The worse thing was when I was visiting a hall, no one knew us we could have walked in off the street and no one spoke to us. Not a hello or a smile from anyone. It was the worst meeting of my life ( at that time) I couldnt believe it I was so embarrist and upset.
Have you been love bombed or practiced this technique?
by truthsearcher 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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cyberdyne systems 101
Truthsearcher wrote:
In what way are JWs instructed to love bomb? Can you give examples.
It was given at meetings, talks from the platform. We were told that as the true religion we had the mark of love that no other faith had. And that we should welcome any interested/new ones that attended. We were to try and arrange to bring them to the hall ourselves, to invite them to social gatherings or our homes etc. This was a theme that was discussed frequently over the years. As usual its the R & F that put these suggestions into practice, because it seems the right thing to do. In reality the idea of being welcoming new people is a great idea, but do we need to be told to do it, in order to fulfill a particular scripture? Only to let it fade once the person is in becuae we didnt choose them as close friends, then how genuine was it really? CS 101
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M.J.
Kind of like recruiting in college athletics. Fly a guy in for a visit and give him the royal treatment in hopes he'll pick your school.
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misguided
In what way are JWs instructed to love bomb? Can you give examples
One example I can think of is when 2 people in the hall had babies at the same time...
the newbie soon-to-be-baptized girl had a HUGE baby shower, was given tons of gifts, including money.
the old-timer was given NO baby shower. It's like she didn't even matter anymore.
Rose
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Hondo
"The worse thing was when I was visiting a hall, no one knew us we could have walked in off the street and no one spoke to us. Not a hello or a smile from anyone. It was the worst meeting of my life ( at that time) I couldnt believe it I was so embarrist and upset."
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Hondo
"The worse thing was when I was visiting a hall, no one knew us we could have walked in off the street and no one spoke to us. Not a hello or a smile from anyone. It was the worst meeting of my life ( at that time) I couldnt believe it I was so embarrist and upset."
I agree with you Vitty, and also think that different JW congs "love bomb" in different ways, or don't do anything at all. When I was going Through my divorce (my then wife of 20 years got hooked by the JWs and ultimately decided that they were more important than our life and marriage), and in an effort to try to understand what she (a Japanese National) did when she went to all these meetings, I attended one with her during the week. It was at very small Japanese group (cong) here in Hawaii, spoken in that language. I did not understand a thing and thought the whole thing was very boring. I was greeted and treated very well, however. Just about everyone came up and welcomed me in their best english. My ex was, of course, happy I attended.
Coversely, I also attended, with my ex, an english speaking (all caucasian) meeting to get a feel for what topics were discussed. My ex did not know anyone at this cong, and of course nor did I. The reception was just the opposite compared to the Japanese cong. There were probably 50+ in attendance at the meeting and hardly anyone come up to us. We just sat in the back. A couple songs were sung, and at this particular meeting there were several groups that did some sort of door-to-door role playing as if they were out in service. An elder, I suspect, spoke for a bit. No one said anything when we left. Again, I thought the whole thing to be very boring. I also had the feeling that we were being scrutinized, with everyone there maybe thinking to themselves, "who were this Japanese woman and caucasian man." Even my ex thought this particular experience was not too exciting, but was happy I was taking the time to try to understand what she now fervently believed in.
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Finally-Free
There were degrees of love bombing. Someone who lived in a wealthy neighbourhood got more "love" than someone from the other side of the tracks. New ones™ who were black were mostly ignored by the white JWs. I was love bombed by the elderly women.
W
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M.J.
There were degrees of love bombing. Someone who lived in a wealthy neighbourhood got more "love" than someone from the other side of the tracks. New ones™ who were black were mostly ignored by the white JWs. I was love bombed by the elderly women.
In a way, sounds like fraternity/sorority rush week. Can you tell I never was a dub?
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parakeet
I've never bombed or been bombed, but in the early days of my marriage, when I was still a JW, my nonJW husband would occasionally attend meetings with me, and he would be absolutely swarmed with JWs telling him we're so glad you're here, come to our house for dinner, hope to see you soon, blah blah.
He used to sweat profusely at meetings, and I always assumed it was because he was too hot. After I left the JWs, he told me he sweated from the strain of being polite to such hypocrites. He saw through them right from the start. (But he married me anyway, sweet man!) -
SB
Robert Lifton's 1961 book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China was a study of coercive techniques that he labelled thought reform or "Brainwashing". Lifton describes in detail eight methods which he says are used to change people's minds without their agreement: NOTICE #2 AND COMPARE TO "LOVE BOMBING".
- milieu control (controlled relations with the outer world, this leads among others to lack of relevant information)
- mystic manipulation (events are orchestrated to appear miraculous or spontaneous) ORCHESTRATED KINDNESS MEANT TO RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS. IT'S NO FLUKE YOU'RE TREATED KINDLY AT THE MEETINGS. After 15 years being baptized, I was taught to show this false kindness to the point that I didn't notice when it stopped being shown to ME. But as I started drifting, I got the "we have to save you" love bombs. People talk to me as if someone in my family has just died and they are trying to console me. "hi...i was thinking about you and wondering how youre doing....".*forlorn look and tone*. But where were these saviours when all i wanted was real friends? Out in service, greeting new people at the KH, working part time as janitors...the only time they make an effort is for new ones or drifting ones. but the stable ones keeping the numbers in check - they're fine, don't need friendship and support. It gets tiring - I've now been on both sides of the fence.
- confession (strong pressure to make a person confess past and present "sins" i.e. acts that do not help the group or the ideology)
- self-sanctification through purity (pushing the individual towards a not-attainable perfection)
- aura of sacred science (beliefs of the group are sacrosanct and perfect)
- loaded language (new meanings to words, encouraging black-white thinking, thought-stoppers )
- doctrine over person (ideology and the group are more important than the individual)
- dispensed existence (insiders are saved, outsiders are doomed)