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Critics of Jehovah`s Witnesses/How Witnesses Succeed Despite Sometimes Obvious Errors
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Question
Hello Andrew, my name is Crystal, and my husband and I just moved into a neighborhood about a month ago. It was not long after that a very nice man came to the door and aked what I knew about Jehovah's Witness. Here we go. It is my nature to avoid confrontation, so I was polite but I know JW teachings are not for me. My mother tried it in her pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, and needless to say it was not for her, either. So my response to his question was that I didn't know much about it, which was true. Instead of just telling him no thank you I accepted the literature and I decided to read it, just so I would be armed with knowledge to make him understand that I wasn't intersted. What I saw was unbelievable. I can't uderstand how they could actully say that in essence everyone but JW's would be killed in Armegeddon. If the way to the Heaven that they belive in is to shun all others incluing the parents who gave me life or the siblings who accept me for all my faults or the friends who understand and love me or even the husband whom I share my life with because thay don't believe in a religion that, in my opinion, is completely totalitarian and preys on the weak and easily influenced, that is not the kind of Heaven that I want to go to. What I understand of Amageddon in the first place(which has been mistranslated and true meaning has been lost over the centuries) is not death and destruction to non-believers and sinners, but a revelation, to enlighten, and not just a picking and choosing of certain religions! Everyone is entitled to enlightenment. The God that I believe in is one of joy and undertstnding, one of no preference of people be they any race or religion or sexual orientation. I believe that if you follow the basic principles of life i.e., do not kill, do not steal, be kind to your fellow man and woman you would be truly rewarded in Heaven. This is what I told the nice man who came to my door, and what was my response? A laugh in the face. He told me the only way anyone was to get into Heaven was to believe waht he did, to do as his religion directed, and when the Armageddon was upon us ny non-believers of Jehovah would be killed by him. Or at least , that was my understaning. If he's right, I'm hellbound. It is not my place to determine what religion is right. Everyone is entitled to thier opinion, whether I believe in it or not. But when I have someone at my door, at my home, telling me I'm wrong, it makes me wonder how this religion gathers followers? If this kind of dictatorship religion is for some people, be happy! But not for one minute believe that I'm going to swallow this nonsense. What I'm trying to ask here is how did this religion become? What person with such a self serving agenda lured people into this? And what of the people who willingly join such a, well, a cult like religion? Forgive me for my rant, but if you could answer my questions, I would appreciate it very much
Sincerely, Crystal
Dear Crystal,
> If this kind of dictatorship religion is for some people,
> be happy! But not for one minute believe that I'm going
> to swallow this nonsense.
Good for you! I'm so happy to hear that you have a strongly developed sense of critical thinking and mental boundaries. Even though you did not know what to watch out for in terms of the insidious tactics they use, your b*llsh*t alarm went off anyway! That's wonderful. Always trust your gut about such things.
> But when I have someone at my door, at my home, telling
> me I'm wrong, it makes me wonder how this religion
> gathers followers?
When they finally do manage to convince people using their pursuasive intellectual arguments, what they offer is very enticing because it's a very big promise. If it were really true, I'd go for it myself in spite of the liabilities! It wasn't until I began discovering the lies that I was able to recognize how hollow and misguided their promises are. It's a case of "when something seems too good to be true, it probably is". Yet offering their promises that seem too good to be true can be very enticing to people who believe their promises and polished intellectual arguments.
> What I'm trying to ask here is how did this religion
> become? What person with such a self serving agenda lured
> people into this? And what of the people who willingly
> join such a, well, a cult like religion? Forgive me for
> my rant, but if you could answer my questions
The organization began in the 1870's, and was gentler in it's earlier form than it is today. As the date advances, they believe the world is approaching closer and closer to Armageddon, and their message accordingly gets more and more harsh and direct, since they believe they are sounding a last warning for a doomed world.
Very few people (if anyone) join cult religions aware that they are doing so. The problem is that there is very little education available in mainstream culture about what cults are and how they operate and how to protect oneself. Due to US Constitutional protection of freedom of religion, the Witnesses often win lawsuits against them because it is not widely understood how cults operate and actually TERMINATE the freedom of religion which the Constitution seeks to protect.
Add to this the misinformation spread by Hollywood, and people end up completely unprepared for the seductive messages that cults often deliver. Had the amateur minister who visited you been a bit more practiced, even you might have been seduced. I am glad that he was perhaps a bit inept. As he progresses in his career as a Witness, where he will receive training to polish his proselytizing skills on the order of 20 hours a month or more, he will become more skillful, and his delivery more seductive.
People cannot protect themselves from orchestrated systems of manipulation that overwhelm their mental defenses when they do not even know what to watch out for. Even educated people are vulnerable until they know exactly what to watch out for.
Add to this the fact that Witnesses are very frequent on their door-to-door ministry, and therefore will more likely reach a person on a bad day when they are feeling weak, and looking for a way out of a difficult problem. Then the Witnesses' message may seem more attractive than usual. Cults are known to "prey upon" people when they are at their weakest moment, and in the case of the Witnesses, I think this works out only as a result of the law of averages because they cover their "territory" so frequently.
I hope this puts the phenomenon in perspective for you.
Best wishes,
Andrew
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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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