They Killed Their Neighbors - Warning to those who above this

by Dogpatch 21 Replies latest jw friends

  • Jeremy C
    Jeremy C

    Thanks for posting that Randy. Very fascinating.

    I look back and marvel at the view that I had toward "worldly" people when I was a Witness. What would make me view one of my neighbors as worthy of destruction for rudely declining a set of magazines? And thus, by extension, their children were to suffer annihilation for their parent's refusal of our message. I had even resolved within myself that I would be willing to help destroy worldly people at Armageddon if called upon by Jehovah - much like the Israellites who had to "deal with" the Canaanites.

    How was I able to think and feel that way? How was I able to rationalize that in my mind? I believe that one of the major factors in this is to be convinced to distrust one's inner voice; to ignore one's heart and defer to a "superior" to do one's thinking for you. There is only black and white. There is the "Group", and the "Non-group". For us Witnesses, there was the "Truth", and the "World" - with no gray area in between.

    It is no coincidence that all high control groups require the individual to suppress their internal thoughts and feelings; and instead to unify around central memes and concepts. They insist that the thoughts and feelings of the individual are not trustworthy; that the only true moral compass is that which has been established by the group. Breaking that spell is difficult indeed.

  • Dogpatch
    Dogpatch

    Jeremy said,

    to be convinced to distrust one's inner voice; to ignore one's heart and defer to a "superior" to do one's thinking for you

    kinda boils down to that. i like to go on trips alone at times (at least I used to) for days; hiking, camping, and it taught me how petty and cold some of our social games can be. When you are away from all of it and alone for days at a time, you appreciate people more and believe their hype less. Really quite the proper approach!

    :-))

    Randy

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