so are you saying that when somebody is not longer constrained to behave like a JW they start behaving like a JW?
Accusing Ex-JWs of Behaving Like JWs Should be Taboo
by cofty 447 Replies latest members private
-
-
Dis-Member
Lol no sorry Cofty, I did not make myself clear. I mean that ex-witneses can often be the same as witnesses.. flip side of the same coin.
A soldier that's been in the army his whole life.. even though he deserts, is always a soldier at heart. The training goes more than skin deep.
But I agree all name calling and labelling is unpleasant.
-
Oubliette
BESTY: Cofty's Law - "As a poster on JWN senses they are out of valid points, the tendency to compare their opponent to a JW will increase"
This concept was discussed a couple of years ago in this thread:
One suggestion was this name: Cofty's Corollary
-
jhine
I am really interested now , Cofty , in what your idea of a JW mindset is and look forward to reading the opinions of others who as ex JWs are in a position to say. As an "outsider" I do not have the "inside knowledge " . I am well aware of that , but also I am sometimes able to spot when someone SEEMS , at least, to be making assumptions , certainly about other denominations which I know to not be true . I am aware that the org do give misinformation , just from doorstep conversations and also from the good folks here .
I will try to keep comments accurate and to the point in future , I promise .
Jan
-
FlyingHighNow
jhine, don't let people browbeat and try to control your heartfelt expressions here on JWN. As you have said, you can make objective observations about JW behaviors because you live with a JW and are around this cult and its members, where as prideful ex jws might not be able to see it in themselves or others, while being subjective. Maybe more than us ex jws, you have room to talk. Your insight is definitely valuable and needed on this forum.
! Cofty's Law !
"As a poster on JWN senses they are out of valid points, the tendency to compare their opponent to a JW will increase"
We have discussed this before. People think that if they spout this made up law, it somehow gives it validity. I've seen posters who were called out for behaving like JWs, who were definitely behaving like JWs, desperately use this as a response like it was a Get Out of Jail Free card from a Monopoly game. Speaking of lazy, that is lazy and all too convenient. Rather than stepping back and examining their own behavior and thinking over the reason this behavior was pointed out, which takes a bit of thinking work, they respond, "Cofty's Law!" Then they go right back to behaving like a JW.
-
Oubliette
FHN, Then they go right back to behaving like a JW.
I've popped in and out of this thread--haven't read all 8 pages and I don't intend to.
But I am interested in FHN's thought in relation to the OP. So my question is this:
- How exactly does a JW behave?
And by this, I mean what specifically are behaviours that are uniquely JW?
A lot of people can be mean, stubborn, dogmatic, argumentative and controlling without ever having been a JW, so we cannot say those traits are uniquely JW in nature.
To me behaving like a JW means blindly and without question accepting anything the GB teaches and doing whatever they say even if it makes no sense and/or seems "strange or unusual." We have been told that we must obey whatever the WTBTS says "whether we agree with them or not." - w2013, 11/15, p. 20, para. 17.
Anyone that does those things, THAT is behaving like a JW.But even those behaviors are common to membership in pretty much any high-control, authoritarian cult. The unique item is the allegience to the WTBTS and the visible leadership, the GB, which in the minds of a fully-indoctrinated JW has been successfully conflated with loyalty to Jehovah.
So again: How exactly does a JW behave?
- -
-
FlyingHighNow
I'll be back later. I have to go to work.
-
frankiespeakin
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.
-
Frazzled UBM
Oubliette - thanks for the link to the previolus debate on this subject two years ago. It seems at JWN when we get bored we just recycle old arguments with the same protagonists - cofty and FHN front and centre. As for your question - if you had read the whole of this thread you would see quite a lot of discusssion of what in various peoples' opinions are examples of JW thinking and behaviour. Just saying. Have a great weekend everyone! Cheers Fraz
-
minimus
How does a typical JW behave?? There's not just one answer.
Some are sheeple. They follow the crowd, the leader and don't question.
Some are know it alls. Even if you "prove" a point, they can't accept it and will dilute the argument and always try to come out on top.