A good question to ask jws, and an important realization for me.

Check_Your_Premises

One of the things that I could never rationalize is the way the jws all claim to believe the same things. I mean seriously, you can't get 4 people to decide on dinner! How are you going to get 6 million to agree on countless and everchanging doctrinal pronouncements. It simply can't be true! Yet they all claim that it is.

What I came to realize, and this isn't all that profound because ex-jws say this all the time, is that none of them agree with all of the teachings. They all have things they disagree with. But since they all think the teachings came from God's org, they figure "God will change the thing I disagree with, or He will change me."

So then I brought this up to my wife. At first the cult personality resisted but she had to admit that she doesn't agree with everything, and the attitude I described was accurate in her case. She even muttered something about "many of these minor things just come from men". That wasn't easy for her to say or realize.

A minor point, but try it out on your jw-cult-member loved ones.

Neo

none of them agree with all of the teachings. They all have things they disagree with.

So very true. Every dub has something that can be used to open their mind.

So then I brought this up to my wife. At first the cult personality resisted but she had to admit that she doesn't agree with everything. (...) She even muttered something about "many of these minor things just come from men".

Very good suggestion! It can be the first crack on the WT mould.

Scully

she had to admit that she doesn't agree with everything

wow... how did she manage to get baptized then? Did she just say what she thought the elders wanted to hear when they went through the baptismal questions with her?

It sounds like there's still hope for your wife... in time.

diamondblue1974

Everyone has their wedge, lever or buttons to press....you just have to find em

ezekiel3

I understand your point but...

what's the question??

Check_Your_Premises

The question is "do you as a jw agree with everything". They will say yes, but of course the answer is no. SO then you explain to them that really they do, but "because it is God's org, you figure the org will change or you will". That is acceptable to them, and it is absolutely true. So insist and say, "you agree with absolutely everything?! You don't have anything you don't like?!"

Keep on them, and they will fess up.

When people are in cults, part of them wants to be free. If you listen, they will tell you how to free them.

A Paduan

A man can split a rock after he reads it, finds a seam and works the same seam or spot, striking a blow at the right time when the rock is properly supported on the opposite side - ie. not cushioned all round, but opposed

ezekiel3

If you listen, they will tell you how to free them.

Agreed.

By pursuing this method, I have found how much JWs actually worship their organization, not god.

There is a construct in the JW mind that will not allow them to conflict with the WTS, no matter what their common sense or (warning: loaded language) "independant thinking" tells them.

So while you may get JWs to admit that they are (warning: loaded language) "waiting on Jehovah" to clarify, make sure to take baby steps.

You can make progress though. I'm surrounded by (warning: loaded language) "weak" JWs that insist that they have to do nothing special in order to survive Armageddon (because "Jehovah knows their hearts"), while by their actions they disagree with most of the dictates from the WTS.

Now all that's left is to remove the Armageddon chip.

Check_Your_Premises

Exactly. Build up trust. Plant the seeds of doubt. Plant seeds to remove phobias. Help them to find out about OTHER mind control groups.

Check_Your_Premises

Slow-Steady-Deliberate-Relentless

A good question to ask jws, and an important realization for me.

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