Goodstein - Also, the congregation I am in now is mostly educated and super-liberal (would love to share some funny annecdotes, but they might be personally identifiable...) which makes it harder to leave, because they aren't doing anything particularly cultist-like. (I don't think that the WTS is actually a destructive cult except maybe at Bethel; it's sort of in Hassan's gray zone.)
Welcome Goodstein to JWN, It seems like you may have read Steve Hassan's books, but do you fully understand how Steve Hassan uses his BITE model to evaluate an organization? If you answer yes to all of the following four questions about people in your current congregation than you are in a dangerous cult:
- Do you feel that you will be shunned (or marked) for giving a talk at your congregation in which you respectfully disagree with the GB?
- Do you feel that you will be shunned for reading from "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz or "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones to Leave Controlloing People, Cults and Beleifs" by Steve Hassan to your congregation?
- Do you feel that you will be shunned (or marked) for announcing to your congregation that you are a member of JWN, you post on JWN, and you read controversial books (i.e., Raymond Franz's and Steve Hassan's books)?
- Do you feel that you will be shunned for accepting a blood transfusion instead of refusing a transfusion and dying?
I am 100% positive that you would not fear being shunned if you did the aforementioned in a mainstream religion. You belong to a DANGEROUS CULT!!
If you want to determine how deeply controlled your father is, invite him to go on father-son vacation at the same time that a convention is being held. If he insists that he must go to the convention instead of spending time with you, you will have your answer about how deeply controlled he is.
Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,
Robert