i think of it as a calculated seduction, coercion or brainwashing... you slowly surrender your will for the greater good of the collective. the Stockholm Syndrome enters my mind...
Spiritually raped
by Tigerman 18 Replies latest jw experiences
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Tigerman
It is my belief that any organization that will take a beautiful ( innocent ) child and create a living philosophical replicant of that (mother ) organization - through long term, and intense indoctrination techniques in order increase the organization's power and wealth - is nothing less that a spiritual rapist. The "Gift of Life" has been replaced, in that child, with man made doctrine.
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Balsam
Certainly many religions fall under that catagory of spiritual rape. Making us believe that the Divine is cruel and heartless so as to destroy all who don't agree with their concept of God. To teach people that living blood that can save their lives is a tool of the devil to make them break their integrity is spiritual rape. Religions like that take our trusting nature and desire to know the Divine and twist it all around into something vile and destructive just like the JW's have done.
They speak of blood guilt, yet they are the most blood guilty of all.
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ko38
Putting burdens on people is wrong.How many burdens does the jw have? Hundreds
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Doubtfully Yours
Awwww, pleeeeeasssssssse!
Get off the soap box already!
That terminology is so silly and abstract. The JW's religion is good for some and not so good for others. That's all!
DY
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czarofmischief
Hm... DY... a little abrupt, think ye, mayhaps?
Many are perfectly content within the confines of the religion - this is truth enough. But for many, indeed, most, the confines seem too tight after a while. And then leaving is suddenly not an option.
Imagine you go on a date - all works out, you spend the night. Great!
Imagine you go on a date - you go back to the apartment after a nice dinner, suddenly become uncomfortable when you realize what is happening, try to leave, and then the "date" slams and locks the door and threatens to hurt you and your family if you ever try to leave. That would be rape...
The JW's are, all too often, like the second scenario, when friends and family become hostage to your actions; where obedience trumps morality; where "independent thinking" becomes a source of punishment.
It isn't too much to call it a rape of sorts; although stronger individuals can even recover from physical rape fairly quickly. However, it would be just plain silly to accuse a rape victim of being on a soapbox. I know strong women who have been raped and then gotten over it and gotten on with their lives. I know weak women who have not. Strength is not a virtue we all possess.
Be ye not hasty to judge...
CZAR
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Midget-Sasquatch
I don't see it that way only because in my experience with the WTS, I really only saw them coercing, cajoling, and deceiving people into consenting to that spiritual liason. They manage to fool people into "hooking-up" with them. So its more like a "Player" sucking dry as many easy "marks" as it can in the game.
Its an unscrupulous attitude to abuse the weakness or naivety of others mind you. People are still victims and are rightly enraged to learn of how they were "used". Maybe "spiritual rape" best applies to the budding spirituality of children growing up in the dubs like Tigerman pointed out? Ever notice how many of them are completely atheistic after their experience with the JWs?
Czar
You've almost got me to reconsider my position. But maybe I don't want to admit such a thing, because I am personally still in a situation which you mentioned. I think one could also objectively say that in the case of family being held hostage, the other person grudgingly consents to being "used". At least thats the take I'll settle for at this time. Very good points though man.
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Incense_and_Peppermints
The JW's religion is good for some
really?
who?
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Neo
I compare having a JW upbringing to sexual abuse.
Just like there's sexual abuse, there is spiritual abuse.
After a child/person has been sexually abused for years, it's a challenging task to have a normal sexual life.
Similarly, when someone is fed with the artificial "WT spirituality" for years, it's hard to develop a normal sense of spirituality and to do the things that usually go with it, like prayer. That's why religion is such a big no-no for us ex-dubs. We've been abused.