Big Love!!

by 4mylove 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  4mylove

  Does anyone here watch it? The hubby and I watch it every Sunday night. It's interesting to see the similarities between Mormons and JW's.

  I noticed that they too have a tie to the east coast due to their prophet.

  They are also a fairly new religion, 160 years I believe.

  They also recieved a "divine" message from a human prophet.

  Do Witnesses have places like the Mormons due where you can visit their founders past life? Or do they sway from that due to the controversy?

  I found it so funny when Bill Paxtons character got into it with the other guy in the room. I was just waiting for one of the kids to jump on the bed!!!
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  ex-nj-jw

  I love that show, but other than them thinking they are the true religion and male dominance (sp) I have a hard time comparing them to the JW.

  In what ways do you think they are similar maybe I'm missing something.

  nj
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  4mylove

  They shun family,

  They believe they are superior to anyone that is not of their faith,

  They fell or the words of a "prophet" and believe their words more than even the bible,

  They believe the end is near, but then again what religion doesn't,

  Just trivial stuff. I think the doctrines are very different, but the small stuff, similar.
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  ex-nj-jw

  See I wasn't even thinking of those things I guess I really don't think much about them most times.

  nj
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  undercover

  When I watch the show I see things that remind me of JWism throughout. I see them more as parallels or metaphors maybe.

  Take the Juniper Creek compound...now JWs would never physically move onto a compound and isolate themselves from the world...but JWs do isolate themselves from the world in other ways. I see the compound as a metaphor in how JWs isolate themselves. The compound patrol parallels the elders in how they are constantly looking for someone to counsel.

  Roman Grant is the Prophet for the group. What he says goes. While the JWs and the Society have no one man governing, the GB makes the rules and what they say goes. Roman is a metaphor for the Governing Body.

  I see parallels in Bill's family. They hold values different than everyone around them. They believe in their doctrine yet hide it aspects of it from neighbors, business associates and school mates. JWs hold values different than the average group and believe in their doctrine just as strongly. They even knock on doors trying to gain converts...yet they hide certain aspects of it until one becomes a member.

  It's comparing one cult to another basically. Cults are similar in lots of ways even when doctrines, beliefs and practices are markedly different.
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  megaflower

  Love that show. They treat women as inferior, more as an object to serve "The Principle". In other words, baby machines. The women dress matronely as do the JW women. The women take direction from the men , primarely the husband. The husband is responsible for all of thier spiritual well being. Men work to support the family and women work to support the principle(if they work at all outsid ethe home). They look to the book of mormon as thier major guide as the JW use the Watchtower. They live and associate with other members only not wanting to be a part of the world.
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  rebel8

  I find the total lack of appropriate interpersonal boundaries very similar to my jw experience. Yes, wives did not share husbands, but everything else about the families seems similar to me.

  No one has normal privacy--privacy is heavily criticized--so they scheme against each other and keep big secrets. Exactly the same as my jw incarcination.
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  JWdaughter

  I agree with much said about the LDS teachings, but there was no formalized 'shunning' that I knew of(individual families may vary). My dearest friend from high school came out as gay after high school and died of AIDS 7 years later. His funeral was well attended by his LDS friends of long standing as well as his gay friends at an LDS chapel and given by an LDS Bishop. Another friend is still close to his LDS family after coming out-I was involved and left-and spent most of my HS reunion with another of my LDS friends, who is now in the bishopric of his ward. So, I'd say that while there are similarities, there are distinct differences.
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  JWdaughter

  OH, and I LOVE Big Love. My son was watching it with me as he has done before and has a LDS friend. He compares and contrasts it to what he knows of the church(not a lot) too.

  They get it pretty accurately when they are espousing the true LDS teachings. Not the polygamy stuff so much as when they are giving details of LDS history etc. I am pretty impressed with some of it. But they miss a few things that I think are give aways that they don't have any LDS person paying attention to certain details.

  One thing-I have always known LDS people to fold their arms (almost protectively or defensively) in prayer. Had the Henricksons really been mainline for years as stated, then that habit would have been ingrained, and I suspect it would also be done in the 'compound', as the LDS church came out of a more fundamental style of mormonism.

  And food storage. Barely touched on, but kind a big deal. And Margene seems essentially clueless about the religion and for all the male superiority mentioned here, the only grief/disapproval she gets about her clothes is not from her husband or a man, but her sister wife Nikki. Even a run of the mill LDS guy probably wouldn't put up with a wife dressing like that without at least a gentle nudge in the direction of some more modesty. I didn't find them to be overbearing, but I wasn't married to any of them!
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  jamiebowers

  Love the show...the biggest similarity I see with JWs and LDS is the double lives that people live.