I think Watchtower is far more evil than many people believe. Having attended a bible-believing Christian church for the past 20 years, I can personally compare. It has really opened my eyes to the way I was raised. I think the WT is a master in the art of auto-suggestion.
Psychology Today says this:
The power of suggestion is very powerful indeed; if I say, “Don’t think of a red apple.” you are going to think of a red apple anyway, even if it is just the momentary flash of an image in your brain. And, when our subconscious mind is exposed to a constantly repeated message, it is going to penetrate unless we are paying attention.
One of the keys to effective auto suggestion tenchiques is being in a relaxed, "safe" place. The Kingdom Hall was such a place, so we thought.
This is an excerpt from Young People Ask book by Watchtower. Under the heading: HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?:
"However, a dating couple must exercise extreme caution. Kissing, embracing, or doing anything that causes arousal can lead to sexual misconduct. It’s all too easy, even for a couple with honorable intentions, to get carried away and engage in sexual immorality.
● A couple who refrain from sexual intercourse can still be guilty of fornication.
True. The original Greek word translated “fornication” (por·neiʹa) has a broad meaning. It describes all forms of sexual relations outside of marriage and focuses on the misuse of the sexual organs. Thus, fornication includes not only intercourse but also acts such as masturbating another person, as well as engaging in oral sex or anal sex".
Look at all the detail. Total cringe.
This is from 1974:
Article Titled: The Craving For Excitement
"People also find excitement in doing that which violates their ethics or moral principles.... The very fact that they are forbidden causes them to seem desirable to many.
Typical is the appeal that illicit sex has. It promises excitement because of what is involved and because of what it might lead to as well as because of the intense selfish pleasure expected. So single and married persons toy with immorality and go on to commit fornication or adultery. This craving for excitement causes others to engage in unnatural or perverted acts. Thus some Christian women complain because their husbands want them to become parties in sodomy and oral sex.... All such sensual behavior is repeatedly condemned in God’s Word".
Look at all the auto suggestion in the writing. (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
- Embedded Commands: Embedded commands are subtle suggestions embedded within a sentence. By emphasizing certain words or phrases, we can guide the listener’s subconscious mind towards a desired response.