Why Do People WANT To Become One of Jehovah's Witnesses? (page 2)

blondie

clever marketing = lying = deceit

Nice euphemism, CCR.

Blondie

Stefanie

Because they think they will have a better family life to show for it. Thats what I thought.

Some people are drawn to high control because they don't want the burden of deciding what is right and what is wrong. They can relax and not worry about accountability... if something goes wrong they can just say that they were only following "jehover's" instructions (the organization). These are the people who go to the elders with every petty thing they can think of.

A subset of the first one are people who are very patriarchic and love to control people. They see the control of the organization and want to be a part of it so they can become elders, co's, do's, etc... and dominate other people.

Other people are drawn to the promise of absolute truth... they are tired of searching and will accept whatever is presented to them as absolute truth. Which cult they join depends wholly on which cult talks to them first.

Still other people are afraid of death and the promise of living forever on earth and never dieing is very attractive. A subset of this is the people who want to see dead relatives without having to die and go to heaven to see them.

Another group of people are tired of something they don't like in their current church and want something fresh and new... something very different from what they grew up with.

Other people are just social rebels and want to be different from everyone else... so they join the first odd-ball religion that catches their eye... celebrities tend to be in this group.

There are also they young people who are born into it and stick with it because they don't want to loose their friends and family.

Then there are the people who see the exterior look of happiness of JWs. They are usually upset over something terrible that has happened to them and they see the pretty and happy looking JWs and find them very attractive. They are hoping this pretty and happy "thing" about JWs will make their own life more pretty and happy. Once they are "in" they either realize the happiness is just a front and leave, or they stick it out and stay in the organization even though they are even more miserable than before... only they have guilt and perpetual hope that things will improve holding them in.

I'm sure there are many more "types" of people....

ApagaLaLuz

Same reason other people are drawn in to cults. Cults feed upon those who feel they are "missing something." Or those who have emotional issues, or recent life changing events like a death or divorce. They offer them something to feel that void.

undercover

I used to wonder, when I was an active dub, why people couldn't understand what we were offering and if they were honest with themselves how they couldn't accept "the Truth(tm)". It was exasperating to discuss(read "argue") with a householder about our beliefs and they just didn't get it.

Now, I wonder the opposite, why would anyone want to become a witness? If you study up on them, both from their own perspective and an outside perspective, there's no way a normal, sane person would want to subject themselves to this. But yet they get more and more converts.

I feel sure that I would have never joined on my own initative, basically because I'm not a religious person. Even as a JW, I knew that I wasn't a zealous type. I did just enough to get by. I felt it was the right religion, but only because I was told that my whole life. I'm embarrassed now that it took me so long to question it, learn the real truth and then get out.

orangefatcat

I haven't heard lately of anyone Wanting to become a JW.

But I would think they would express interest only to have their questions answered.

You know, like curosity killed the cat.

Love Orangefatcat

HadEnuf

They DO tell you about dfing and why people have this action on them. The problem is everyone's in LALA LAND and they have no concept of what that really does to a person. But most know about it, if they've studied for a while, imo.

Well...when a friend of my husband's was studying with another guy, the PO here (a few years back) told him not to concentrate on the disfellowshipping stuff...they "didn't need to know about that". Such honesty. Jeeeeeeeeeeeshhhhhhh!!! So minimus...sometimes they DO withhold pertinent information concerning disfellowshipping. Unless you were under some sort of evil spell, why would any sane person join a group knowing the severe punishment, mental & emotional anguish they would have to suffer if they strayed from the JW path to paradise? I would have NEVER EVER joined if I had a choice in the beginning (no choices for a 4 yr. old). But I was raised in the group and the mind control did a number on me until I wised up. Cathy L.

got my forty homey?

Bottom line is that only humans recognize thier existence in the grand scheme of things, thus why religons have existed for thousands of years. Its just that men will always hurt and take advantage of other men thus the failing of religon in world history.

RandomTask

I agree with what Chevys said, it fills a need for a lot of people.

It's like my brother in law always tells me, "well at least I have a hope". I mean thats what it comes down to when he acknowledges everything I tell him about what I think of the religion is probably true. Some people just cannot deal with this life that they have, some people need something concrete because they fear the unknown, and religion, especially something as 'specific' as the JW are fill that need for some quite nicely. Every question is explained and answered, the 'hope' is neatly packaged and mass produced for distribution. It doesn't matter if it is true or not, just if someone is convinced enough to believe it.

Why Do People WANT To Become One of Jehovah's Witnesses?

ColdRedRain