A theme regularly running through ex-JW / apostate posts is their conviction that the worship of Jws is at best of a high control basis or at worst exhibits cult-like tendencies , so they often delight in the “freedom” that they now enjoy.
But in reality , how much “control” is exhibited on the average witness? To take one example , at least 40K are dfd in an average year , and one would assume 3 - 5X this figure are reproved privately or publicly. That means that over a 10 year period 20% - 25% of Jws are seriously flouting the strongest moral code of Jws , usually for “immorality” , emphasized in WT after WT , meeting after meeting. For a supposedly high-control organisation , that is a seriously high rate of dissent.
Ex-Jws often point to WT articles or quote public talks which state strict and often silly restrictions , non or dubiously-biblical in many cases. I’ve even highlighted some of these myself , in the past. But how much notice is really taken by the average JW? Other than a hard-core 20% (which you would get in any organisation) , I just don’t see the average JW paying much attention , and they often seem happy to duck and dive and rationalise away any issue that they don’t agree with.
One specific aspect of Jws is that the GB try to exhibit control via the one way media of magazines and talks and are loath to devolve any power to branches or congregations. The nature of this means of communication is that it is one way - the JW can choose not to read the magazines (which many do) or ignore counsel given in talks (or even not bother to turn up). Frustrated by the apparent lack of conformity , the GB feel the need to “turn up the voIume” with increasingly shrill demands - blissfully ignored by the R & F. To apply to a congregation setting . the classic illustration is the local needs talk on encouraging meeting attendance given to the 70% regular attenders - the 30% who the counsel is targeted at haven’t attended and don’t hear it. No matter how loud or blunt the message is , the hapless elder is merely preaching to the converted.
The two primary control aspects have also been diluted in recent times. The ban on blood transfusions has largely lost any relevance due to the WTS policy of gradually allowing all blood fractions and medical advances that obviate the need for transfusions. And the shunning of DF ones is often ignored , with the get-out clauses of “business communication” and family members often liberally applied.
The real control victims (if that term is advisable) are the hard core 20%. These are the ones learn foreign languages , actively pioneer , give up parenthood , often have the most mind numbing of secular jobs or toil away in Bethel for years. They apply WTS counsel to the smallest level , even down to the smallest trivial degree , often to their own disadvantage. Sadly they take on board counsel that isn’t really directed at them.