I find it difficult to believe that the mind controlling techniques and narrative used in the Watchtower articles are not deliberate. Just saying.
Do The Writing Committee Believe?
by jw07 42 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Freeof1914
When I was still a witness, which was not too long ago I had two very close friends that were part of the writing department. I can honestly say that these men were two of the most staunch believers that I ever met. They were both much older than I and it was their "example" that made me reach out as much as I could. These men had an almost blind faith in the gb. They were both like fathers to me in the sense that they gave me much direction and guidance. From what I saw and based off of the many spiritual conversations we had, and the way these men lived their lives I am al oat 100% sure that they were true believers. They were constantly studying deeply, encouraged others to do the same, and in fact one of them was the first ones I reached out to when I began having doubts about the 1914 date based on the year 607 b.c.e and he was quick to have an entire envelopes stuffed with articles and research sent to me. From what I saw, they were whole hearted believers. Of course, I can't say that I knew what went on inside their minds and hearts, but that is how it appeared.
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Band on the Run
I've read a few articles since law school. When you have the Internet to fact check, you realize how they are propagandists. When you focus on the text to see one word was selected over a synonym, it is scary. They "legalize" the writing more than any group I've read. I once thought they were sloppy jerks with a high school dropout education. The WT is carefully crafted. What is more my brother left the Witnesses as a teenager and started the University of Chicago on a great fellowship. He was recruited by radical Maoists. His political cult received direction from Allbania rather than China. I chased down the group and purchased its literature at a state Communist store in NY. When I entered, I smiled for my FBI photo. The writing was very close to the Witnesses.
In both cases, no native speaker talks or thinks in the language used. The styles are awkward. My brother graced us with his presence every decade. He would sing the Internationale the way my father would sing Witness songs. My brother is very intelligent but he did not have a thought of his own. The rest of the family cried b/c he was brainwashed and we could not help. To this day, brother does not see the clear paralells between WT zealotry and Maoist craziness. We even had to have a very upsetting family discussion to vow to report any hint of violence to the FBI. My mom had deep hurts b/c the FBI persecuted Witnesses during WWII. My uncle was a target.
I know an academic could describe the writing style and content in a vivid way. My gut feeling is that they do NOT believe the content. The writing is studied, not sincere. I hate religious propaganda yet I end up reading it out of curiosity to get a feeling for the WT writing. Other groups make me angry with their assertions. The Witness writers routinely churn out this garbage. Were it not for law, I don't think I would notice so much. Law is extremely text based. I always wondered about the process of writing the WT. How articles are selected? Who determines the major and minor points. Also, with the recent quoting of a convicted and executed Nuremberg war criminal, I see that the WT often meanders into points that are not relevant to the article. In the Nazi WT article, they quote verbatim but do not name or explain the monster. Why quote one of the main architects of the Nazi party? The quote was an aside, just as in Shakespeare.
Women taking physical and emotional abuse for more than fifteen years to convert the bastard? The article did not reveal whether the beatings stopped upon the husband's conversion. Their history lessons are so bizarre. Who quotes a Nazi theologian when you can quote Martin Luther, St. Francis, Paul Tillich, etc.
I am curious what others think b/c you have read far more Witness lit than I ever have. They definitely have a Witness style manual. The same tones run through all the publications. Also, you can't tell one author from another.
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TD
I've often gotten the impression that they do not.
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Vidiot
gingerbread - "Remember that Barbara Anderson was part of this group and, according to her account, she suppressed her questionings and doubts for years. Only later, when she was able to get physically away from Bethel, could she confront these serious concerns head-on."
Never underestimate the power of peer pressure.
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Oubliette
BOTR: When you focus on the text to see one word was selected over a synonym, it is scary. They "legalize" the writing more than any group I've read. I once thought they were sloppy jerks with a high school dropout education. The WT is carefully crafted.
This is a powerful point. I especially appreciate this comment knowing your legal background.
Of course, we can never really KNOW the actual thoughts and motives of those that write the articles for the WT, but we can infer much from the end results: their actual writing.
Much of science, in fact, is done by examining what happens without having any actual way to know how or why it happens. By applying a scientific methodology to investigating natural events, we humans have come to understand a tremendous amount about life, the universe and everything. Naturally, all of these hypotheses and theories are subject to revision as new knowledge and understanding becomes available. But in the interim, we generally have useful knowledge that is arrived at in a manner that is far different than the "because we said so" manner of the WTBTS.
Also, when a scientific hypothesis or theory is advanced, it is subject to peer review. As we all know, no questioning is ever allowed in JW-land. In science, evidence must be presented. Both the data and the methodology used must be made available for close examination and scrutiny. Any and all evidence--even disconfirming evidence--must be shared.
In the WT, when a doctrine--no matter how significant--is changed, the usual explanation is generally preceded by a word such as "evidently" albeit without any real evidence being presented.
If you haven't read them, I encourage you all to examine the WTBTS's series of articles on Propaganda in the June 22, 2000 Awake! They really are a well-written series of articles analyzing what propaganda is, the methods propagandists use and their motives. After you read them, you will clearly see that every technique and method of propaganda described in the articles is utilized with skill in WT publications.
They absolutely do know what they are doing. In fact, they are masters of it.
Listen, Obey and Be Blessed: It's a cult!
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jw07
Sadly the effects of Asch's Conformity experiments may hold true :-(
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frankiespeakin
I would say that at this point in time as opposed to say 1960-90,, that many who do the writting for this batch of GBs have serious doubts but are stuck in this dead end job till they get laid off and farmed out to some congregation to rely on charity of the duped faithful, they see the writting on the wall so to speak and it don't look pretty, and their mental health must be suffering for writting all this shit that goes to print for the corporation. I don't envy these writters of third grade grammar school material about what makes a Deity sad and morose and other such childish notions, it is a terrible way to make a living and a waste of potential writting talents.
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Band on the Run
My college is famous for its women writers. I simply could not compete against private school women. My report card always contained As in English. If I could tell my teachers that Hamlet is a character in Hamlet, I received As. My classmates could not do so even if we read Hamlet line by line in class. The English majors had to write in different styles every week. They had to do Jane Austen, Dickens, etc. It is a skill. I expect the Writing Department members could readily do the same. Hey, I've written legal documents for clients I find less than thrilling.
Also, Bethel must be more enmeshing than a local KH. How many people are going to throw everything away at the first doubt? In my life even if I feel strongly about a situation, I wait to make certain that I am not acting on an fleeting impulse.
Hasn't any member defected? Does anyone know their names and how they were selected? It is a cushy job compared to the factory work my relatives did.
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Bungi Bill
All very good observations!
Never to be underestimated, though, is the way that propaganda can work even on those expounding it:
i.e. if you either hear enough lies being told for long enough, or tell enough lies for long enough, you can end up believing it yourself.
This has been the experience of a number of persons who have lived under totalitarian rule.
For example, Robert W. Ford, an Englishman who operated Tibet's radio system, was taken prisoner when the Communist Chinese invaded that country in 1950. As a prisoner, Ford was subjected to a merciless program of indoctrination ("brainwashing"). He figured thay if he wanted an early release (or even any release at all) he had better pretend to go along with this indoctrination program. However, he later remarked that the scary thing about this was, that towards the end of his time as a prisoner, he was actually starting to believe this nonsense.
I strongly suspect that Crazy Fred Franz, the deluded bloody fool that he was, ended up believing his own propaganda about 1975.
No wonder the more extreme cult leaders are so easily able to convince everyone (including themselves) to swallow a cyanide cocktail!
Bill.