What's a word that describes the way Witnesses behave as a group?

by paul from cleveland 79 Replies latest jw friends

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  David_Jay

  It might be also important to realize that many ideological movements don't believe they are "keeping to themselves." They tend to see it as avoiding those who reject them.

  Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance, insist that they are not required to avoid or shun anyone who is disfellowshipped, that they do so because the disfellowshipped person took a path that led to a place where they have brought being shunned, rejected, and separated upon themselves. This is why Witnesses insist that they don't shun others or separate themselves from society, when in all reality we know they do.
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  Giordano

  The JW's as a group are rationally ignorant. They have to be on so many issues that they can't discuss, or present.

  Rational ignorance is refraining from acquiring knowledge when the cost of educating oneself on an issue exceeds the potential benefit that the knowledge would provide.
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  paul from cleveland

  VI, "tribalistic" is similar to "clannish". A good word but not the right connotation (to me anyway).
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  GodZoo

  Lemmings..

  
  
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  David_Jay

  Ah! You are looking for a word that describes their "separatism" that they practice, similar to the Amish.

  That may be difficult because they don't totally separate themselves or even see themselves as a culture that requires that type of social removal in order for preservation. But it is something similar, no?

  They are not like the Amish, but more like the Mormons in their being "separate" from others. Is there a word for that type of separatism? Hmmm.
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  GrreatTeacher

  self-segregated
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  talesin

  Paul, I think you're looking for "isolationist". xx
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  Beth Sarim

  ''controlled''
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  GrreatTeacher

  exclusory

  ethnocentric

  seclusive
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  David_Jay

  Talesin is on to something and probably right on the button there. The Witnesses do indeed practice a form of "isolationism," that is a disinterest in the world around them, especially regarding political affairs.