Meeting Jehovah's Witnesses at your door was a fresh, new experience. They were nice, friendly and smiled real big. They offered you a group of instant friends and the possibility of being perfect and never dying. Along with your Bible Study you received an instant life. People who loved you and a purpose for living. You didn't have to think anymore, everything was all planned out for you. It's a beautiful spiritual paradise now and an even more grand paradise in the future where everyone and everything is wonderful. You just have to believe and the rest is taken care of.
It sounds too good to be true?
It is.
Once you are enticed by all the niceties (a few weeks, months, years in), then the trap is set. You are told, now that you believe (wish for, hope, want, need) in the paradise, there are a few things you have to give up. Your church, your worldly family (which could include your husband, wife, children, mother, father, brother, sister et al.), your career, your hobbies, your wardrobe, your holidays, your love life, your music, your thoughts, your aspirations, your money, your time, your life.
ok, so you want the paradise really, really bad...and giving up all those things mentioned doesn't seem that much to exchange for it. Now you are baptized. Now you are in the group. You have everything, and they have you.
Now the question is...how do they keep you?
Easy.
They got you to give up all you had in exchange for what they offered. Now they threaten to take it all away.
If you do not do everything they tell you, in the exact way they say...you will not be able to live in paradise.
PLUS, everything we have given you...your church, your new family, your new life will be gone as well. You will end up a poor, lonely person with an empty, useless life and nothing to look forward to only death in disgrace.
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A semi-simplistic look at a complex issue.
Since I was raised as a witness...my scenario was not exactly like the one pictured. However the tactics that were used to keep me a witness were the same. I was told that Jehovah watched everything I did. That if I did anything wrong, I would be displeasing Jehovah. I would displease my family and the entire congregation. I would succumb to Satan and be sucked into his world. I would die a horrible, disgraceful death at Armageddon AND no one would talk to me.
So, I stayed.
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Jehovah's Witnesses use blatant and subtle "scare tactics" to keep their members. On a daily, weekly, monthly basis they are constantly reminded through talks, articles and graphic pictures what will happen if their members to not comply, conform and submit. If you are, were or are considering being a Jehovah's Witness...what "scare tactics" do you see working on you?