Posts by no-zombie

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

no-zombie

I was going to stop commenting on this thread but, is this the best argument you guys can come up with?

I mean really ... just by saying cult ... cult ... cult is not going to improve you position at all.

For god's stake, just go to Wikipedia and type in 'shunning' and 'Unfulfilled Christian religiousness prophesies' and you will see how many mainstream religions still practice disfellowshiping and or have unfulfilled teachings. And then do a bit of math, you will see that the total number of people in that group, its far larger than our tiny 8 million.

OR ... be fair and call them all cults too.

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

no-zombie

So Peacefullpete ...

While I did say that there was problems in the Organization ... are you telling me that we shouldn't disfellowship pedophiles, unrepentant adulterers or willful thieves? I consider it completely just that a pedophile is removed from the congregation. And yes that person has 'reaped what they sowed'.

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

no-zombie

But Notformer ... how many is 'many of its adherents' and what 'damage' are we talking about?

If we are talking about those who get disfellowshiped, as an ex-Elder, I can say most of those people just reaped what they sowed. But if we add the people who leave because of being 'stumbled' to those disfellowshiped, the total annually is not great percentage compared to the number of people who are actually quite happy to be a Witness.

And when we talk about the harm or damage being a Jehovah's Witnesses, you have to ask literally what is the severity of it. And while I'm not trying to minimize the feelings of others, there are a lot of young Karens out in this world who claim 'pain and suffering' from getting cold coffee at their cafe'. In my generation, we understood that bad things happens, but we get over it and move on ... even if you've ended up being an amputee.

Yes in a perfect world, there should be no harm done to anyone, particularly in a religion that claims to follow the loving message of Jesus. But in the real world, full of imperfect people, injustice will occur and people will be hurt.

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

no-zombie

When I read NotFormer's comment I had to laugh, as there's a Monty Pythons sketch about being oppressed.

But seriously, there are problems in the Jehovah's Witness movement; that's for sure. However, if you do a honest ranking of religions worldwide according to the real risk of physical and psychological harm, we are not going to be high up on the list.

A real cult is what is practiced in North Korea.

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

no-zombie

Look ... to the readers who really care ... who the hell is Steve Hassan? Just another guy with an axe to grind.

If you honestly think that Jehovah's Witnesses are a dangerously oppressive cult ... then go an live for 3 months in Afghanistan under the Deobandi version of Sunni Islam. Or take your family to live in Iran under Ayatollah Khamenei. How about living in Somalia when beheading and stoning is the religiously ordered capital punishment and where even being just accused of abusing the Prophet or the Quran, will have you literally pulled apart by an angry mob or covered in petrol and set on fire.

Then come back to any Kingdom Hall ... and try to tell me that you are being oppressed.

Get real people.

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

no-zombie

I'm fully aware of what the Organization is ... however its not a 'cult' as described colloquially. But if people want to go down that road, then they must similarly call our governments; 'cults' ... our educational systems as cults ... and every other religion and faith as one too. This is because everything in this world is a control structure of one kind or another. Even the basic family unit. It all just a measure of degree.

But what everyone must understand is how emotionally charging this word is ... and how if feeds people who like to propagate their own hateful propaganda and baseless conspiracy theories.

No good comes from using it.

11

Revising History

by no-zombie in

while i'm aware of wt books being revised without noting the differences on newer editions (the truth book is a classic example of this) ... is there evidence of the writing committee revising the online versions of wt articles, as compared to the printed editions?.

if there is a previous thread on this topic, just link it ... as these is no need to reinvent the wheel.. thanks.

no-zombie

While I'm aware of WT books being revised without noting the differences on newer editions (the Truth book is a classic example of this) ... is there evidence of the writing committee revising the online versions of WT articles, as compared to the printed editions?

If there is a previous thread on this topic, just link it ... as these is no need to reinvent the wheel.

thanks

18

JW BORG does not have clergy-laity like Christendom! 😄

by BoogerMan in

(because they told us so in a wt!.

w71 6/1 p. 330 par.

10 - "another reason why many feel there is no place for them in the service of god is due to the clergy-laity distinction that is fostered in the churches.

no-zombie

If the Organization doesn't have a clergy class ... the how come does the Society tries to claim clergy penitent privilege as its defence in child abuse litigations?

35

You need to marry a ministerial Servant!

by John Aquila in

a single sister in her 40s and her two single daughters were visiting my mom.

i would say her daughters are in their early 20s.

my mom got sleepy and we put her to bed but the three sisters stayed to finish their drinks..

no-zombie

I think that the comment by the GB regarding marrying a Ministerial Servant was not actually addressed to young Sisters but to the younger Brothers ... to get them to reach out. Its no secrete about the lack of Servants and Elders in the Organization. Due to the combination of young ones leaving the Truth and the remainder who are taking up some kind of career, there isn't enough Brothers coming in to replace the oldies, who are dying off. So in a kind of FOMO attack, the Governing Body is once again twisting people's basic emotions and needs, for its own benefit.

But most of the girls out there in the congregations, are smarter than they look ... and it will be only the fully brainwashed regular pioneers who will wake up one morning when they turn 30, only to realize that they will never marry and have kids of their own.

super sad ... actually

28

Norway didn't fall for it

by Jalisco in

la norvegia non è caduta nella trappola della torre di guardia di agosto.. https://files.accessjw.org/s/sdzfgcgk4bi48jb.

no-zombie

In another part of this request for state funding, I'd just like to recall to everyone's' attention to the fact that the Norwegian Branch actually is responsible for itself (Norway), Denmark, Sweden, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Yes, in a move to consolidate branches and save money, some years ago the Norwegian Branch became the Scandinavia Branch.

Thus it seems that the trend of falling publisher numbers and lower contributions must have continued, for the GB to be so concerned about a measly 1.5 million per year.

On that other point, some are mentioning ... yeh ... all those changes, for no gain. You got to smile about it.