by The Searcher 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
"Would you do absolutely anything which the Governing Body instructed you to do? For example, sell your home and possessions, move in with another Witness, and send all your money to the Org?"
If 'No', they're showing that they will pick and choose which Org directives they will follow. Potential wedge is there.
If 'Yes', get out of firing range very quickly!
If 'No', they're showing that they will pick and choose which Org directives they will follow. Potential wedge is there.
I think that's a majority of JWs I ever knew.
My wife yelled, " I would follow the Slave!!!", when asked that question. I think her cult-self was speaking.
JWs supposedly long for the end of this system, but they love TV, movies, big cities, art, ect. They are true victims of cognitive dissonance. They can't separate wanting an end to human suffering, which all humans want, from the "shelved ideas" from YHWH, I mean, the GB....
DD
I don't think asking this is really a test of their loyalty so much as their honesty. Asking something like this is overtly backing them into a corner and many JWs will feel forced to toe the line. When you push someone like this and force them to affirm their loyalty (even if they're only saying it and wouldn't actually follow through) you're actually doing more harm than good. If they profess loyalty in spite of having some reservations, this will cause cognitive dissonance which will then have to be resolved by them bringing their thoughts in line with what they've said (they can change their feelings but they can't change what's already been said).
I made this mistake with my wife at one point - asking if she'd take a cyanide pill if the GB somehow managed to cherry pick some scriptures to justify it and she said she would. Meanwhile she'll watch shows like true blood and masters of sex, etc. Her loyalty isn't absolute, but she'll profess that it is to prevent me from finding a crack that I can drive a wedge into.
It might be 'fun' to joke about but I wouldn't recommend actually doing this with anyone that you care about. It's unlikely to give you accurate information on their commitment to the cult and antagonizing people will only further damage your relationship with them.
I made this mistake with my wife at one point - asking if she'd take a cyanide pill if the GB somehow managed to cherry pick some scriptures to justify it and she said she would.
Perfect opportunity to ask, "So, if that's true, how is it not a cult?"
While I can't necessarily provide any facts, I am pretty sure that those who say "yes" when they are cornered like that, are the ones who won't actually do it. While those who say "no" are the ones that are more likely to let the guard down at the time of indoctrination and they will be way to deep in by the time they realize what they are being asked to do.
It is a simple question in plain sight, however, most do not consider that such command (to drink the poison) will never come out of the blue or will never be as obvious as you put it to your wife. The people of Jonestown trained periodically with fake suicide drills before the actual act happened. So it is easy to answer either way, but the truth won't really come out until you are the crossroad.
OneEyedJoe - I wouldn't hesitate to ask this of any J.W. who was trying to back me into a corner with their entrapment question.
If they said 'No', then I'd ask them what right do they think they have to question my loyalty to the G.B.
If they said 'Yes', then I'd tell them to seriously think about what they'd just said, and give them some unpleasant examples.
