Why DO they stay?

BugEye

There is much discussion of the "dumbness" of those still in and the reason that they stay.

Some of the reasons that I have seen are:

They want everything in black and white.
They prefer to leave thinking to others.
They are scared to be shunned.
They are just ignorant souls who are on the "opium of the people"
They dont want others to think bad of them.

While I agree that there is no one single reason and that everyone is different, I feel that the real reason is a much deeper one.

Throughout all of history, mankind has pursued an understanding and knowledge of the future.

From scientific predictions to horoscopes and other various methods, it is almost universal that people seek to know what is coming.

The borg offers that. And it offers thorough training and critical "facts" to support their claims. And although their "facts" are full of holes, to many unaware of the subject material, no matter how "intellegent" they are, the "facts" speak for themselves.

Most of the literature from the WTS is presented in a "textbook" fashion, which impressively convinces people that the contained information must be correct.

So you end up with people who are seeking a future being given "factual" information and regular "pump ups" necessary to continue the falacious thinking which leads them to believe that they do indeed "know" their future.

Even when doubts start to protrude into their comfortable world, they are not then prepared to easily give up what "answers" humanities lifelong passion.

It does not make them stupid, ignorant nor gullible, it just means that they are human like the rest of us.

BugEye

ozziepost

It does not make them stupid, ignorant nor gullible, it just means that they are human like the rest of us.

Quite so, but what of the organisation that controls them? Are they "human like the rest of us"? It's a pity they enforce their 'human' rules as if they were perfect.

Cheers,
Ozzie

"Truth persuades by teaching, but does not teach by persuading."
TERTULLIAN, Adversus Valentinianos

AngelofMuZiC

Hi Bug!!!

Just wanted to say that was a good post. And you are absolutely right!!! Later on Msn babe!

Joanne

Had Enough

Hello BugEye:

Most of the literature from the WTS is presented in a "textbook" fashion, which impressively convinces people that the contained information must be correct.
So you end up with people who are seeking a future being given "factual" information and regular "pump ups" necessary to continue the falacious thinking which leads them to believe that they do indeed "know" their future

Yes indeed...knowing the future as it was "prophecied in the Bible", his promises, his word...was the strongest hold on me fortified by all the "fulfilled prophecies" before us as proof these promises would also come true.

And we felt so privileged to be among those who would "never grow old in this system"..."everlasting life, eternal youth, paradise", promises all backed up with "factual" information. Yes we were human and we trusted other humans we believed were guided by holy spirit. How wrong could they be if they're getting this "factual" information from God?

That, I believe, is why so many of those still in still remain....they're still convinced they're being told the truth by these "humans", some of whom, are probably still humanly hanging on the the beliefs themselves while the remainder are just true-blue borg men.

Ozzie says:

It's a pity they enforce their 'human' rules as if they were perfect.

So true! Perhaps that will come back to smack them in the face soon.

Had Enough

Frenchy

Well put, Bug. The conditioning prevents most people from WANTING to hear anything that might destroy that fragile illusion.

-Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it-

closer2fine

I think my parents are in too deep. They have made too many sacrifices, given up too much to admit they've been wrong all these years. They've chosen the religion over their family, children & grandchildren. If suddenly they were to accept that it was all for nothing - I think they could snap. Seriously.

nelly136

as far as I can remember of my time in, it was a cocooned existance,
protected from the real world by an invisible bubble,insolated from life with a huge golden carrot dangling in front of you....just out of reach of course.
It was easier not to question, it was easier to do as you were told and the only word I can think of off hand to describe being one is 'institutionalised'
nelly

Roamingfeline

BugEye, HadEnough, Frenchy (nice to see ya, Frenchy!) you all hit the nail square on the head, I believe. I know that was a big reason I was in there, and the loss of that dream was the hardest to face when I came out. That's why I'm not usually nasty to the new ones coming out, or fighting to keep their "dream". It's an understandable state of being, and it takes time to come out of the fog the WTBTS creates around your head.

RCat

Pathofthorns

It does not make them stupid, ignorant nor gullible

I beg to disagree and I believe your post proves the opposite of what you are trying to say.

Some of the reasons that I have seen are:
They want everything in black and white.
They prefer to leave thinking to others.
They are scared to be shunned.
They are just ignorant souls who are on the "opium of the people"
They dont want others to think bad of them.

All of these "reasons" are traits of "stupid, ignorant, gullible people. You even used "ignorant souls" in reason #4. We all were this way either by nature or conditioning, otherwise we would not have remained as long as we did.

At the present time, any reasonable person who is a Witness can see clearly there are problems in the congregations (ie. marriages breaking up, "rebellious" youth). There is also more information available to those with doubts than at any other time.

The only ones who might not fit this category are those who are aware of "things" but CHOOSE to remain out of what they feel to be NECESSITY (ie. wife and family active).

No reasonable or thinking person will ever sign up to be a JW. Only the "stupid, ignorant or gullible" do, and that mostly encompasses JW children who have not the intellectual maturity to critically examine things before making such a serious decision.

Being "stupid, ignorant and gullible" combined with fear is what IMO keeps them in.

Path

joelbear

My parents have nowhere else to go. They have given their life to the org and are now just waiting to die. They haven't lived and they know it. They are so ingrained that the Kingdom Hall is their existence. What is odd is that they have no witness friends. They seldom socialize. They actually don't really like most of the witnesses in their community.

Most of my old Valdosta friends are in the same boat. They don't have any alternatives to the org, so it doesn't really come up as a decision making process. They live more than my parents do, but are really content with their very simple lives.

Most of my old Jacksonville friends stay for social connections. Most of the people I knew there hadn't really changed their lifestyle much to be witnesses, unlike my Valdosta friends who shunned college and careers, my friends in Jacksonville were all educated and lived in upper middle class to upper class houses and subdivisions. Other than not celebrating holidays, they resemble their "worldly" counterparts. But they have lots of witness friends and so its easier for them to stay as witnesses.

Why DO they stay?

-Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it-

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