Is it possible for an apostate to get reindoctrinated?

by foolsparadise 106 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  irondork

  N. Drew: Yes, fear is a powerful force. If someone believes he or she might get gehenna...

  I remember an elder talking about how the Kingdom Hall got full again after 9-11 and then thinned back out after Armageddon didn't show up. I know that I was pretty apprehensive when I left the organization, unsure if I was making the right decision, but running back to the hall like that?

  Letting my imagination wander… I am watching as these demonstrations go global and are beginning to heat up in some areas. What if they get worse? What if law enforcement loses containment? (not trying to start a new topic here) The thought occurred to me that some might start heading back to church. How pathetic.

  I am in a place now where I KNOW deep down, unequivocally that the WTS is not the savior of mankind it claims to be so even the onslaught of Armageddon itself could not chase me back into that building. But if I were the slightest bit unsure or even very unsure about that, how pathetic is it to go running back to a church at the last second?
• 

  sizemik

  Not really, because "apostates" technically never get "unindoctrinated" -- they just switch from one form of indoctrination to another. . . . Teary Oberon

  Spoken by someone who has absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

  There seems to be a common belief among current JW's that "apostates" still believe, and are scared and angry about being killed by their mass-murdering God at armageddon. This seems to be reflected in the statement above.

  Nothing could be further from the truth and is childlike in it's naivety. It's merely an extension of their own indoctrination and is quite amusing to me now . . . laughable even.

  The summary above (wobble) says it plainly enough . . . and doesn't require repeating.

  It's absolutely impossible for someone who uncovers the deception to become "re-indoctrinated" IMO . . . unless they've remained indoctrinated all along.
• 

  Aussie Oz

  No

  what has been seen cannot be unseen.

  maybe to go back for many reasons but i doubt 're-belief' would be among them.

  oz
• 

  NeonMadman

  Once you've seen the man behind the curtain, it's pretty hard to go back to believing in the great and powerful Wizard of Oz.
• 

  MrMonroe

  Sadly, yes. Need I mention .... Andre?
• 

  Mary
• 

  blondie

  I have known of some who disassociated and gone back, 2 on this board. I don't think they became believers again but went back for family reasons. I believe that many jws are not indoctrinated but have seen the light but are trapped.
• 

  Alfred

  Of course it's possible!!! ... For example, if he falls down a flight of stairs and wakes up in the hospital with amnesia and a Jehovah Witness patient sharing the hospital room with him shoves a Witchtower rag in his face, he could easily get reindoctrinated. Anything is possible with jehovah.
• 

  agent zero

  i dont think so. as is already expressed by many here, i think that once you've seen behind the curtain so to speak, you cannot unsee what you've seen.

  i also agree with Sizemik, that perhaps ones who seemed like they're mentally free would return to full belief, if they remained indoctrinated all along. for instance, i had a sort of "first wave" of "apostate" research, which happened mostly because i was just curious about what was being said on the dark side, and i thought that i'd have no trouble distinguishing truth from lies. after a short while of being interested in that, i concluded that all the experiences i was reading sounded like upset, offended individuals who had beef with local elders or overseers, and i decided that was their personal perogative but didn't debunk the veracity of the whole religion. after that i had my period of the strongest belief! it was a few years later, under different circumstances and for different reasons, that i started to investigate again, this time about many more subjects, which led me to truely see the organization for what it is. now i could never believe in it again.
• 

  leavingwt

  In my limited experience since 2008, I've discovered that a significant percentage of those who are 'no longer Jehovah's Witnesses' have never taken the time to deconstruct their cult experience. As a result, many of them suffer from numerous irrational fears, as a result of cult indoctrination. As such, some of them could very well go running back to mother. Many others will never go back, yet they live in fear of dying at Armageddon, or periodically question whether or not it's "really the Truth, after all".

  Release the bonds. May you never fear the pursuit of truth.