The use of "Stumbled" as a Control Technique.

by Phizzy 18 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Phizzy

  I thought about this when I read the expression in another thread, "someone was stumbled", they would never tell you who the person was, and simply used it to control you, or it got worse, some times it was "you MIGHT stumble someone" .

  Who were these Stumbling Loons of which they spoke ? Not only was it a Control Mechanism, it encouraged you to not be your real self, ever.

  I liked the response of one of my JW relatives to this, where they expected him to change the person he was, he said "These people accusing me are not perfect are they ? No, well then, they cannot expect perfection from me". Lovely response.
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  punkofnice

  The whole 'stumbled(tm)' thing never made sense to me....even when I was a fully indoctrinated Jobot.

  If someone is 'stumbled(tm)', what does that say about them? Why are they so 'spiritually weak(tm)' in the first place?

  Like a lot of Jobot buzz words, they ARE used as control mechanisms.

  Consider 'in the truth(tm)'. If you repeat this to yourself you are tricking your mind in to believing you have the correct cult. I'm sure there is probably a Jobot Buzzword thread here somewhere...or perhaps we should start one including definitions of said buzzword.

  I'm not sure who this geezer is but he looks happy.....

  
  
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  TonusOH

  It is intended to keep you in line by making you paranoid- you are supposed to be terrified that your actions might cause another to go astray, and Jehovah will call you to account for it. In other words, you must be a good JW at all times, even when no one in authority is watching.

  Turning our conscience against us is an old tool of religion, and has been refined by high-control cults like the JWs. As a JW, you are working to save yourself, and you are working to save everyone else. And God is watching closely.
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  punkofnice

  Do you think they started this control technique deliberately, 1984 style, or it just naturally followed as the cult developed?
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  TonusOH

  I think a lot of these ideas begin organically, and some are further refined when they realize how useful they are. It'd be interesting to learn when they started focusing on the concept of causing others to stumble. The WTS will print a lot of articles on a subject and mention it repeatedly in a short time frame to get the idea across. I wonder if they did that with this.
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  peacefulpete

  It also implies the person was powerless to prevent disbelief. It suggests "apostate" ideas are almost supernaturally persuasive.

  IOW.. IF you listen to apostate ideas you WILL be stumbled, so stay away.

  Self imposed information control, a wall of resistance to disconfirming evidence.
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  Ding

  Some JWs will say, "You're stumbling me" as a way of getting others to stop what they're doing and make them feel doubly guilty for doing it in the first place.

  Of course, as Punkofnice pointed out, it's the spiritually weak, not the spiritually strong, people who get stumbled.
  
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  road to nowhere

  Some people are Karens looking for a reason to be stumbled. Hair color on women, beards, cars, leisure top the list. No mention that we might be stumbled by their going " beyond what is written".
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  FedUpJW

  Of course, as Punkofnice pointed out, it's the spiritually weak, not the spiritually strong, people who get stumbled.

  And those same so-called "spiritually weak" pissants who use the, "You're stumbling me" club as their method of control will be whining that "You must humbly forgive me for whatever I do that might bother you, and wait on Jehovah" as a get out of jail free card to do whatever the Hell they wish!
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  punkofnice

  Meanwhile, because of alcohol, TOMO3rd is stumbling all over the place....and slurring his words.

  The Governing Body(tm) (Pee be upon them), with their protection of sexual predators have more than 'stumbled(tm)' me. They have propelled me from their unsafe, unChristian and un almost everything cult.