JW’s are not brain damaged, but heart damaged!

by Joyzabel 34 Replies latest jw friends

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  Joyzabel

  I’ve been trying to tell my kids to be patient with the jws that they knew and with family that still are jws. Especially when the shunning is in full force. I was excusing it as “brain damaged” because we couldn’t reason with them or get through the mental block they have.

  But now I’ve decided, while going through the grief of watching my husband deal with his family and the loss of his father (to the blood issue, doh!) that jws are heart damaged. They have no fellow feeling, no love, and no compassion. They truly reflect the god that they serve, a publishing company.

  How humans can turn off the natural love that families are supposed to have for each other and for “friends” is beyond comprehension, sometimes. All for the sake of what? A promised future if you keep up the hours, study, meeting attendance to push magazines/books/bibles.

  No wonder it is difficult to reach such cold-hearted people. Their hearts are damaged. Some never to be repaired or be allowed to enjoy life or emotions that are wonderful or to grieve when appropriate.

  j2bf

  btw, I have a brother who is brain damaged, due to his birth and he is a kind soul. Wouldn't hurt another person. Sweet thing, he still talks to me and my family.
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  Phantom Stranger

  While I would hesitate to say that JW's lack all compassion, I would totally support that most of them are emotionally scarred, not mentally shut down.

  The heart rules the mind, no matter what us bald monkeys would like to believe.
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  termite 35

  (((joy and j2L))) Sorry to hear you're all having a bit of a time of it lately

  The point you make about JW's being heart damaged is a very good one.

  When I first started studying I was shocked at some of the comments made about others who'd left and the way people can so easily be ejected from a JW's life and heart.

  As time passes and you get to know how it all works I saw that there were usually two different camps amonst the society members.

  Camp one will be seen as spiritually soft and will tend to put the teachings of Jesus before the society and will eventually be labelled as weak or will fall away- they get genuinely upset by the plight of others who were disfellowshipped and still spoke to them and worried about them because they were alone.

  Camp two will become harder and harder as they 'progress' or should that be 'regress' into the org.They seem to take a certain pride in their hard-heartedness and see it as their badge of honour, almost proof that they can serve this equally hard god with equally hard christian principles without getting 'emotional' about it all. Their steadfastness as they call it- their adherence to bible principles, no matter what the concequences to their family is incredible to witness.

  They seemed to forget that when the apostle's were arguing over doctrine they were trying to BE christian by debating- now there is no more debating-the christianity has gone from one of inclusion to one of exclusivity.

  If their hearts are so easily shut up when they are ordered to cull their feelings by the laws of the society, then I can only imagine that the love they professed to feel for others who were still in good standing was'nt genuine and therefore worthless.I have witnessed character assasinations and people's reputations ripped apart, people who were once very close to them-it's sickening to hear.

  Perhaps that agape love that was talked about so much is'nt love based on principle after all- but a cover for love based on WTBS's rules.
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  AlanF

  In the case of JWs, heart damage causes a self-imposed but reversible brain deadness.

  AlanF
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  Joyzabel

  lol @ AlanF "brain-deadness" ! Sad, though, isn't it!

  (((Termite))) thanks sweetie.

  Think of all the marriages that are affected by their mentallity. They really don't have commitments to other human beings. Otherwise it wouldn't be so easy to let people go in their lifes, family, friends, husbands, wifes. etc, etc

  j2bf

  btw welcome Phantom, if I haven't welcomed you already. Nice to see new faces here.
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  Valis

  Hey joy...pinch pinch...I also think that "hardening the heart" is the only way they can keep living day to day...otherwise we would see many more manifestations of mental breakdown than we already do...kind of a sick form of escapism or something...nice post for a change joy...*LOL*

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
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  Joyzabel

  Valis "nice post for a change joy" like I ususally don't post nice????

  *p*p
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  Valis

  joy...I'm just yanking the olde umbillical cord..

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
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  micheal

  Jehovah's Witnesses cotinue to do the unthinkable. Shunning their own children. These are the same people that put an incredible amount of pressure on a 12 year old to get baptized, because they love Jehovah because they don't want to look like bad parents to the rest of the congregation. Yet when 12 year old grows up and says hey this religion is coo-coo, the parents shun him. I don't care what crazy and perverse spin they put on it, if a parent is to shun their own child then they are truly heartless. But then again they do what they claim every other religion does, blame God.
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  Big Tex

  Joy I think this is an interesting way to look at the situation. Otherwise reasonably intelligent people behave in inappropriate and unloving fashion, probably has more to do with their heart than their head. It takes an extraordinary person to stand up to the majority, and really isn't that each of us? Isn't that why we all are here on this discussion board? We all stood up, usually timidly and oh-so alone, but we did it. And by doing so we discovered our true selves, and we uncovered our heart. And therefore, are not each one of us who post here, extraordinary? By that I mean, more than the ordinary.

  In my own case, I told several elders I didn't care what the Bible says, or God himself for that matter, but requiring a child to produce 2 eyewitnesses to their rape was evil. At that point in time I could not use logic, or the Bible against them, but I did have my heart which told me what was happening was wrong. I faced a choice between what my head said and my heart was screaming.

  I think I'm no different than anyone else that posts here. At some point we all faced a decision. Despite what our brain told us, would we do what the Society commanded? We all said, NO. I think that is the heart, and I believe the true person we are is found, not in our logical mind, but in our heart. Most Witnesses feel the tug of their heart, and want to talk with their families, but do not for a variety of reason.

  Are JWs heart damaged? Or do they lack the conviction, and the courage, to embrace their true selves? Are they more damaged or are they more afraid?