The recruiting work of Jehovah's Witnesses has never been very effective. Such low positive results for such great efforts. But the members are paying the gas money and expending the hours, so Watchtower is not really losing out.
I want you to think about the rejection JW's receive, be it a negative response at the door or people ignoring them at the cart. That rejection is way more important than the few people they convert. Rejection and indifference builds up their uncomfortable feeling to be around people outside of the organization. They start to regain their comfort when they gather at Starbucks or Tim Hortons with their "brothers and sisters" after a round of worldly rejections.
If the entire process of recruiting is done properly, they start off with encouraging support at the meeting for service, then the harsh world rejects them quickly and boldly, then they get back together with supportive people who care. They even see each other as returning heroes with tales of how closed-minded those worldly ones were.
Just another pain reward cycle in a mind-control technique common to religions like the JW's. It gets magnified if the JW is sure that Jehovah is pleased with the way they handled the rejection or "won" their little debate session (despite whatever reality there was in who made valid points).
Rejecting JW Message is More Important than Success to Keep Them Indoctrinated
by OnTheWayOut 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OnTheWayOut
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flipper
Thanks for posting this my friend. Very truly put. JW's constantly revel in sharing stories of how they were rejected out in service so it justifies their false concept that they're being " persecuted " for an imaginary " good cause " . They feel if Jesus got persecuted, so should they, and somehow that implants the thought in their mind that " if it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for them " . lol.
What they fail to realize is that much of the negative publicity JW's and the WT Society gets- is true and justified. It's how they try to explain away suffering negative media attention to the horrid child abuse policies within their cult.
Years ago I had a former friend in 2007 ask me why I didn't go back to meetings ? I told him one of the reasons was the awful child abuse policies and the hiding and covering it over with out of court settlements. Then he said, " Well Flipper, you know the news and media are always trying to persecute us for anything. It's an attack from Satan to damage the organization. " I asked him, " What about news of child abuse in the Mormon's ? The Baptists religion ? Catholics ? Is the news media trying to unfairly attack them as well " ? He didn't answer, just made an excuse that it's different. I told him, " it's not different at all. " I explained to him that Witnesses have a persecution complex. I think the conversation ended shortly thereafter. But you get the idea.
Take care bud. Great thread. Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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Magnum
Completely agree. Reinforces the cult, "us versus them" mentality".
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blondie
I found that jws assumed that all "attacks" on them by non-jws was because of their religion or beliefs. I had one supervisor who knew I was a jw at the time ask me why I was different from the jw lady who worked for her sister. Every time her sister had to counsel her on how she did her job, nothing related to being a jw, that this woman said they were persecuting because of her religion. I looked into it and turned out this sister was in my mother's congregation. I called my mother and said that this sister was a pain in the rear. Everyone inside and outside the congregation were out to get her. I realized that many jws did the same thing, rather than accept responsibility for their own actions, not regulated by the WTS. Everything was because of their religion.
I guess people seek ways to be "special" even if it is a negative way. The only sin is to be ignored.
The WTS pounds this scripture into them, so that jws feel if they are not being persecuted, that jw must not be a true Christian.
2019
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2019485?q=2+timothy+3%3A12&p=sen
Up until now, faithful Christian Witnesses of Jehovah have been persecuted by those who oppose true worship. (2 Tim. 3:12) As the end of this system of things draws closer, we expect our enemies to oppose us even more.—Matt. 24:9.
2 Timothy 3:10-12
But you have closely followed my teaching, my course of life,+ my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11 the persecutions and sufferings such as I experienced in Antioch,+ in I·coʹni·um,+ in Lysʹtra.+ I endured these persecutions, and the Lord rescued me from them all.+ 12 In fact, all those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted.+ 13 But wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled.+
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JW GoneBad
The recruiting work of Jehovah's Witnesses has never been very effective. Such low positive results for such great efforts. But the members are paying the gas money and expending the hours, so Watchtower is not really losing out.
Don't forget the loss of revenue in the lives of each and every JW...year after year after year. Time preparing for going to meetings...time wasted while at the meetings...time preparing for field service...time wasted while in field service...time wasted and money spent going to and from circuit assemblies & regional conventions...time wasted working on Kingdom Hall building projects...time wasted in the Bethel lifestyle...etc...etc...etc.
In reality the average JW may be spending 75 to 100 of unproductive hours and more each and every month as a Jehovah's Witness...that's nearly 1,200 hours yearly of what could otherwise be tme spent earning revenue/income. Last I heard minimum wage in the U.S.A. was going up to $15 an hour...1,200 hrs X $15/hrs = $18,000 of lost annual revenue/income for those who make minimum wage alone...$18,000 of lost revenue/income year after year after year adds up...in ten years that's $180,000...in 20 years that's $360,000. Any wonder why many if not most senior retiring Jehovah's Witnesses are not prepared for old age!
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Vidiot
re. the OP...
Holy shit that was good.
This bit really stuck out at me: "...rejection is way more important than the few people they convert..."
I'd never thought of it that way, but that's very perceptive.
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Vidiot
Of course, going around poking people in the eye, and then whining when you get smacked for it doesn't make you "persecuted"...
...it just makes you an asshole.
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jws
I just read some FB meme were somebody responded to an evangelical about the same issue. People not wanting to hear his proselytizing. And it was explained in a psychological manner. That now he can return to his peers and talk about being rejected. And that it bonds them. That it reinforces the people who rejected them as the other and that they are all safe with their fellow believers. It just reinforces the fact that they are safe within the religion and that they must be right.
The same is applicable to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Or right wing fanatics scared of non-Americans. -
Vidiot
jws - "...It just reinforces the fact that they are safe within the religion and that they must be right..."
Of course, to a hardcore JW loyalist, everything is proof they're right.
Even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff.
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Sail Away
If the entire process of recruiting is done properly, they start off with encouraging support at the meeting for service, then the harsh world rejects them quickly and boldly, then they get back together with supportive people who care. They even see each other as returning heroes with tales of how closed-minded those worldly ones were.-- OnTheWayOut
The art of mind control!
https://www.boredpanda.com/religious-people-converting-rejection-brainwashing-technique/