It seems that for JWs, the demon thing is one of the few "eyewitness" confirmations of what the WTS says. There seems to be such an atmosphere of confirming testimonials that the JWs relate back and forth to each other...But are they factual accounts or simply recycled "urban legends"?
Interestingly, the most dramatic demon stories are nearly always something that happened to someone else.
Why is it that JWs have seen more "demons" than anyone I've ever known in my life? Is it that they're more delusional, they've ticked off Satan and his buddies, or that they attract Satan and his buddies?
I firmly beleive that the WTS has something to do with it. Right from the first study. There's a whole chapter in the "Really Teach" book on "Spirit Creatures". One might wonder why a whole chapter is devoted to this if the essential nature of such creatures in JW teaching doesn't really differ from the mainstream Christian version. But I think a statement on page 105 really sums it all up:
"Wicked spirits are dangerous, but we need not live in fear of them if we oppose the Devil and draw close to God by doing His will." [What does the Bible Really Teach?, p.105]
It's the big IF. Do what we're telling you or the demons are gonna get ya! The subtle yet powerful scare factor.
Now that I think about it, I believe that this altered sense of reality that JWs live in which demons are swarming all around them really fosters FEAR of leaving the org. Fear of not keeping up with the program. One of the biggest obstacles in becoming truly free of the clutches of this organization.
Can we confirm that JW demon stories are nothing but recycled JW urban legends...an artificial perpetuation of an altered sense of reality?
I'll start off by identifying a few stories I've heard from JWs:
- When brother so-and-so became a JW, he tried to rid himself of all his "demonized" objects by building a big bonfire. But they WOULDN'T BURN.
- A sister in her pre-JW days would answer the door to the witnesses but only crack the door open, since she had several resident demons that would get pissed and toss objects around the house whenever the JWs were at the door (and she was embarrassed, of course)...but now she's gotten rid of the demons and is a happified JW.
- Bob, a JW "study" went to a party where folks were playing with the oija board, and when he approached them the thing started to move on its own, spelling out "I don't like Bob". When asked why, it replied "because he's studying the bible."
- A sister had a spell/curse cast on her by a practicer of the occult. Shortly afterward much of the sister's hair fell out and now she must wear a wig.
- A sister sees a shadowy figure out of the corner of her eye but prays to Jehovah, when suddenly a total feeling of peace overcomes her while the figure disappears.
- A person scoffs at a stack of oija boards in the store, thinking to himself that they're complete nonsense, when suddenly an oija board from the top of the stack falls down onto his foot and breaks his toe.