by cultBgone 43 Replies latest jw friends
Good analysis, Island Man. The demographic has narrowed and shifted a bit.
I'm thinking of some of the things I grew up with.
We grew up under a cloud of doom. People are easy prey in those circumstances regardless of whether they're religious or not.
Emeth -- I can only assume that you are a well-meaning new convert to the jw organization. After twenty years inside and most of a lifetime aware of the jws, I can honestly tell you:
jws are taught the same mind-controlling doctrines the world over, that is true, although not everyone believes everything they read
They do all act the same in that:
They have only conditional love for others, not the unconditional love shown and taught by Jesus...can you honestly imagine Jesus telling a mother to shun her child? Wouldn't happen, ever...even the prodigal son's father was not told to shun him, was he? But he ran out to meet him with total love. So why are jw parents and family not only encouraged, but demanded to shun their own children and family members?
They blindly accept that doctrines which change every few years are proof of god's holy spirit rather than seeing that power-hungry men are manufacturing nonsensical doctrines which have nothing to do with biblical teachings. They have individually lost their ability to THINK and REASON.
They accept the cover-ups of child molestation in congregations while pointing their fingers at other churches doing the same thing..believe that's called Projection by mental health professionals and it's a method of getting the focus off of your problems and putting it on others instead...but the jws have for decades allowed known child molesters to have open access to the small children and teens in their congregations without penalty. Can you imagine how you would feel if it was your little sister or brother? I am speaking truth here as it happened in my family and also to several friends...the children and families suffered greatly but the molesters were protected by the elders and continued to associate freely in congregations.
They help each other when it's good for publicity...but ask how many older and infirm ones are unable to get someone to pick them up for meetings and take them home again, or how many cannot get a ride to the doctor's office because jws are too busy getting in their "preaching" hours and just really don't want to be bothered...and they treat helping non-jws as good ONLY when that person might become a bible study, but bad if it's anyone else cause they're omg "worldly" (where's the love?)
As for everyone being equal...not true in so many ways...many of us have seen adultery go unpunished even when it was widely known in the congregation, and why? Because those involved were family members of elders. Yet others have been disfellowshipped for committing no sin, but merely asking questions. Also, do you get all your housing and meals paid for by people attending meetings? do you get your travel and vacations paid for by people attending meetings? do you get free medical care paid for by people attending meetings? Unless you can say yes to these questions, you are certainly not "equal".
Not sure what you mean by "they give you their stuff and time for free"...they only help those who are new to the organization, once you're in you can forget getting assistance, for the most part...unless your family contains elders.
They are extremely organized only because that's how you extremely control people.
They may be honest for the most part as far as stealing goes, but ask yourself why there are announcements at every convention and assembly to NOT leave your personal belongings unattended? And honesty in business dealings opens a whole other can of worms...and there are even stories on this site of those who've been defrauded and financially harmed by other jws.
You paint a pretty picture but it is not reality. I sincerely hope that you have your eyes opened soon, Emeth. You'll live better if you do. Best wishes to you.
Two of the newbies in my hall, joined one because his family is in and he retired, so with no friends from work and no work he could get insta friends. The other wanted to have a life and party so he left his jw wife and kids, didn't like it so went back and has fained and interest to get his family back.
I'd like to add one several other points to cultBgone's excellent post: the racism, sexism and homophobia that are part and parcel of Witness culture. People of color hold very few positions of responsibility in the upper echelons of the organization. Women are not permitted to exercise any authority at all and must be "submissive" even to the point of wearing a head covering in certain situations when males (even underage ones) are present. And don't get me started on the open and unrelieved hostility the organization displays toward those of their members who are GLBT. They must remain in the closet, be completely celibate, and can never even hope to have a spouse or family of their own. The only thing "Christian" about Jehovah's Witnesses is their claim to be such, and that can easily be proved false.
Quendi
" they are united , are taught the same and act the same everywhere on this planet"
-emeth
the problem with statements like that is that they only need one example to be proven wrong. Also, you cant seriously believe that you know exactly how every jw acts. That's just crazy.
Generally it is not accomplished people, or those that have theirs lives altogether who get attracted to the truth.
It is generally those misfits and outcasts, and those with baggage of sorts that come in.
If you look around the congs and see those who are in leadership positions, they are usually the charismatic ones who have their lives together....and most of them were born ins not ones who came into 'the truth'.
A guy with a nice family, good job or business and happy relationships, doesnt get attracted to the 'truth'.
But a guy or girl with a misfit, messed up family life, poor socal skills, lack of career and minimal friends finds the truth so appealling.
And they use the scriptures that says that the truth appeals "not to the wise of this world", but to the "crushed reeds and those broken in spirit" to justify it!
What do you think attracts new ones to the JW organization now? The right heart condition. Kate xx
@cultbgone as far as the stealing part. I mentioned circuit assemblies.
At conventions the statement is made because overthere a lot of other people walk in. Its in stadiums and at other venues and in big cities. There is a bigger chance of pickpocketers.
Circuit assemblies are held in our own assembly halls with a number of congregations and interested people that have regelar biblestudy
Yeah emeth we all know that last part isn't quite true. Everyone is invited to an assembly. I have been going to assemblies for about 7 years now and I have never qualified as someone who was interested and having a regular bible study.
i agree that a lot of people who are attracted to the org like how "smart" they appear to be about stuff when in fact they're just reciting pre-written responses to the same old questions
I think the reasons are the same as they have always been. Based on the congregation I was born in and frequented for 20 years the reason people converted were because:
- Low secular education
- bad or insecure economic situation
- family member/s being alcoholic or using drugs
- domestic violence
- suffered some form of abuse as a child
- recent loss of a dear one
- feeling depressed
- general unhappiness with their life at the moment
- sick or elderly
I went through my memories of each of the 90 witnesses including my own family who were in the congregation and I could fit each one in one of the listed situations.
To these criteria witnesses offer a (fake) sense of love care and security, a promise of utopia and most of all a place where you can escape your devil caused bad life.
