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Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses/Extensive JW rules
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Question
In your profile you mention that JWs have a lot of rules that they must live by.
I was wondering what are some of those rules that must be obeyed?
How do they affect the lives of JWs?
What are the rules based on?
Your insight would be appreciated
Dear Adrian,
The Watchtower Society is the corporate entity which oversees Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including making the rules which individual members must live by. As would be expected in any high-control group, the Society is very careful about rule-making.
Plausible deniability is a key factor in their approach to rule-making. Nowhere does the Watchtower Society make a clear, straightforward, comprehensive list of the rules that the rank and file Witness must live by. They know that if they were to compile such a list, so that it could be viewed all in one place, they would be likened by their critics to the Pharisees, whom Jesus condemned for making such extensive lists. Also they know that if the average rank and file members actually become aware of the degree to which they are being controlled, some would find it unacceptable; therefore, there is no written list compiled anywhere.
So the Watchtower Society, for the sake of plausible deniability, does not compile a list; yet the absolute requirement of compliance with both written and unwritten rules is understood.
It is only after becoming a Witness, only after studying with them for many years, that it becomes clear how extensive the requirements are; and by that time, indoctrination is so complete that objections and critical thinking faculties are already squashed before it is discovered that there are such extensive rules.
However, former Witnesses generally concur that the list is very extensive. In fact, tens of thousands of Witnesses are expelled every year, supposedly for breaking these rules, which makes the Witness organization a very unusual one.
The effect on the lives of those subject to these rules includes a loss of spontenaeity, an inability to celebrate life, a lingering sense of self-doubt, a persistent uncertainty as to whether "God is pleased with me", fear that despite faithful intention "I might die at Armageddon" anyway, a temptation to hide parts of oneself due to fear of rejection, and a cynical eye (or witch-hunt mentality) toward one's fellowman, even those who are supposedly in the inner circle.
Witnesses would say that ALL their rules are based on holy scripture; but in fact many of their rules are deduced from scriptural interpretations, or involve matters on which the scriptures do not comment at all.
Basically, anything about which an elder can form a personal opinion can be couched in official-sounding language and handed down as tantamount to scriptural law. The ultimate reason all expelled Witnesses get expelled is for refusing to submit to the extensive organizational rules and/or the personal opinions of elders.
SO THE RULES THEMSELVES DO NOT REALLY MATTER. THEY ARE ONLY A CONVENIENT ARRAY OF LITMUS TESTS BY WHICH MEMBERS CAN PROVE "LOYALTY" OR SUBMISSION; AND BY WHICH LEADERS CAN SQUASH "INDEPENDENT THINKING" AND PERSONAL DIGNITY.
Many of the rules themselves are basically "good" rules. What's alarming, however, is the degree of authoritarian repression that removes choice from individuals and places in in the hands of a religious body, and the draconian punishments that are laid upon offenders, who lose their family, their community, their relationship with God, and are often put out of their homes for what most persons in the general public would consider somewhat normal behaviors.
To give a general idea of what kinds of rules I'm referring to, I'll offer a brief list of examples....Although most expelled Witnesses are expelled for either extramarital sex or tobacco use, some Witnesses have been expelled for each of the following "reasons" (generally not for the offense itself, but for refusing to submit to humiliating discipline or "repent" after the offense):
Any homosexual relationship
Any extramarital sex
Certain sexual acts within marriage
Smoking cigarettes, even adults
Hang gliding
Carrying a gun as a police officer
Carrying a gun as a security guard
Hunting for meat or pelts
Drunkenness
All recreational drug use
Seeing a psychologist instead of Witness elders
Seeing a marriage counselor instead of Witness elders
Attending a university (rather than serving the church)
Any and all speech against the church
Wearing a beard
Asking questions that stimulate thinking
Attending a birthday party
Attending a Christmas celebration
Spending "too much" social time with fellow workers or other non-Witness friends
Speaking to a former (expelled) Witness, even a relative
Speaking about having been abused after being told to keep quiet
Taking a blood transfusion to save one's life
Allowing one's child to take a blood transfusion to save his life
I hope this answers your question. Please promote understanding about cults among your close friends and relatives before it is too late for them, as prevention is the best medicine.
Accurate understanding of how cult mind control tactics work are a good innoculation, because then a vulnerable person is more likely to recognize and reject the situation when a cult is trying to recruit him.
