thoughts??
True, to some degree. Once again, for some bizarre reason that I can't find, seems like a lot of people in this forum just don't pay attention to more than 80% of what actually make JWs stay JWs, and that has nothing to do with what you state in your analogy. It has to do with THEIR FEELINGS, not with what is logical, not with facts, not with science, not with information that proves them wrong. FEELINGS. A lot of people fail to see the real reason why people still stick with the "bad doctor", which are not only as valid reasons for them to stay, but also should be addressed as much if not more than what the WT teaches.
Experts in the matter of cults explain and agree that the most common reasons for people to stay in a place like the WT organization are:
- They continue to believe in their Jehovah - they will always find a reason to think that they are not worshiping pedophiles, nor that they are making all their decisions based on what the WT say, they claim that they are serving "Jehovah".
- Protect their investment - they are too involved, family is too involve, their entire social and support system is invested in the WT
- Hold onto family - need not say more about this one
- Relationships can be real and solid - they feel that there's absolutely nothing for them outside the WT
- Pride / embarassment - this is pretty much every other American JW I know
- Fear - the way they think the world and their lives will be without the WT is scary; they are afraid of losing what has become their sense of security, even if they know it's a false sense of security
If you look at those things, a lot, in fact, most JWs and ex-JWs agree that those are the reasons why they stay, why they prefer to fade instead of getting disfellowshipped, why they need support when they finally leave. None of it has anything to do with logic or reasoning.
Many JWs are very decent people. Many are very intelligent people too. So it's not about their values nor their capacity to think; its about how they feel.