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Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses/Informed consent! vs Uninformed consent!

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Expert: - 12/17/2007


Question
The watchower should be legislated to provide a an submit  policies and procedures, terms of  agreement document  giving detailed rules and regulations in every and  all detail of member and organization expectations.

EXAMPLE:

As a member all rights are waived to call into question  any and all conduct, actions of any and all  representation of authority, (elders, circuit, district, overseer, branch committee) breach i.e  reporting misconduct, abuse of authority, arbitrary injustice, judgement, negligence that causes physical, emotional psychological harm out side of the organization. will be sanctioined, with dicipline as far as and up to excommunication.

As a member all rights to whistleblower provision are waived, and will be sanctioned up to and as far as diciplinary action as loss of priviledge or and excommunication.

As a member (women) all rights are waived to free speech, in regards to giving any advise, to younger female members, on grooming, or terminology especially of different race or cultural background as theses will be interpreted as "rebellious, unsubmissive, and subject to sanctions of loss of priviledge.  Even if ones husband does not find scriptual basis for such a ruling.

As a member all rights are waived  to independant bible study group, or disscusion, with outside literature, or and reffrenceses, as this will be viewed as  deviating from organizational interpretation, and doctrine  that will be subject to labeling as apostate, and disfellowshiping.

As a member if you no longer agree to or are comfortable with any of the terms, even if you have not made any sexual, or doctrinal violations you will be labeled and dishonorably dismissed as the same.  And will have no further contact with friends, family, aquaintances, less you risk their immediate expulsion by their contact with you.

Get the idea!

We all know that  noone in their right mind and fully informed would voluntarily  signup for such archaich, drachonian terms  but here we are, because this only comes out when  the circumstances of damage controll, or more frighting just controll.  


Please you who have the legal where-with-all persue this!  Right so very many Wrongs.
And get a windfall!

Answer
Dear Frightened,

Very good contribution, thank you. You have concisely demonstrated one of the main ways in which the Witness organization deprives free choice, by failing to disclose their terms in advance so prospective members can make an informed choice. Instead each of these things is discovered gradually by members, only after it is too late.

I'm not sure who you are referring to by "you who have the legal where-with-all". I am not a person who has legal means to hold the Witness organization accountable.

Courts in the United States have declined to hold religious organizations, even the most reprehensible cults, accountable to basic honesty standards as they hold businesses; because of the ethic for seperation of church and state. Therefore, I know no effective legal means that can be applied to protect informed consent. Instead, I am working to communicate via the Inernet so that at least those who research the issues will have access to information such as this.

Again, thank you for your contribution.

Best wishes,
AndrewXJW

Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses

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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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