On a macro level, the Witnesses are pretty harmless

logansrun

WARNING: This post may be damaging to your biases.

It seems to me that the "danger" the Witnesses pose to larger society is, well, pretty damn small. Just think about it: The Witnesses are almost not involved in politics at all, except the occassional "freedom of religion and speech" issues they take to various courts, issues I am happy to support the Witnesses in, even if I strongly disagree with their beliefs. You will not see JWs supporting banning abortions or gay marriages or a whole host of other civil liberties and freedoms that Evangelicals rally around like the village people searching for Frankenstein's monster.

In the school system the JWs will not support creationism or intelligent design, even though they pretty much agree with those causes, since they are "no part of the world" and are too busy passing out cheesy magazines to people that will, in all likelihood, never even read them, let alone actually become Witnesses.

So, in politics and education the Witnesses pretty much are non-entities, or peripherally a force for good (in the "just like Larry Flynnt promoted free speech" force for good).

Medicine? Hell, if the doctor said it didn't matter one way or the other whether I had surgury with a blood transfusion or bloodless surgury I would choose the latter. You have to admit, the JWs have helped to promote better medicinal practices.

So, when it comes to greater society -- which, of course, is far and away mostly people who have never been JWs -- the Witnesses pose no real threat at all. None. Nada. They are not even on the radar screen. Booooorrrrrinng.

It's only on the micro-level -- on current JWs and ex-JWs -- that the Watcthower can have a negative effect. And, even then, I sometimes wonder where some JWs would be if they didn't have a worldwide organization telling them how to sneeze. Some people are better off in a cult. Ouch.

B.

mrsjones5

Actually youre right. In the big picture jws are just dots. I've said this to a few jws and they seemed to be amazed that I have that opinion about them.

ezekiel3

Some people are better off in a cult.

Good post. You have a point. Sadly many JWs are exactly where they want to be, even if it was proved that they live in a fanstasy.

This does not negate the point that these people need help. While some are lost causes, there are thousands of JW children drowning their future in a baptism pool.

Other people are trully dispairing and lost in this world. They need help to identify cults (not just JWs) that would capitalize on their distress.

"From a distance," says Bette, everything looks great.

logansrun

Exactly, MrsJones.

I point this out because some people here really believe that the JWs are some big "threat to society." One poster even went so far as to say that the JWs are the thing they "hate the most in life." (exact words)

Right. We have terrorism, genocide, global pandemics, natural disasters and some little publishing company from Brooklyn that will kick members out if they go to war or murder is the thing they "hate the most in life" simply because they got burned. Some of us have to seriously re-think our lives, I dare say.

B.

wanderlustguy

I agree as far a society as a whole and the way the world views them, but as far a group of abused people...they're pretty significant.

Just imagine if we actually knew about all the cases of child abuse that really exist in the org...I wonder how harmless people would think they were after seeing that statistic.

WLG

logansrun

ezekiel,

While some are lost causes, there are thousands of JW children drowning their future in a baptism pool.

And, is that so bad? It's not like they are being baptized to be trained assasins or are being told to vote Republican or something. Besides, most young Dubs are almost indistinguishable from worldlies except for no visible tattoos and they don't say Merry Christmas. A large chunk of JW kids have sex, go to college, drink like hell, get married and live their little lives. Big whoop.

Other people are trully dispairing and lost in this world. They need help to identify cults (not just JWs) that would capitalize on their distress.

Just like some young men need to go to the Army to "find themselves", some people need a high control religion like the Dubs to tell them not to smoke, to use soap and to refrain from kicking people in the teeth. Sure, I'd recommend they try the Mormons first since they seem to do more for their people -- and they have a kick-ass choir -- but the Dubs aren't so bad. At least they have a one hour costume drama once a year.

B.

SixofNine

"some people are better off in a cult"

Better off than what? Crack cocaine addiction? Run-of-the-mill freedom of thought?

wanderlustguy

You know I thought about this a little more...the reason the organizations is so dangerous, is BECAUSE at a macro level people think it's harmless.

over 6 Million people...brainwashed, beating their kids, tricking them into having no future, no retirement, etc.

It's far from harmless.

kls

Try living with one and raising kids , then we will talk.

mrsjones5

No they are not harmless, far from it, but they (the organisation, the society, the rank and file jws) are not as important as they seem to think they are. And if you point it out to them (at least the ones I've spoken to) they have this "surely you jest" attitude like somehow youre not right in the brain.

On a macro level, the Witnesses are pretty harmless

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