Are JW's too paralyzed to leave?

moshe

I was contemplating how bad the news will have to be to get the JW's to quit the organization. Then I remembered Hurricane Katrina and all the people trapped in the Superdome for days on end. One guy acted on his own and stole a school bus to rescue a group and take them to Houston. The rest just stayed put and waited and waited without food or water for someone to rescue them. I don't think the JW's are able to make an independant decison to "escape the sinking ship" - Only a few escaped the Jonestown massacre,too. I hope I am wrong on this one.

later,

Moshe

AuldSoul

In my opinion, yes. They are paralyzed by fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of peer disgrace, fear of adverse judgment by God, fear of Armageddon, fear of missing out.

It is a fear based religion. The ones who break free are the ones who are unafraid.

Respectfully,
AuldSoul

serendipity

There are a lot of fringe and inactive JWs. The cost to leave may be too high for some to stomach.

Ingenuous

Barbara found a great quote in the book Leaving the Saints:

Page 262. “One of the nifty paradoxes of dysfunction is that the crazier the system in which you grow up, the more afraid and less equipped you are to leave it and stand on your own.”

Dansk

One of the nifty paradoxes of dysfunction is that the crazier the system in which you grow up, the more afraid and less equipped you are to leave it and stand on your own

That just about says it all for me. Fear is Watchtower's greatest weapon - and they know it! How many of us went on "apostate" sites with great trepidation at first? I know I did. I was forever looking over my shoulder, thinking Jehovah would disapprove. It was only when I had become really riled by the elders that I came here fearlessly. I think it takes something really upsetting to make one say "To hell with it!" and do some real searching. Only then, after finding out the truth about the Borg, does one realise the courageous step one has to take. I had a choice, tell my family and risk losing some/all of them or stick to my principles of being an honest person. I chose the latter and lost two children to Watchtower. If the BIG news can help me by way of litigation for the personal pain and injury the Borg has caused I would gladly seek legal redress. I want Watchtower to be brought down so that it can never hurt another soul again.

The main thing, though, is just to have all my family reunited. I've 19 years to make up for!

Ian

under74

good post moshe. Your two examples bring up a lot for me. I remember the young kid that took the bus well. I really remember a tv reporter asking him about "stealing" the bus and his defiant response, "I BORROWED IT." I would hope I would have some of that character in me if faced with something as extreme as what he was facing.
When thinking about Jonestown though, there for sure were true belivers in Jones and ready to do whatever needed to follow his word. BUT in reading about it all, I know that some of those found dead had bullets in them. Also, when giving out the deadly drink it was given to children first...in this way the parents had no hope and for many no reason to live. Jim Jones put physical fear into people before hand as well. So I guess by this...while I think there were many People's Temple members that believed very much...I think there were many whom had independant thoughts but because of the fear of physical abuse as well as the absolute loss of their family members, they didn't leave or in some situations couldn't.
I'm not trying to get off topic here just trying to point out that when faced with a crisis or even faced with a cult there it can be very complicated and hard to see clearly.