They don't realize it at all. Or if they do they think their conscious is the one who is controlling them. They see everything from the watchtower and the bible as being one and the same. They think nothing of the small ways they conform in every day life.
Do jws realise the amount of control the watctower has over them?
by Gadget 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
caligirl
"I suppose the strongest form of mind control is making someone belive they're doing it because they want to." Gadget, I 100% agree with your statement.
-
invictus
"The wt society has accomplished it`s goal...all of it`s members truly believe that they independently made the decision to believe certain teaching when in reality, they never came to this decision on their own, but are indoctrinated to believe so."
Invictus
-
Elsewhere
She is absolutely right... the WTS does not exercise any control over their members. All a JW has to do is follow all of the instructions and "suggestions" and not question any of the instructions or "suggestions" and they will be just fine and will not experience any sanctions or punishments. Other than that they can do whatever they want!
"You can have your Model T in any color you want, so long as it's black" - Ford
-
Gadget
"You can have your Model T in any color you want, so long as it's black" - Ford
Thats a good analogy, I'll have to use that one. I sent her a few more watchtower articles to look up that shows how strictly you should follow their 'suggestions', as if it were a suggestion directly from god.
-
simplesally
No she doesn't realize it because her decisions have all been in harmpony with the Orgs. So far, her conscience has not motivated her to do anything different. But, if she gets caught doing something wrong or wants to turn herself in, then she will see how stupid this is.
I mean, grown women do not want to go sit in front of 3 men and reveal that they had been involved in sexual behavior. Grown people should not have to explain why its ok for them to see the Matrix and not whisper around to see if any others might have seen it so you can talk about it.
Grown women have the right to decide how long or how short their hair and skirts are! -
freedom96
Mind control is very powerful, and the average witness has no idea. If they did, or when they do, they leave.
-
Mulan
(She watches R-rated movies, swears, etc... even reads "apostate" material). She said to me: "I don't understand why you keep saying that the WTS is controlling." She kept insisting that she did whatever she wanted to do.
We have a friend like that. Dave and I have dinner with her and her husband a couple of times a year. They are still active and very inquiring about what happened with us, and open to reading anything. When we talked about the child molestation issue, she said "what is wrong with the parents? I don't care what the elders would tell me, I would go immediately to the police." She is very liberal in her JW thinking and has a few friends just like her. Dave said the elders must love having those women in their midst. Independent thinkers.
The difference between her and me, over the years, was that her husband was never an elder or MS. She worked full time for American Airlines, traveled all over the world and got an education that way, never had children (they are our age) and was raised by a very strict, very controlling elder father, who died a few years ago, leaving her more than free to think for herself, which she always did anyway, but now can be more vocal about it.
They always say that the WTS has the "basic truths right", so aren't considering walking away...............yet. Dave kind of blew that comment out of the water last time we met with them, and they were shaken a bit. He revealed some of the "truths" as not so true.
-
Gadget
They always say that the WTS has the "basic truths right", so aren't considering walking away...............
So what do you think the best way to talk to somebody like that is? Even if you point out all the things that are wrong in the wtbts they acknowlage that but it doesn't mean anything to them.
-
core
So what do you think the best way to talk to somebody like that is?
Very carefully - any attempt to "prove" or "show" the errors in basic teachings of the WT will lead to an almost instant turning off by the hearer who hears not your explanation but the red light danger warning "apostate - ignore - ignore"
JWs (as I did) are convinced they have "special understanding" they "know" the truth - any attempt at anything other than the received wisdom is not examined but simply rejected. I am generalising (which on this board is almost a suicide attempt!) but think that most who get out have some specific incident or occasion which prompted them to look beyond what is fed to them by the WT - you can take a horse to the water but you can't make it drink - most who have escaped started to drink "outside" information when they were personally ready to do so - not simply because plain facts were presented to them. A danger here is similar to the JW wife approach with unbelieving husband - constant drip- drip of WT speak whenever some news item or opportunity arises - does this work - NO it makes the husband develop WT deafness, switvhing off and ignoring the comments from the wife - do not let attempts to show the error of the WT ways to someone become so constant/at any opportunity that the listener is expecting the comment and switches off. JWs when they refuse to take other publications on the work and similar acts think they are acting freely when they are clearly under the all pervasive influence of the Borg. They have no freedom of speech, thought, expression, dress, personality - indeed every aspect of a JWs life is controlled by the most effective emotional blackmail ever seen on the planet.