What Draws People To The Witnesses? What Keeps Some Far Away??

by minimus 24 Replies latest jw friends

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  ziddina

  "Weak" is not a nice word. I prefer vulnerable. ...." Amelia Ashton

  [Sorry guys... Raising the question of gender inequality here...]

  I've long wondered why there was such a disproportionately high number of females in a religion/sect/cult that denigrates women....

  When I grew up and began reading psychology-themed books, I realized that women are taught from birth that they are "inferior", in most cultures - yes, even in the "Western" world - at least, the vast majority of the United States...

  In my opinion, creating an imbalance in a person's self-esteem - making them feel 'worthless' based on their gender, pre-disposes them to be vulnerable to psychological exploitation...

  Not to mention the physical effects of such a skewed-value-based belief system - unwed mothers burdened with FULL responsibility for the cost of raising their offspring while the fathers are 'winked' at and told to sow their "wild oats..." And the women are inhibited from convenient, effective birth-control methods, at the same time... Women relegated to comprise the vast majority of the "service" industries - like WalMart minimum-wage bottom-level workers...

  All of this generates "weakness" in a person's life, making them vulnerable to Watchtower fairy tales and empty promises... "It'll be better soon - just listen to US and ALL of your problems will be solved..."
• 

  blindnomore
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  flipper

  What draws people to the Witnesses ? Mind control, fear, manipulation tactics used in a POSITIVE way by the WT society giving false promises of JW's never dying , getting old, or getting sick in a Paradise earth.

  What keeps some far away ? Having an independent, critical thinking mind which is open to examining everything before making ANY committment to the JW organization. And it helps that the WT society's teachings are so weird and restrictive- it turns off a lot of people
• 

  Retrovirus

  My own experience. . .

  I was drawn to the Witnesses by my ex-SIL, who was baptised soon after her marriage. I'm a bit of a nerd and need to work on friendships, so tried my utmost to keep in touch with her.

  She in turn sicced the local jws onto me and I "studied" with them for several months. They also seemed to be very nice people, just with a bit of a blind spot concerning the wacky doctrines.

  What (apart from said doctrines) kept me away? The repeated attempts to control and to find and exploit a weak spot. In the end, what sort of friend makes the relationship dependant on calling God "Jehovah"?

  Retro
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  Jack C.

  Fact is that many people are attracted to high control religions because they are uncomfortable with their particular view of reality and need someone "more knowledgeable" (sic) and experienced in these matters to guide them through their turmoil. Others are comfortable with their own powers of discernment and their own ability to make decisions for themselves they can trust. Some people are just more progressed in their understanding of the personal freedom that we all really have. Some people just naturally grow up faster than others.