by stuckinarut2 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Yes The Fall Guy, it is wonderful that the Secretary wouldn't shun his kids or boot them out. But how many elders have you known who would tell YOU and ME we need to shun ours while giving every possible loophole to their own?
The phrase rhymes with TRUCKING HIPPO-SHIT.
Narcissists make everything about them. It really is as simple as that. The organization is narcissistic, it breeds narcissists, and attracts them as well. These are often broken people with such pain that they can't see past themselves. Humanity and empathy are bred out of them. They are victims of their own victimhood.
My mother said something about "....what you have done" referring to my leaving almost as though it was a sin !
I interjected " mother, I haven't "done" anything, I have stopped doing things, like Meetings, for good reason, that is all". She begrudgingly backed down.
The whole "shunning" thing is simply an evil, unscriptural, Control Mechanism, but boy, does it work ! Don't expect the evil Cult to change on this anytime, unless forced to by Legislation, which I doubt will happen.
Apart from the special circumstances involving those of us who've abandoned our religion, I have talked to many older people (non-JW) whose adult children have cut them off.
Being angry with one's parents -- whatever the reason -- appears quite common. The result is estrangement that goes on indefinitely. Of course, there are parents who don't talk to their children because they disapprove of choices made by their offspring.
As always, the borg repeats phrases like "you hurt us, you left us" is repeated in talks, conventions, etc.
You know that when everyone now says it, and believes it.
In a way, you can't "blame" the JWs for feeling hurt. Every single publication and online video from JW organization on the topic of "being in the truth" (their word, NOT mine) portrays those who leave as selfishly motivated.
Not one single message from the organization has ever portrayed those who leave in a sympathetic light. Propaganda at its very worst.
Remember the recent video about a young woman who left the house - and the organization - with packed bags whilst her poor, devastated JW parents comforted each other as she disappeared into the night? We saw the full impact on the parents - the sole focus on the young woman was to illustrate her selfish motivation.
Little wonder, obedient JWs' knee-jerk response is to act all righteously hurt when others leave. Propaganda leaves little room for empathy.
@Steve - You make a great point. I can remember when I started learning about empathy, a quality that I did not possess for much of my life. One of the things that really struck me was thinking about my brother that had been disfellowshipped for so many years. I had never in my life thought about what it must be like for him. Years later in my awakening process I had an awful conversation with my mom after she had done and said things that were completely tone deaf to what my brother and his wife might have experienced. It was eye opening to me. They just cannot see others whatsoever. As you likely know there's a term in psychology called "perspective taking" and they have no ability to do so. They cannot mirror people, cannot see them and what they are going through. They've been conditioned to see only one side, the side that they've been brainwashed with. Good points about their propaganda.
Well from family relationship perspective , when one of the JWS family members leaves the religion or gets DFed that person is accordingly marked as being partially at fault or deemed spiritually weak..
ie. a man who was looking at getting an elder position is taken off the list because his Dfed son or daughter, essentially hurting that man/brother's chance of being an elder
Also to keep in mind and this has been addressed already is that when one leaves the JWS, those still in or active are restrained from associating with that person that point forward.
This can mean mothers and fathers cant associate freely with their sons and daughters and visa versa.
To date the religious JWS cult has broken apart millions of families due to this doctrinal policy.
Amazing comments!
Yes, it amazes me (and yet it shouldn't be surprising) just how mentally disturbed witnesses are!
My wife and I are not DF or DA, just faded officially. However, we have heard through the grapevine that "they have turned their backs on us"
(ok, so as you all know, we ARE proudly apostate. But officially, there is no reason Jws should act so hurt. No elders have ever taken action)
