Here is a small sample worth quoting:
Some people simply feel a need to be told what to do, where to do it, what to eat, what to value, and how to live; even those who don't really feel such a need, like Jacobs, can apparently experience a strong attraction to it once they try it out. Weighing alternatives and making choices take time, effort, and responsibility. Simply following orders takes less time, less effort, and can give on the feeling that they are absolved of any responsibility for the outcome.
I thought some of you might be interested in this Austin Cline article. The whole thing is pretty long, but I think it has definite application to JWs and it's well thought out. It might give some of us a new angle to ponder regarding our JW relatives and friends. Note that Austin is supposedly speaking in generalities about Christianity here, but in fact, he is primarily talking about authoritarian religions and why they are appealing.
I admit that the full title is offensive to Christians:Freedom as Submission; Democracy as Obedience: How Christianity Subverts Liberty. But the first half of the article doesn't read that way, at least to me. (I haven't read the whole thing yet, though) This is an atheist site, and I think Austin is trying to draw in more secular readers with a bold and shocking title. He does acknowledge a separation between authoritarian Christianity and more liberal/democratic believers near the beginning of the article. Anyway, Christians should consider themselves warned just in case. I don't think atheists or most Christians would be offended by this one. Apologies if I overlooked anything in that regard.
IsaacJ