Robert J Lifton's loaded language

by Faraon 1 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Faraon
    Faraon

    I know that there are some posts in the old H20 and elsewhere in the net about the peculiar words/phrases used by the WT as an example of loaded language in Robert J Lifton's research. I found something by Jan Groenveld (May she rest in peace), who gave me a lot of support in the early years when I left the Borg nine years ago at http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030801/JWANDMEDICINE5/204017 . I decided to start a language interpreter and beliefs of JWs for Non-XJWs. Please feel free to add them. if you can find the links to something alike, please post them. These are based, or sometimes copied by the above link by me. Not the original, so don't blame them. This link is very interesting.

    To go beyond the 'truth' - beyond what they teach. This shows you are thinking for yourself and put yourself above leadership.

    Independent thinking - Not making comments from your own thoughts at the meetings. Only comments from the study articles are permitted.

    Food at the proper time ? Changes in doctrine, like ?New Light?, but it refers to publishing it.

    Publisher record card ? Like a child?s report card, but this one is hidden from the child.

    Keeping the congregation clean - Report on fellow brothers & sisters (cannot get away from organization). Monitoring or observation of disfellowshipped or marked people

    Non-Witness ? Bad association, wordly person under the control of Satan.

    Sheep condition ? being gullible and submissive.

    Goat condition ? Someone with a working mind, or not being under mind control.

    Higher Education - discouraged until the nineties, except for scholars needed to defend the organization, proofreaders, accountants, lawyers, etc. serving the needs of the Borg - better to go door-to-door

    Employment ? A tool of Satan that takes up time, which should be devoted to Watchtower. Should be 'buying out the opportune time' in 'theocratic activities'.

    Personal study - self-indoctrination in which a member of the corporation must use only WT materials.

    Shepherding ? Making sure that those who fall behind keep their monthly quota feel bad about it or are ?lovingly? bullied into submission by insinuations of disfellowshiping.

    UN ? An agent of Satan, unless the organization needs a library card.

    Higher purpose ? Increasing the bankroll or the power of the Organization

    Lie ? The forgiven truth, as defined by theocratic warfare. Lying to ranking members is not considered theocratic warfare, and will result in disfellowshiping. Equivalent to what some cults like Moonies and Hare Krishna's, but they call their deception "heavenly deception" or "transcendental trickery".

    Spiritual : Members kept in a frenzy of cult related activities. There is little time or energy to think about their lifestyle.

    Mature Christian ? A person who feels unable to escape from forces he sees more powerful than himself. His way of dealing with this is to adapt to them. He learns how to anticipate problems with the organization and to manipulate events to avoid incriminating himself.

    Theocratic strategy - If you don't have a right to know the truth it is OK to lie to you. (See "Insight" under 'Lie') - Avoid telling prospects- No blood, holidays, family, friends, etc.

    Zealous for Jehovah ? The ideology supersedes the welfare of the individual. They are not involved in charities outside the group [or in the group].

    Prayers ? Words directed to Jehovah are general - for the organization not the needs of the individual. See God as not interested in you as a person. - Blessed only for effort in promoting the Kingdom. End in the name of Christ only because it would be scandalous to end them in the name of the corporation. Only baptized males can pray in public.

    Internet ? A tool of Satan designed to bring down the ability of the Organization to accomplish the 'preaching work' seen as evidence of Jehovah's blessing, direction and angelic help

    Right heart condition ? Jehovah 'sifts out' those not truly 'in the truth?; those without 'the right heart condition?, which is why, people leave or must be disfellowshipped. No one leaves legitimately.

    Judge ? the organization is the ultimate judge of good and evil, this guilt and shame is used to manipulate and control members. The organization becomes an authority without limit in the eyes of members and their power is nowhere more evident that in their capacity to "forgive".

    Pharisee : Someone hypocritical who dressed only for appearances by showing a peculiar garb that identified him as a pure and zealous person. They would not tolerate certain styles of clothing, and would stand in corners showing their religious affiliation.

    Hypocrisy : Showing two sides of the character or not being candid, like telling their feelings about the organization if they were not afraid of being disfellowshipped.

    Birthday ? A celebration banned because a Pharaoh forgave a wine steward for a crime in his birthday and a Jewish king killed someone because he had to keep a promise, also on his birthday.

    Easter ? A celebration of the resurrection of Jesus but banned because other religions celebrate other things during that time, like the Passover in which Jehovah killed the first born of every living thing because Pharaoh would not let the Jewish slaves leave Egypt because Jehovah hardened his heart.

    Memorial ? The celebration of the death of Jesus, not his resurrection. Jehovah?s witnesses celebrate it according to their idea of when this occurred because it was the right Jewish date. So it must be celebrated it in the Jewish tradition instead of Good Friday, the Christian tradition, which should not be commemorated.

    Mother's Day ? A celebration banned because humans must not honor their and mother if some religions used this day to commemorate a goddess.

    Mother ? Jehovah?s organization. To be loved and exempted from the biblical verses that say that one must hate their father and mother. And in this case, and this case only, follow the commandment about honoring our father and mother.

    Thanksgiving ? A celebration banned because it would mean the Jehovah?s Witnesses are joining the world in thanking god.

    Father's Day ? A celebration banned because humans must not honor their father because it would not bring honor to Jehovah and is a wordly celebration.

    Father ? The only one Christians should call father is god. We should not celebrate Father?s Day because it would bring dishonor to God.

    Christmas ? The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Not to be celebrated because it is a birthday (see ?Birthday?), and because no one really knows for sure the date when he was born, let alone the day, or if he was real.

    Loyalty ? Something to be displayed through meeting attendance and participation, field service, choice of marriage partners [strong 'in the truth'], shunning disfellowshipped relatives and friends.

  • peacefulpete
    peacefulpete

    This is a good idea. I think that the public would benefit from such a review of JW language. However, then the definitions should be less sarcastic and more specific. Also lose the use of further cult specific language and experience.

    Like

    mature : "fully initiated, useful for cult reinforcement in new converts, sensitive to the unspoken tho implied direction from leadership."

    Encouragement: "peer pressure to conform to cult community standards."


    Discipline: painful punitive action taken by collective to coerce doubting cult memeber to conform and/or to isolate members unresponsive to encouragement (see encouragement)."


    Bad Association: non-Jehovah's witness, Jehovah's Witness being diciplined (see dscipline), jehovah's Witness with substandard record of cult activity.

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