“Nobody joins a cult. Nobody intentionally joins a group or organization thinking they’ll be harmed or injured; nobody imagined they’d give their lives for the People’s Temple. We join all kinds of groups all the time – self-help, political – but some become malignant. The people that join [such groups] tend to be idealistic and kind; they’re people you’d want as a friend. They get drawn in and trapped.” - Deborah Layton, Jonestown survivor
Why Do People Become JWs?
by minimus 44 Replies latest jw friends
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OUTLAW
Why Do People Become JWs?
I think that's a question a lot of born in`s ask.
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1) Stupid:
Too dumb to see it`s a con game.
2) Lazy:
You get instant friends, who wouldn`t care about you other wise.
Someone else provides structure in your life.
3) Selfish:
Power and authority you wouldn't have in the real world.
No end of business contacts.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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Welcome to WatchTower World..
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DesirousOfChange
Obviously, as determined from baptisms, most JWs today are born-ins, and they remain because they are brainwashed from infancy. I think lots of converts were approached and entrapped when they were at a bad time in their lives -- death, illness, divorce, etc.
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Alive!
I was close friends with several 'converts' and then myself....about five...two in particular were my closest friends.
Each of these close friends were above average intelligence (successful careers, management roles etc)
I'd say each of them was kindness itself, but looking for answers.
'Born-ins' flocked around them and became their encouragers, inviting them to every social function...and back in the 80s and early 90s, it seemed like indeed the JWs had a special insight into scripture.
i hated churches and religion.
JWs said 'religion is a snare and a racket'
I could read the signs from a world perspective that our planet and society was heading for big trouble.
JWs said read Mathew 24 and 1Timothy 3....and try Revelation 'He will bring to ruin those ruining the earth'
It's all heady stuff......and of course there was so much more that 'struck a ring of truth'
Sadly, it revealed to be something else, but at the time, giddy with the pressing 'love' of everyone (born-ins) and overwhelmed with the prophetic evidence.....we wanted to do what seemed to be right.
We had no idea what lay in store behind the smiles and the out stretched hands.
We didn't realise what folk were hiding.
I'm still the half way decent person I've always been - I don't consider myself a 'sucker' for trusting such a extraordinary performance by a global crowd.
And I can tell you that my 'worldly' friends and extended family members (again, successful and socially adjusted folk) were mightily impressed by our witness friends and said they really were special people.
So there you go.
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jp1692
Normally I like Outlaw's irreverent and sarcastic "fly-by" style, but I have to disagree with him on this one.
There is no correlation with below average intelligence and gullibility when it comes to joining cults of any kind. In fact, research (which is fairly limited) suggests just the opposite. Intelligent, creative people (that are unaware of the manipulative methods of control and coercion used by cults) are in some ways more vulnerable because their imaginative minds more readily fill in the blanks and missing pieces of the cult ideology when they are (unwittingly) becoming indoctrinated.
Couple that with an individual being in an emotionally vulnerable time, add some easy answers and a dash of hope and you have a new recruit. Voila!
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a watcher
Why? To find God.
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minimus
A watcher....going to the Witnesses is not the best way to find God
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Magwitch
Another Poster on here posted these three a number of years back. I think this covers all JW members.......
1. Bat sh** crazy
2. Recently went through a traumatic experience and is looking for comfort
3. Born Ins
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Ding
1. The WT establishes a common bond by criticizing many things that people don't like about the religion they grew up in.
2. It offers unique answers (although often wrong answers) to things people don't understand about the Bible. (Remember how the WT always seemed to have an answer for everything and what a shock it was when you realized how much they were making up and changing as they went along?)
3. It takes a get-serious-about-obeying-God approach (attend meetings, witness door-to-door, die rather than violate "God's law" prohibiting ingesting blood, endure faithful to the end or be rejected, etc.), which appeals to people who have previously only had a token belief in or commitment to their religion.
4. It covers up the negative aspects of its history. This makes the WT organization seem much more knowledgeable and morally pure than it really is.
5. It arouses sympathy and identification by promoting its persecution / martyr mindset. This is often very effective in deflecting any criticism of or critical examination of the organization and its teachings or practices.
6. It majors on minors (the name Jehovah, the importance of Nimrod, torture stake v. cross, holidays, 1914, etc.), thereby appearing to have inside knowledge and deep scholarship that is lacking in other religions.
7. Converts' friends often don't take their interest in the WT seriously until it is too late and therefore make no effort to refute what the WT is saying. This makes it appear that the WT is right in what it is claiming.
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minimus
I agree with what was earlier stated about people who want to feel special. If you become a Jehovah's Witness you alone have the truth and you are above everyone else no matter how smart they think they are.
