Fleur,
I agree that most people who are raised in a cult have limited acountability up to a certain age. I just wonder at what age would you consider someone in a cult accountable for say murder? You see the suicide bombers who are 12...I don't consider them accountable for their actions because they are IMHO coerced into this by adults....but 16...18...what is the age where you feel that the person SHOULD know something like this is wrong?
Six,
Is anyone truely innocent?
Mary,
Adam was quite the blame shifter, wasn't he??? lol course Eve wasn't any better, she blamed the talking snake
five-crew,
Accountability seems to be a hard thing for people. I for one enjoy growing and learning new things instead of wallowing in self-pity, blaming everyone else for choices I made. Where would the world be if no one was to blame for anything?
It does seem amazingly hard for some people doesn't it? I have to admit I have been quilty from time to time of blaming others for my bad choices...it's so much easier than saying "yea I screwed up". You sound like you have a really good take on life
dh,
i was born a jw, my parents still are, it wasn't great but i do not blame them at all, they thought what they were doing is right, it wasn't, but so what, we all make mistakes
I think most parents do the best they can for their kids...I'm hoping my kid cuts me some slack for the mistakes I am probably making!
sure there are victims out there who are within their rights to blame, victims of abuse etc, i cannot speak about that much because it never happened to me, if i was abused i would probably blame and be full of hate, but for different reasons than now.
That brings up an interesting question in my mind anyway...are victums of abuse less accountable if they continue the chain of abuse? At what point are they accountable for their actions? Are they less accountable than say someone who was never abused who commits abuse?
Jankyn,
You know, as much as I dislike JW doctrine, I must say that there's one thing I did learn from them that I believe has been worthwhile, and that's the importance of following your conscience, no matter what others are doing, no matter what the consequences. It just took me awhile to find my own conscience, as opposed to the rigid set of man-made rules they raised me with.
Good point...lol I certainly have a thicker skin and no issues about doing what I think is right even if it isn't popular ...only now I tend to make more informed choices, as I am sure do you!
Badger,
Repeat after me..."I am responsible for my own happiness"
pratt1,
A bad childhood is no excuse to make bad or unwise choices in life as an adult.
God forbid that one of these kids is an independant thinker and decides to make a lif choice different form their parents teaching.
Those statements seem to cancel each other out...if you are never taught to think independantly...to question...then do you lose some element of responsibilty to make choices independantly?
Sassy,
as for blame.. I know that some resides with that tools and thought we were given that were out of our control, so being mislead does account for something...... HOWEVER, we also have our own tools to do something about our lives once we know the truth. Holding blame in and letting it control our lives or keep an negative impact on us..
What if you never learn the truth, does that cancel out accountablity for your actions? Are JW's who don't know any better now accountable for the shunning they do or with holding blood transfusions from their children?
Chevy,
I blame the Governing Body who insist on Playing God over the lives of ignorant people.
So do we have no accountability then for allowing them to play these games with us?
E-man,
As I've got older I've realised that life is what you make it. If you blame others then you're helpless and can't make changes. I don't believe in blame any more.
What I do believe in is in taking responsibilty for where we find ourselves. This gives us our power for life.
Good philosophy and one I try to live by....(key word is TRY )
sorry it took me so long to respond to this thread...
