You are here:
- Home
- Religion/Spirituality
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses
- Instability, Govt, Religion, Entrapment
Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses/Instability, Govt, Religion, Entrapment
Advertisement
Question
Yes, Hi.
I was just wondering if you know why this world is in such dire conditions right now, and who to look to for help since all the governments are in such a state of turmoil and appear to be spiraling deeper and deeper into helplessness. Seems like something could snap at any given time anywhere. It's really kind of scary and I don't feel comfortable about the future!
Do you have any recommendations on a way out of this mess? It feels like the walls are closing in on all of us. I don't want to become selfish and just go into denial. What's up with the jw's? What are they doing that's so bad to people? I don't trust the governments or where the world is heading and want to know who I can trust. It seems like they've been warning about the governments. The governments are killing people for disgusting reasons. The governments use mind contol, or worse yet, control by military force. Our (US) government is not discluded. Why are the jw's the only christian group that makes such a big deal out of it and stays out of government? I mean, why do all the other religions bow down to governments and forsake their beleifs when the pressure is put on them?
I'm sorry for so much questions, but I've been thinking alot!
Thanks, Ed
Dear Ed,
There's nothing wrong with being worried. Anyone who's truly conscious would be. Some or all of your concerns are surely legitimate.
However, there is potentially another layer of this experience you may not be aware of. You are at a crossroads in your life. There's nothing wrong with "thinking a lot" but do be cautious about any major decisions at this point in your life. Keep your family and best friends close to you. Discuss your concerns with them. They will help you keep your life on a solid foundation, even though your concerns are profound.
It is most primarily people who are at a crossroads like you are right now who become the prey of cult organizations like Jehovah's Witnesses. People who are looking for better alternatives tend to believe things that are too good to be true. They also may be in the process of switching loyalties, re-evaluating their worldview, and may finally have the motivation to change their lifestyle. All these things can be beneficial. But they can also put you at risk when a cult recruiter comes to call. So do be extra cautious during times like this. The next decades of your life depend on the decisions you make THIS YEAR.
I agree that the world is a mess and governments are untrustworthy. Our global economy built on unsustainable banking practices and dependence on petroleum, which is at or near it's production peak, coupled with population levels that it may not be possible to feed after the end of cheap petroleum, has created a very unstable world indeed. The world as we know it may collapse into barbarism in the near future. Some of what the JW's teach is no doubt correct.
But that doesn't mean that their proposed "way out" is a right one nor that their methods are what they purport to be nor that the rest of what they say is true. One has to mix some truth in with the lies or everyone would reject it outright. Cult organizations have to walk a careful razor's edge of plausible deniability. They have to appear credible while saying things that are entirely incredible, so critical thinking faculties are required, and anything that influences you to suspend your critical thinking faculties at a time when you need them most is contrary to your interests.
What JW's do that is "so bad to people" is, simply put, abuse of power. The Witness leadership pulls over the eyes of members the most massive web of deception imaginable while pretending to speak 100% absolute truth. The leadership speaks unsubstantiated speculation while pretending to be the direct mouthpiece of God. They employ the tactics of cult mind control, as every other cult organization does, in order to keep people under control (albeit supposedly for their own good). Ask yourself: Can an organization that tells massive lies in order to control be the unique spokesman for the God of Truth, a god who says that he wants his people to exercise free will?
The result of these abuses is broken families, mental illness, distorted social behaviors and relationships, higher rates of suicide, and most especially LOSS OF JOY AND FREEDOM for a pipe dream.
You are saying that other religions bow down to corrupt governments and therefore they cannot be the right religion, yet JW's don't, and therefore they must be the right religion. To say "it is not this so it must be that" is a straw man argument. This is a form of deception. Just because "it isn't this"--this isn't a valid reason to conclude that "it must be that". Sound critical thinking faculties might require you to look for a third option.
Yes, governments use control including mind control. Is that justification to adopt a religion that uses mind control with even tighter constraints? I believe it's the reasons governments tolerate religions like Jehovah's Witnesses, because to expose the error of the Witnesses, governments would have to alert people to their own tactics, thereby undermining their own tactics of power. So governments tolerate cult religions in order to avoid calling attention to their own control methods.
Is it not better to reach for freedom in every way we can? To reach for true answers rather than accept prepackaged nice-sounding answers? Please keep up your search, but do not settle for something that sounds too good to be true, because things that sound too good to be true are not true.
Blessings,
AndrewXJW
Related Articles
- International Religious Freedom Report 2000: Nepal
- International Religious Freedom Report 1999: Nigeria
- International Religious Freedom Report 1999: Swaziland
- R. Lawrence Siegel on Public vs. Private Religion: How Far Does Church/State Separation Go?
- Myth: It's Impossible to Treat All Religions Equally or be Religiously Neutral - Is it True that Religious Neutrality is Impossible?
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.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.