons nor as bizarre as either the Mormons or Scientology. They have not been able to acheive mainstream status nor are people sure they are a cult. They are just as unknown to the public as Adventists or the people of Lichtenstein. That makes them Number 3.
If ever there were some success in ridding the USA and the world of cults, it would be an effort started with the much smaller ones out there , especially the ones that include sex with the leader and sex with minors.
Both Mormons and JWs follow the BITE model of mind control. Steve Hassan's website has an ex-Mormon who filled it out. The life stories of both JWs and Mormons will be vey similar - at least that is what I've heard from exiting cult psychologists.
I watched Fox News last night. They were talking about Mitt Romney being a Mormon, and how "WE" need to look beyond religion. They had experts - but all were political science experts - discussing whether or not Mormons were a cult. They said it was a mainstream religion. Fox did not have Steve Hassan on the program. Funny, Fox News is quick to have Steve Hassan opine on other cults and issues.
Fox did have Ann Coulter, who got a little into the wierd Mormon beliefs. She said that Mormons believe that the Indians were brown becuase of Satan. I thought this was similar to the JWs, who once said black people would turn white in Paradise (i.e. to a perfect state). L. So, I am a fan of Ann Coultier for a night. But, doesn't she look like the female band member in the Muppets?
If Romney is the GOP nominee, then the media will bring out all the wierd Mormon beliefs. Obama will win easily, if Romney is the GOP nominee
Skeeter
I don't beleive there are any JWs running for president, so I'm not sure exactly how that would work....
