Yes, their more extremist cousins the Exclusive Brethren are similar to JWs in lots of ways.
Mickey mouse
JoinedPosts by Mickey mouse
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Plymouth Brethren, ever heard of them?
by exwhyzee inthis religion was started in ireland around the same time as the jw's were in the mid to late 1800's.
and is still alive today in europe and america.
my grandfather and his family were of this religion.
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"Mentally diseased" article to be published in The Independent tomorrow
by cedars inhi everyone.
as a parting gift to you all before i take a much needed break from this forum, i thought you would be pleased to know that the independent, a leading uk newspaper, will be publishing a piece on the "mentally diseased" watchtower article in tomorrow's edition.. i would like to thank everybody who has assisted the journalist, jerome taylor, in his investigation.. best wishes to all of you,.
cedars.
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Mickey mouse
THE official magazine of the Jehovah's Witnesses - the church best known for its doorknocking to gain recruits - has described those who quit the religion as "mentally diseased".
A members-only version of the Watchtower magazine, which states official church doctrine, describes defectors from the religion as apostates and likens them to someone infected with a "contagious, deadly disease ... who seeks to infect others".
The magazine instructs Jehovah's Witnesses to avoid greeting or speaking to anyone who has left the religion so they cannot be "deceived" by them.
It also tells them they should never watch a TV show or visit websites that highlight "fabricated" criticism of the religion and reinforces a directive that parents should shun children who are expelled from or quit the religion.
The religion's tactic of "disfellowshipping" and shunning those who quit the religion or dispute official church teachings will come under scrutiny at a national conference in Canberra next month that aims to alert lawmakers to the need for tougher laws to protect vulnerable people from controlling religions.
John McAlpin, a spokesman for the Cult Information and Family Support group, said high-control religions commonly used the threat of being banished and shunned by family and friends to maintain a grip on members and silence criticism.
"Cults recruit people who think this is the next big thing in their life, but the mind control they employ is insidious," he said.
"Once they're in, people are not allowed to think for themselves and they lose control of their lives.
"They're convinced that they will be the only ones who will survive the destruction of the world, that theirs is the one true religion and are threatened that if they leave the cult they will lose their family."
The seminar will be co-hosted by independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who has raised concerns in Parliament about Scientology and the Exclusive Brethren in the past.
Figures from Jehovah's Witnesses show that they have 65,000 active door-to-door preachers in Australia and that more than 1200 were baptised as members last year.
A major sociological study of the religion by English researcher Andrew Holden found that devotees were urged to limit their contact with the outside world and typically ended up with a social circle consisting only of other Jehovah's Witnesses.
This, the study found, added to their trauma if they wished to leave.
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FAO cedars
by Mickey mouse indid you see this?.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/social/current/216573/1/australia-newspaper-alerts-jws-likens-defectors-to-contagious-deadly-disease.
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Attention those in UK re 'mentally diseased'
by Mickey mouse ini saw this on another forum and thought it was worth sharing:.
hi guys and gals.
ok... so we have all read the wt and the comment about us being mentally deseased?........
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Mickey mouse
Will do cedars, thanks (and to you fokyc).
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Australia Newspaper alerts: JWs likens "defectors to 'contagious deadly disease'
by Gayle inhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/jehovas-witnesses-defectors-cop-a-blast/story-fn7x8me2-1226155212128.
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Mickey mouse
THE official magazine of the Jehovah's Witnesses - the church best known for its doorknocking to gain recruits - has described those who quit the religion as "mentally diseased".
A members-only version of the Watchtower magazine, which states official church doctrine, describes defectors from the religion as apostates and likens them to someone infected with a "contagious, deadly disease ... who seeks to infect others".
The magazine instructs Jehovah's Witnesses to avoid greeting or speaking to anyone who has left the religion so they cannot be "deceived" by them.
It also tells them they should never watch a TV show or visit websites that highlight "fabricated" criticism of the religion and reinforces a directive that parents should shun children who are expelled from or quit the religion.
The religion's tactic of "disfellowshipping" and shunning those who quit the religion or dispute official church teachings will come under scrutiny at a national conference in Canberra next month that aims to alert lawmakers to the need for tougher laws to protect vulnerable people from controlling religions.