Best wishes,
AndrewXJW
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Andrew
Expertise
I don't object to Witness theology, but rather their use of social pressure & deceptive manipulations to undermine family ties and control minds. (This may seem contradictory to Witnesses, who draw no distinction between spiritual belief and organizational policy.) I do not engage in theological debate. I support persons impacted by an experience with the Witnesses and advocate early education for everyone so that they can protect themselves from cults by understanding what to watch out for. (It's not what most people think.)
(Ex-)Witnesses: I know how upsetting it is to experience doubts (or anger) about your experience. Time does not heal this wound until you first remove the splinter, which takes more time and effort than you may realize. So, unless you have already put in that time and effort, don't be surprised if you are deeply affected long after the experience. But there is good news! You're NOT an enemy of God for doubting or for failing to meet the requirements of a human organization. An organization that lies cannot be the exclusive spokesman for the God of Truth. Tell me where you're at. I'll understand. I can show you how to begin or continue your recovery and make a life for yourself worth living.
Non-Witnesses: Describe your experience with your friend/relative who is (becoming) a Witness. I can help you understand the Witness indoctrination and social dynamics that are affecting him or her. I can help you put your options into perspective. Keep in mind that people do make their own choices (even though they may sometimes do so under outside influence) and you may not be able to affect this person's choices, even though they impact on you. After all, you do not have the arsenal of tactics that a cult does (and wouldn't want to). A few people manage to save their friend/relative, but don't count on it. What you can count on is navigating the maze more successfully by becoming more informed about your own options.
Experience
I was a Witness for 30 years, and a volunteer at their headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, for a year. I have attended meetings with many Witness congregations across the United States, a thorough cross-section, carefully observing patterns of behavior. Although being a Witness was difficult, and I gradually had more and more doubts about Witness teachings--I was a true believer, so I kept trying to make it work somehow. I stopped attending meetings in 1997 only after receiving an answer to a prayer about doing so, and have since been actively involved in recovery. This includes both my own and supporting others in theirs. Recovery can include reading books, communicating with others in recovery, and participating in support groups and/or therapy. It always involves reclaiming one's own mind and discovering the other sides of the issues that you have been blinded to in the past.
My gradual awakening was socially, psychologically, and spiritually tumultuous. I lost everything from my former life. My suffering was substantial.
But I have gained everything, so it was worth it. Only after beginning my recovery did I gain social, psychological, and spiritual healing and growth, peace of mind, and self-respect. Only then did I discover who I am; and--for the first time--the meaning of real brotherly love.
For more resources on this topic, try these web sites:
http://freeminds.org/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freedomofmind/
Education/Credentials
Like most Cult Recovery Counselors, I am a cult survivor. I have life experience, not professional training. Also I feel no need to apologize for that. People with professional training cannot understand what it is like to survive a cult unless they have been through it themselves, which few professional therapists have. Understanding what really happened and what works in this unusual social context is as important as psychological training. Most professional therapists are not specifically trained to support cult survivors. Those who are represent a rare and precious resource.
I sometimes refer people to professional therapists regarding deep personal issues. But surviving a cult is a broad experience with other dimensions. Professional therapy can be very helpful as part of your recovery process, assuming that you choose the right therapist. When choosing a therapist, remember that you are the client and they are a service provider. You are the one who holds authority about the relationship. You get to interview the therapist and decide which one to employ.
Be sure to ask what specific training and experience they have around recovery from cult mind control. Most therapists do not have relevant training. Some carry serious misunderstandings about what cult mind control is; and therefore will misunderstand your struggle. So it pays to be selective as a consumer of professional therapy services.
Past/Present Clients
The Witness organization is not like other churches. Most non-Witnesses really cannot imagine what it is like to be a Witness. The organization has unimaginably extensive rules and monitoring that affect every aspect of life, so there is no privacy and no sense of personal independence. "Independent thought" is considered their greatest "sin".
The organization insists on absolute conformity, and claims to directly represent God; so dissent is not tolerated, and authority is totalitarian. Being a Witness is more like living in China or the former Soviet Union than being a member of a religion as you know it. It was the research of Robert J. Lifton, who was studying--not religions--but totalitarian governments, who first began to illuminate the problem of religious cults around the world, which employ exactly the same tactics as totalitarian governments. His work remains a cornerstone for Cult Recovery Counselors still today. (This may be why many governments are tolerant of cults, to avoid exposing their own control tactics.)
Witnesses often experience unusually dysfunctional lives and an extensive array of personal problems stemming from broken family ties, stunted social development, inner unrest resulting from repressed doubts, inability to defend boundaries, and an extreme, persistent feeling of irrational shame. I can help people impacted by an experience with the Witnesses by revealing in detail the policies and social dynamics in the Witness organization that cause these problems.
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