JW culture of "informers" is very similar to Communist China under Mao

by TerryWalstrom 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  TerryWalstrom

  First, let's look at what counsel is published by the Watchtower and required as proper behavior in the congregation.

  *** g88 9/8 p. 20 Should I Tell On My Friend? ***Understandably, you may not feel you have the spiritual qualifications to readjust an erring friend. But would it not make sense to see to it that the matter is reported to someone who is qualified to help? Why neglecting to do so could even make you ‘a sharer in his sins’! (1 Timothy 5:22; compare Leviticus 5:1.) It could call into question your own loyalty to God and to his righteous standards.—Psalm 18:25.

  *** g70 12/8 p. 27 “You Must Not Testify Falsely” ***Anyone who knew of serious wrongdoing and failed to report it became a partner to the wrongdoer. By pretending that he had seen or heard no wrongdoing, he was living a lie and was just as much in the wrong as one who under oath would testify falsely against his brother.—Lev. 5:1; Ps. 50:18.
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  In 1939, in Nazi Germany, 90% of German children belonged to the Hitler Youth program.
  The Nazi Party knew that families—private, cohesive groups not usually under political sway—were an obstacle to their goals. The Hitler Youth was a way to get Hitler’s ideology into the family unit, and some members of the Hitler Youth were commanded to snitch out their parents when they behaved in ways not approved of by the Reich.
  _____
  In Mao's Communist China, children were called upon to report any conversations which were against the State or Communist party loyalty.
  Loyalty to one's own family, let it be noted, is deeply bred into the culture. Therefore, in order to overcome this loyalty, children at an early age were removed from the home and indoctrinated before being returned to the family.
  Today, those children have grown up and continue to obey their youthful indoctrination by eavesdropping on other people's business!
  ____
  As I watched this video on YouTube this morning, I was struck by the fact that JW's and Nazis and Chinese Communists all have something insidious in common.
  Watch:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlxUZmXuKVw
  
  
• 

  sparrowdown

  The Borg using behavior control tactics as used by authoritarian regimes...Hmmm what a coincidence.

  Same shit different assholes as George Carlin would say. The level of control only varies by degree.

  Reminded me of the book 1984 the children would spy on and report the adults even their own parents and praised for it.
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  True story follows...
  A young JW I helped "wake up" was engaged to be married. His family had money from an insurance policy when his father died.
  The young JW wife-to-be was Latina and the size of the wedding was extremely important in her culture.
  Well, all the deposits were made, caterers paid for, relatives from out of state had hotel rooms booked and airline tickets prepaid.
  Got that picture in your head?
  Read on...
  One thing led to another and the young awakened JW (about 23 years old) and his fiancee' slipped and indulged in the pre-marital rehearsal of the honeymoon. His fiancee' just had to tell her best (JW) friend and maid of honor.
  The JW best friend got all indignant and righteous and made it clear she was going to have to report the wrongdoing to the Elders THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING (which was to take place in the Kingdom Hall.)
  They both begged her to wait JUST ONE DAY because the Elders would immediately cancel the use of the Kingdom Hall and the JW relatives would have no "approved" wedding to attend!
  The self-righteous best friend refused to wait and --just as predicted--the Elders put a swift embargo on the sacred K.H.
  
  That bit of snitching cost the young man $40K.
  He was DF'd but his fiancee' was not.
  
  If he was partially "awake" before this incident, he was WIDE awake afterward. Truly AWAKE! :)
• 

  Bill Covert

  Read Barbara Anderson article" Flawed Decree Conceals Criminals" "Watchtower docunents.org" as she researched Lev.5 :1. She used it in the A&E program on Romy Maples. Learn something new.
• 

  JW_Rogue

  Why do some people insist on opening their mouths about stuff? The less the elders know the better!
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  TerryWalstrom

  "Teacher's Pet" syndrome. Brown-nosing. Currying favor.
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  FedUpJW

  That bit of snitching cost the young man $40K.

  I believe I wold have got my $40K out of the snitch in one way or another. Snitches get stitches.
  
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  zeb

  Because I am 'non active' mywife has said I am a bad example in the cong. ? Few there would even remember me. so I guess some gossiping has been going on.

  report to follow.
  
• 

  Vidiot

  "JW culture of 'informers' is very similar to Communist China under Mao..."

  In other breaking news, water is wet.
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  TerryWalstrom

  In the last few days, I've been reading about psychological studies into "hazing" and basic training in the Marine Corp.
  Distilled down to the fundamental point is this: What people suffer the most to achieve creates intense loyalty.
  This has carried over into--believe it or not--the psychology of Sales.
  Articles of jewelry that don't sell are marked UP rather than down as a final effort to sell them, and--guess what? The chances of a sale increase 40%. "You only get what you pay for" as a believable adage translates to: "This is a high price to pay--THEREFORE--the value is incredible."
  Now, this made me wonder what "hazing" a JW goes through to become a Witness in good standing.
  Then it came to me. Look at what a kid faces in school. Look at what employees go through with time off for assemblies. What all Dubs endure during holidays. It's a never-ending gauntlet of disapproval by others.
  The result:
  "I'm paying a high price--THEREFORE--it must really be worth it all."