John McAlpin, a spokesman for the Cult Information and Family Support group, said high-control religions commonly used the threat of being banished and shunned by family and friends to maintain a grip on members and silence criticism.
"Cults recruit people who think this is the next big thing in their life, but the mind control they employ is insidious," he said.
"Once they're in, people are not allowed to think for themselves and they lose control of their lives.
"They're convinced that they will be the only ones who will survive the destruction of the world, that theirs is the one true religion and are threatened that if they leave the cult they will lose their family."
The seminar will be co-hosted by independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who has raised concerns in Parliament about Scientology and the Exclusive Brethren in the past.
Figures from Jehovah's Witnesses show that they have 65,000 active door-to-door preachers in Australia and that more than 1200 were baptised as members last year.
A major sociological study of the religion by English researcher Andrew Holden found that devotees were urged to limit their contact with the outside world and typically ended up with a social circle consisting only of other Jehovah's Witnesses.
This, the study found, added to their trauma if they wished to leave.
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Attention those in UK re 'mentally diseased'
by Mickey mouse ini saw this on another forum and thought it was worth sharing:.
hi guys and gals.
ok... so we have all read the wt and the comment about us being mentally deseased?........
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Mickey mouse
I saw this on another forum and thought it was worth sharing:
hi guys and gals
ok... so we have all read the wt and the comment about us being mentally deseased?........ well I brought it to the attention of a freind in my locality , who is also an ex jw.... he was incensed, after reading the article in the uk's independant newspaper on the 27th sept here in the uk....
he sent an email to a mental health institution outlining his utter discust, that this is going on in this day and age!! this evening they have replied and suggested he send an email of of complaint to http://www.wordsmatter.org.uk
they are a charity that can take action and make a difference....
so dont let this opportunity pass by.... if you luive in the uk.... or even if you dont please report this awfull watchtower article of july 11th.......the more noise made the better......
regards
vivahttp://www.jehovahswitnessrecovery.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10636
So I had a look at the 'words matter' website. This is what it says on the landing page:
"WordsMatter aims to establish a systematic process for encouraging people to praise good, and challenge poor, reporting on mental health issues. It comprises this web-based service which alerts subscribers to selected items, allowing them the opportunity to contact the media concerned through this website."
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My story, one of the lucky ones
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ok, finally here is an abbreviated version of my story.
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Mickey mouse
Welcome and thanks for sharing your story.
I recall a couple of occasions on the ministry where I spoke to someone who made me think. Looking back, I see that they knew the org was a cult and they were planting seeds.
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told my parents to never ever tell me they love me again....
by oompa in...i told them in a very serious sitdown in their living room....said..."because if you cant show it then it does not count...that is not real love no matter who tells you it is....because it is how it makes me feel that determines if it is love....not if you just say it...and me and my sons do not feel that love at all now"....and i stayed calm and talked slowly and barely shed a tear as i held them back...and i had asked them to not say a word but just listen...dad said they would as long as it was not about religion as i knew he would.
this was two of the worst days of my life in a row..i told them the pain me and my boys feel from their shunning is worse than if they had died...that then i could grieve naturally and move on because that is normal....grief helps you cope...my grief is different because they choose to act like i am dead and normal grief does not seem to work on that.
i shared an epiphany with them i had about mens rules vs gods great idea of dna (but no i am not sure about a god anymore)it went kinda like this:.
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Mickey mouse
They have 'no natural affection', yet that's what they accuse the world of. Unbelievable.
So glad at least some of your kids are with you though. I hope your wife will see sense in time.
MM. x
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{Sigh}, I could use a hug...
by Billy the Ex-Bethelite inmy first two exams were this week.
things didn't go well.
the classes are tough -- math and science.
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Mickey mouse
((((Billy))) have a big sisterly hug from MM.
I know how you feel, I have days when I feel out of my depth, they usually coincinde with some bull shit being studied in a Watchtower or my family hassling me to do more.
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Mickey mouse
I am so very sorry to hear that. What a mix of emotions you must be experiencing.