i was thinking about this last night and after reading the previous topic about the GB believing or not it has me thinking again. i am continually amazed at how a "new" religion can cause ones to abandon all previous beliefs and they are never questioned again. i am third generation. my grandparents on both sides were raised in other religions. on both sides, it was my grandmother's that started studying and the husbands followed. both parents raised in "the truth" as, myself and siblings. in my immediate family i'm the only one to have left, although i have cousins that are no longer active. so, is it a personality type that causes one to make these choices? i think even if one has doubts, especially men, elders in the congregation it's so hard to leave because that has been their whole life. they would have to admit to their families they were wrong. most don't have much in the way of secular employment. and they get some "power" by being in a position to lead. again, a certain type of person?
Personality Type That Draws One To WTBTS
by searching99 16 Replies latest watchtower bible
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megsmomma
I think you are right....And, most of the time they get people in at their weakest point in life. It appeals to Narcicists and Scoiciopaths (Thankfully it doesn't attract people who can't spell those words..lol)
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Zico
I think it appeals to people who are generally ignorant about religion and the bible as well. My Dad, for example, was raised in a Communist family, so had no religious background. He started taking an interest in the bible in his late 20s, and, unable to understand it, he prayed to God to help him. The next day, some JWs called at his door. Definitely a coincidence, but he was convinced that God had sent them, and he didn't know enough about the bible to realise that their wacky interpretations don't fit.
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Balsam
My now ex-husband and I became JW's when we were respectively 24 & 20. Our 1 year troubled marriage was on the verge of divorce. We both were disenchanted with religion in 1970 and my husband came into contact with a man who had studied with JW's and fully believed it but was not member. He preached constantly to my husband. My mother used to take magazines all the time from a Lady who called but she often just threw them away. My parents had no interest in the bible or religion but was polite to people who did. My husband had been raised as Catholic but he said the bible was all nonsense and religion proved that. I went to church occasionally but felt nothing all that great about it.
We were perfect candidates for the JW's, and eventually we went to a KH with the guy my husband worked with, got a bible study with a nice couple. We literally asked no questions and fell into step with the JW's and accepted everything they taught hook line and sinker. Both of us were baptized in 8 months after studying the truth book. Dissatisfaction with religion, a troubled marriage. Ignorance of bible teachings and no one to talk to about it. Gradually we were encouraged to separate ourselves from our friends who were called worldly people. Remove ourselves from constant contact with family members who might oppose our involvement with the JW's. We began to feel that we were now connected with God's only true followers and felt special.
I think people ignorant of the bible, have troubled lives or marriages and are gullible are perfect candidates for the JW's. That is how we were as outsiders coming into the JW environment.
Ruth
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Frannie Banannie
Not necessarily only sociopaths and narcissists are attracted to the WTS religion. Coming in from the outside are people who either haven't had much religious training, or people who are at a vulnerable time in their lives and are searching for somewhere over the rainbow. The initial love-bombing makes them feel special. This happened to me, as well. It's only after one is indoctrinated into the WTS teachings and practices that the rug is pulled out from under one's feet and the reality of the Steppfordian expectations of the WTS hits home.
Frannie
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found-my-way
You would be shocked if you knew the number of narcissicists in ''the truth''.
These people are cold, unfeeling, always right, attention seeking, and completely dogmatic when it comes to doctrines. They see things in black and white. Right and wrong. No colour allowed.
One narcissistic/sociopathic older sister said to me, ''so do you have a list of chores for your boys to do everyday?'' (they are under 6)
I said, with a frozen smile on my face, ''Actually, they help me with a few odd jobs around the house when asked, but most of the time, I allow them to be children and to play. If I made them do chores all the time, they would see me as a task master instead of a loving mother''
She says, oh, then promptly changed the subject. Her grown kids are all f*cked up because of the loveless way she raised them, with a heavy hand, no forgiveness, no affection, she even let her new born babies cry because she thought she would spoil them by holding them. That old woman is the one of the coldest, most heartless JW's I've ever met. Yet to her cong, shes a perfect witness. (the nice things they say about her service to jehovah is enough to make you hurl)
I'm glad I dont have to see her, or her family anymore since I am being shunned and she's part of my in-laws family. One of her sons is in the loony bin, and her other son is a unfeeling walking talking borg drone. for which i cant blame him, he was never shown one ounce of love or affection ever.
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LongHairGal
Zico:
I think I would have to go with your answer, especially the part about being ignorant about the Bible. To most people with little or no knowledge of the Bible, the JWs sound like scholars...that is, until you meet a real one.
I was shocked to learn about their many changed teachings and would never have joined if I had this knowledge.
LHG
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parakeet
Someone posted a similar question a year ago, so here's my (slightly edited) response:
I agree that emotional vulnerability is one factor that may draw one into the cult, but I think two additional personality traits are needed for susceptibility to JW belief -- a strong sense of justice and a strong desire for order. Adults who are attracted to JWs want the world to make sense. They believe the good should always be rewarded and the evil always punished. They cannot tolerate the thought that the world is not always fair. For them, reality is unacceptable. There "must" be something better.
The JWs offer a plausible-sounding reason for the world's ambiguousness and a hope that god will correct all injustices quickly. They are good at finding people who NEED to believe that there must be a solution for the world's wrongs.
The emotional reward for these beliefs (security, certainty, hope) wraps the convert in a self-sufficient cocoon. They don't want to examine the religion's beliefs closely because that would tear apart their cocoon and leave them outside without hope in a seemingly cold world.
I believe emotional security so important to them that they become unable to defend their beliefs logically and they refuse to acknowledge the evil inside the organization. Emotionally, they can't afford to lose the only thing that allows them to make sense of everything. -
TopHat
A friend from the cong I belonged to came by my house while I was away and left a lovely note with the magazines...saying she missed me and left her phone number for me to call her. I haven't called her because I haven't the heart to tell her what I think of that religion. We were only friends INside the cong. She is a very nice lady and I sent her get well cards when she was in the hospital and a gift. She never forgot me even when I was fading.
I am guessing she has not heard from my 2 very close JW friends, of whom I have told what I think of that freaky religion. By the way, they don't talk to me anymore.
For me it was the friendly nature of the JWs that drew me to Join. Some are truly nice people.