i was thinking about how much fear there is among jehovah's witnesses in relating to each other.. if you could read the private thoughts of jw's, you'd probably be surprised at the level of fear they have of each other.. this fear is not likely to be the morbid kind of fear, but the other kind of fear that concerns "what will people think of me?".
you watched a movie at the weekend, it was rated pg, but you are afraid to tell your friends that you went to see it.. you were only able to report 4 hours of field service that month, but you are afraid to report this number so you tweak it.. you missed several meetings due to sickness, you still feel unwell, but you fear what the congregation may think so you force yourself to go.. you went on a weekend getaway, but you are afraid to tell the friends why you were missing that weekend in case they think you put kingdom interests last.. you watched a good book, but you are afraid to talk about it to your friends because they might be stumbled.. you heard of someone who got disfellowshipped but you are afraid to ask what happened.. you were unable to take friday off for the convention, but you fear what will be said about you.. you did not auxiliary pioneer during the memorial season and you are afraid people will think of you as spiritually weak.. .
not everyone will let these things bother them, but many do.. this climate of fear and worry about what the congregation may or may not think does not contribute to a loving atmosphere.. what other things can you think of that contribute to a climate of fear?.
Probably also the fact that you will not inherit God's kingdom if you do not remain faithful. Question is, remain faithful to whom? An organisation that pick and choose their own understanding of the Bible.
Another fear factor, that your friends and other family member will "cut you off."
Completely agree that fear is what drives the organisation and pretty much all organised religion.
