I posted a topic the other day titled "do you understand..." and it referred my version of a high control group. After that post my mind was still working so I sat down to write and this is what came out:
Once you begin to conform with some degree of an acceptable level, you will be given responsibilities in the group. They will start off small to test your loyalty to the leaders of the group and to test your newfound knowledge and sense of responsibility to show appreciation to the group for letting you in. If you have studied their literature carefully enough so as to understand fully their unique teachings and views and understand their language to be able to explain them accurately and use the language correctly, and have observed enough of their ritualistic, timed-to-the-minute meetings along with their public ministry activities and you seem like you still want more, you will be considered for responsibilities given to ones who are considered to be spiritually mature. It is at this point that you will be studied and examined by the entire group to make a determination as to whether or not you are capable of being in a leadership position if they have that particular need in their particular group of 65-100 total members with 3-6 leaders (elders) and 4-8 assistants (servants) with the rest being common members who simply follow. There is a special status given to the most active recruiters in the group. Although most of these are common members and female, it is encouraged that at least one male member of leadership status also be a member of the active recruiters group to take control of their public ministry activities. You might even be considered for these positions but not too soon after conversion for fear that you have not completely given your thought control over to the manipulation of the governing body with it's numerous resorces. Your examination process will be thorough and complete, conveniently because you're discouraged from making contact with outsiders and are encouraged to associate with other fellow members who are now your new family of brothers and sisters. Every bad thing you have ever done, every wrong thought or desire you ever had, every weakness you have, your indulgences, will become public to all and will become the basis of their determination of your spiritual level by how far you have progressed from your former self into your new self. They do this at get-togethers in private homes that you are strongly encouraged to attend to further your growth and acceptance of the group and in turn their acceptance of you. They will tell you stories of their former selves then explain to you how they learned to conform to all that is required of the society. At this point you will be expected to expose yourself to the group and tell all of your secrets in the form of stories about past sins and transgressions in your former life before being converted. An amazing thing happens then, the entire group almost instantly knows every detail of your private life, which you are encouraged to continue to share with the group whether good or bad, privacy becomes your enemy. This is enforced by the created imagination that evil spirits are surrounding you constantly to try and attempt you into doing something that the society has deemed harmful. Even independent thinking is highly discouraged for fear that these may be impure thoughts implanted by demons to try and turn you away from the society and its teachings. This indoctrination will be the most terrifying, haunting, and effective method of manipulation that will follow you into your thoughts and even your sleep, scaring you into submission and conformity for fear of bring tormented by evil demons which appear to be in everything around you. An interesting twist is that not only are they doing this to you, the newly converted one, but they are doing this to each other also. Secrets are a bad thing that can destroy your faith by eating away at your mental state causing you to think and act inconsistently with the societies teachings and what they consider to be normal behavior. By encouraging everyone to keep their private lives public, the leaders become better equipped to exercise control over the will of the individuals and as a group by manipulating through constant lectures which you are expected to attend with perfect attendance, at the minimum of five hour-long meetings per week, not including time spent in the public conversion ministry and also time spent preparing for these study sessions and preaching activity. Even they way you decorate your house, the way you wear your hair, the type of car you drive, the clothes you wear, the way you discipline your children, how you spend your spare time, the t.v. shows and movies you watch, your family budget, music you listen to, which businesses you use, the type of healthcare you choose and where, how to communicate with outsiders, how you interact with unbeleiving family members, your thought process, the career you choose, how to pursue and education and to what extent, all of these things and more are what you will be expected to bring into conformity and harmony with what the governing body and its society tells you regarding how to conduct youself in all of these matters. No matter what situation you find yourself in, no matter what decision you have to make, no matter what questions you may have, they have the answer prepared for you somewhere in their literature. Conformity is a 24 hour a day challenge that will consume your life.
The strange thing is that after writing this, I feel better about things, I don't think about my wasted time as a JW as much. Pretty cool huh?