by God_Delusion 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I found this letter on Dave Reekie's blog and asked him if I could write a piece about it. I am glad that he accepted.
It's so rare to find a real, authentic handwritten letter from a Jehovah's Witness parent to their disfellowshipped child, so we hope you can read it and show it to any apologists that claim the Watchtower Society doesn't condone shunning.
You can read the article here.
Warm regards,
Jaymes
Hi God_Delusion, Thanks for posting the letter on JWN. I feel sorry for the mother and son, because both are being victimized by the WTBTS. The letter is dated March 27, 2012, so I wonder if the WTBTS promoting more shunning of relatives and close friends to JWs influenced the mother that wrote the letter.
I have a former JW friend who was trying to maintain communication with her son. I hope that my former JW friend's love for her son is able to keep her cult persona under control.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert
It should have been signed....."your conditionally loving mother"
That is just so sad.
LITS
Sad. But volitional, right? She repeatedly asserts she is making her own decision, that it is painful, that it is the least bad one available to her.
Which is to say: she doesn't seem brainwashed to me. What do we make of that?
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." [Hamlet, Act III, Scene 2] Two sentences from the letter stand out:
This letter is being written by me with no outside coercion or influence because there are things I want to say to you.
I must emphasise that what I am about to say to you is not influenced by any other living person, but is purely directed by my conscience and a desire to regain my peaceful friendship with God.
Not once, but twice she insists that there is no outside influence. This is not the first time I have seen such words in letters from JWs to the DA'd, DF'd or non-believers. Can any (former) elders confirm or deny that this language is suggested by the organization, and whether in writing or passed down orally?
The phrases "directed by my conscience" and "regain ... friendship with God" say much about the situation. Who directed the formation of the conscience, that now directs her? Who taught her that tearing normal family relationships asunder is necessary to be "friends with God?" The answer to both questions is, of course, the Watchtower leaders. They are not the sort to dine with tax collectors and sinners--after all, it would bring such reproach on the organization if their religion should accept those souls in most need the Lord's mercy!
But, GL Tirebiter, couldn't we also read this to mean exactly what it says? I mean, the woman is an adult who, I presume, is a functioning member of society. The Wt has certainly suggested these attitudes, but this woman insists she is making her own decision. We both agree this is a bad thing she has done: how would you allocate blame?
In my book, I have her 95% responsible and the Wt 5% responsible. What's your take?
She may be making her own decision, but decisions are based on information, both good and bad.
You don't have informed choice when people don't have all information in hands, or, as is the case here, where they've been deliberately fed misleading information.
People tend to overlook the power of manipulators. To think that the manipulated person is making anything close to a choice doesn't reflect what I've read in other manipulation cases (ex apocalyptic cult members, for example the ones that escaped collective "suicide" due to a fluke).
Edit: functionning member of society? A JW, really? I was one, and wasn't, nor was anybody I knew. Nobody contributed anything meaningful to society, worse some people with highly qualified jobs dropped out and did menial jobs sprinkled with social security benefits.
I really hate saying anything that seems like defending the Wt. But.
People are not really "fed" this information, misleading as it is. It is offered as a proposal and they accept it. There are genine costs, once you're in, no doubt. But I wonder if it really rises to the level of real manipulation.
And by "functioning," I mean she pays her rent and stays out of jail. It is, I confess, a low bar.
