by cherjcd 41 Replies latest jw friends
Depends how you define mental illness. Would depression/stress/anxiety be included? I don't think the WTS create a psychiatric disorder in otherwise normal people, generally. They attract anyone who will listen which tends to mean you are dealing with people with 'problems'. I was in it for 20 years ......only when I started talking and walking backwards did I start wondering about it all.
ISP
ISP, including those things you mention, one third of the general population suffer from mental disorders "at some point" in their lives.
I would say that there are many things about life in the org which could be triggers to such disorders, especially if you are one of the people susceptible to one of them.
I would also agree they "attract" these types, but knowing that most of the inflow of witnesses are, in fact, children "brought up in it", your argument would not explain the fullness of this problem.
i don't know,,,,maybe i'll ask my doctor when i am in getting more antidepressants,,,or i could
ask my therapist when i am on the psychiatric ward getting counciling!!!
when I see one toting around the MAGs I actually get gastro problems BIGtime so IF I come across as angry at times -- GOSH DARN IT I AM IT is uncomfortable to have sooooo much GAS !!! QUEENIE
Never heard so much crap since I was a JW.
It's terrible to say, but the JW Organization seems to attract alot of people who have emotional problems in the first place. Look around your hall: there's not a lot there that have really good jobs: most Witnesses I know are in deep financial trouble, most of the wives don't work, or if they do, it's either house cleaning or working part time in a supermarket. Then you have the constant veiled threat hanging over your head at 5 meetings a week telling you that you COULD be doing more, why aren't you doing more, when are you going to stop being so materialistic, why did you miss the meeting last week? Are you getting MORE than 10 hours in a month? Why the hell not?
We actually had a part in a meeting about a year ago where they had every single brother in the congregation with "responsibilities", come up to the platform so everyone could clap for them. Those brothers who were NOBODYS in the hall, were left looking as though they were totally worthless. I did NOT clap. I was disgusted.
So low paying jobs, kids to raise, bills to pay, low self-esteem constantly instilled in you for "not doing enough", stuck in bad marriages, being forced to attend 5 meetings a week plus service service service, where 99% of the time, you don't want to do this............gee, I wonder why there's so much mental illness...........pretty rare you ever see someone with a PhD become a Witness.
IMHO.....they seare your conscience with manipulative lies and frighten you into believing it. They, themselves are unstable and somehow they make it contagious to people who don't already understand the gospel message. I find it interesting how they have no power over those who already had a handle on the teachings of Christ. They utterly destroy the free mind of those who desire to know God but have not yet seeked him personally. I am no longer under their control......Yipeeee! dj
1Timothy 4:1-2....".speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron."....sounds too familiar. dj
It's terrible to say, but the JW Organization seems to attract alot of people who have emotional problems in the first place.
Even if they don't not have them chronically, it is when you are at a weak emotional state when they usually grab you.
I remember the many times when someone in the borg would refer me to another person who had just lost a loved one or was going through a divorce, so that I could "give them hope". It never dawned on me that that was the way they got to me in the first place.
IMO the higher ups in the bOrg know exactly what they are doing when they go after someone experiencing a loss. They are at a weak reasoning point due to the pain of their divorce, death of a family member, or whatever, so emotions take over the reasoning.
Vultures
Mary said:
"We actually had a part in a meeting about a year ago where they had every single brother in the congregation with "responsibilities", come up to the platform so everyone could clap for them."
At the hall I left, YAAAYYYYY, we heard that the local needs part was on "sins of omission". The local ex-marine elder is a real grim SOB and gave a part talking not about the sins we COMMIT but instead how we were sinning if we were not doing ALL we can in the ministry.
After the part, the shoot from the hip elder asked ex-marine's wife is she enjoyed the new relaxed hour requirement for pioneering, she said YES it is very helpful. He asked if she was getting in the hours before they dropped the requirement, and she said yes. He them asked if she COULD get in the extra hours and was not, is that not a sin of omission?
She turned red and said to ask her husband. Well, he did and the ex-marine just shook his head and walked away.
THAT is the snake pit i left; at my current hall the talk was an encouragement to enjoy our commenting and singing as a part of our worship, very nice.
A CO from my past told me that if I was keeping my hours down so as not to be appointed an elder, I should just wash it up. Same CO asked during a talk what would happen to unbaptized older teens and young adults at armageddon???? He drew a line across his throat to signify their dying by god's hand....by the way, he was the good friend and role model for ex-marine.
thanks all for posting and being here to listen
pistoff
It's because of all the pressure put on them by the WT Society.They are led to believe they cannot miss a meeting or they may be killed at Armageddon.If they don't keep their field service hours up to the national average they may be killed at Armageddon.If they don't witness to their co-workers and school mates they may be killed at Armageddon.If they don't bring their kids up in it they may be killed at Armageddon.This pressure is always looming over JWs heads.No wonder so many go crazy.
