Yes I agree Shirley Sadly I agree
Why are Witnesses so effective?
by Apognophos 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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kurtbethel
If you consider nearly 7000 hours of preaching to get a single dip (which is likely from ones own family) to be "effective", then your dictionary is widely different from mine, and Webster's.
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Tater-T
@kurtbethel ..that was my next point... look up effective in the dictionary please
They are ineffective at getting people in and keeping people in..
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problemaddict
I think it has to do with how the rganization picks its ememies. Harping over and over on low hanging fruit. The Catholic church and its political and commercial ties is low hanging fruit. I personally feel the trinity is low hanging fruit as are some other now maybe more antiquated teachings such as hellfire. They stand out in that sense, and are generally pretty nice people.
More than any of that, they offer stable COMMUNITY. People underestimate the need for community int heir lives. work, friends, school etc...are all communities to take from and give to. The JW's are a close knit community, and as long as you fall in very strict line, you are rewarded by the community for being part of it (with exceptions of course).
So i think that is how they pick off the loners. :)
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DesirousOfChange
What I have gathered is that most witnesses seem to be in it for emotional reasons. When presented logical irrefutible evidence of the Watchtower's dishonesty and hypocrisy, no matter how persuasive the argument, it does nothing. Thats why it takes an emotional ass kicking to start waking up.
Emery, I think you're onto something here! Most people here admit that it was some kind of attack against them personally that was the final straw. We can overlook all the flip-flops, failed prophecy, lies, and propaganda until we're smacked in the face personally by some &$$hole and that wakes us up about the "love".
Doc
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Londo111
How do you cook BBQ? Low and slow. How do you boil a live frog? You don’t put them in hot water…they would jump out. Rather, you put them in cool water and gradually turn up the heat.
The “Bible” study is a low and slow indoctrination process. People don’t just join…in fact, they can’t. They have to be processed. The study takes six months to a year—sometimes longer. Sometimes a second publication is introduced after the initial one. During that time, softball, “outsider” teaching are introduced first, and then week after week, it lays the foundation for “insider” teachings when they are “ready”.
Information control is a huge factor into this. The only information that is allowed the person from then on is cult-approved. The people who do not do their due diligence will be the ones who fall prey.
As part of this, they prep people that there will be resistance from friends and family. “Satan” will stop them from trying to study. And sure enough, friend and family try to warn them. Thus seeing this fulfillment in their lives, they may close their ears to critical information at an early stage. The people studying with them, after all, seem nice, well-meaning people.
At some point, a person is invites to attend meetings. Thus as pointed out, the love bombing begins. Then perhaps they are invited to tag along door-to-door. Even if they don’t believe everything at this point, because they start behaving like a Witness, their thoughts and emotions start aligning to match their behavior. Eventually it becomes a habit.
Warnings about “bad association” and a growing gulf in thinking and practice gradually starts to cause them to diverge from their non-JW friends and family. Thus, they lean on the people who are giving them all sorts of attention at the Kingdom Hall.
The method doesn’t work on everyone. Most studies do not make “progress”. Most get off the bus at some point in time. But the few that remain are very indoctrinated.
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wasblind
Most get off the bus at some point in time_______Londo111
I jumped off the bus while it was still rollin' , hittin' the ground knock me back to my senses
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sd-7
And yet we believed, at one time, and some of us loved our beliefs!
I did indeed love the beliefs, but it wasn't like there was a better option, what with not wanting to get a beating and all.
Are confident in their message.
Of course. But confidence is a trait exuded by many salesmen, because they want you to buy what they're selling. No, JWs weren't selling anything tangible, but they were selling something--you just paid with your time more than your money.
Are clean-cut and seem to have their lives together.
If you've just met these people, you have no idea if they have their lives together. (And if you haven't just met them, you know that just ain't so. Half of 'em are horribly depressed, undereducated, underemployed, and so on.) They're also not the only clean-cut people on the face of the earth. Other people have neat haircuts and are clean-shaven, too.
they're taught to be humble and approachable, so they don't hold their "superior" Bible knowledge over others' heads and are eager to share it.
Wow. Perhaps you should read more of the Study Edition. They're programmed with a belief that they are absolutely superior in every way by virtue of being a JW. They're eager to share it because of cognitive dissonance. The more voices are drowning out their own questions, the better they feel and the more likely they are to keep believing it all.
Have literature
That's just a slick sales brochure, don't be fooled by it. Bible verses are presented in isolation and your mind is subtly prepared to accept their teachings without critical analysis.
Also, in conclusion, they're not that effective. I mean, Mormons outdo them numerically by virtue of simply having sex. All things considered, pass me them golden plates, Moroni! I've got some writing to do!
--sd-7
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sd-7
Fact-checker: You're wrong, sd-7--Mormons recruit too. Oh. Thanks. You're right. YOU [BLANK]ING DOORMAT!!!
--sd-7
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Aussie Oz
I am a born-in who's just trying to get into the mind of a person who converted, to understand what makes the JW message appealing.
Can't you just siddle up to a convert at the next meeting and just ask them?
Oz