Ten Warning Signs of a Unsafe Group/Leader to Watch out For

by thetrueone 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  thetrueone

  Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

  1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.

  2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

  3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.

  4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.

  5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

  6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

  7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.

  8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough".

  9. The group/leader is always right.

  10. The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

  Ten warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader.

  1. Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.

  2. Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.

  3. Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".

  4. Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.

  5. Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.

  6. Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.

  7. A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.

  8. Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.

  9. Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.

  10. Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.

  Ten signs of a safe group/leader.

  1. A safe group/leader will answer your questions without becoming judgmental and punitive.

  2. A safe group/leader will disclose information such as finances and often offer an independently audited financial statement regarding budget and expenses. Safe groups and leaders will tell you more than you want to know.

  3. A safe group/leader is often democratic, sharing decision making and encouraging accountability and oversight.

  4. A safe group/leader may have disgruntled former followers, but will not vilify, excommunicate and forbid others from associating with them.

  5. A safe group/leader will not have a paper trail of overwhelmingly negative records, books, articles and statements about them.

  6. A safe group/leader will encourage family communication, community interaction and existing friendships and not feel threatened.

  7. A safe group/leader will recognize reasonable boundaries and limitations when dealing with others.

  8. A safe group/leader will encourage critical thinking, individual autonomy and feelings of self-esteem.

  9. A safe group/leader will admit failings and mistakes and accept constructive criticism and advice.

  10. A safe group/leader will not be the only source of knowledge and learning excluding everyone else, but value dialogue and the free exchange of ideas.

  Don't be naïve, develop a good BS Detector.

  You can protect yourself from unsafe groups and leaders by developing a good BS detector. Check things out, know the facts and examine the evidence. A safe group will be patient with your decision making process. If a group or leader grows angry and anxious just because you want to make an informed and careful decision before joining; beware.

  To all people who are thinking of joining the JWS organization or who are making inroads of leaving it.
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  mentallyfree31

  Excellent!

  -MF31-
• 

  WTWizard

  The Jehovah's Witlesses fit all descriptions of a bad group and bad leader. You cannot have your own opinions, values, or ideas about anything without them censoring you. You even need to check with the group to listen to music or watch a movie.

  Then, I joined a "secret" society (one that might not be so secret for much longer). They actually fit every single one of the descriptions of a safe group: They don't always have all the right answers, but at least you can question and discuss with other members without worrying about being booted out of the group or other sanctions. They are not threatened by people that have "bad associations"--while they do caution against associating with people that continually initiate the use of force, threats of force, or fraud, these people are almost always themselves unsafe associations and will try to run your life. They have members leave the group, only to return without penalty in a few months. And, when I need to search through 12 pages on a search engine to find anything even mildly critical of the group, that is pretty encouraging.

  And yes, they do encourage independent, even critical, thinking. That is, in fact, the source of all solutions to our problems. Suppression of independent thinking, even fully integrated thinking, is why we continually fall for God's scams of Original Sin and perennially close "deliverance". That is why we are stuck in the 1950s. That is why we keep having wars, tyrannies, and stupid laws. That is why we have bedlam in high school--drug use, fighting, people flying paper airplanes instead of paying attention, and cutting class. People are taught to believe that whatever is outside their agenda is impossible--which is responsible for our stagnation. To the extent that we are independently thinking, we can get around that issue.

  Also, the "secret" society is not critical of those making less than "optimal" progress. They have a few people organizing a political party, from the ground up, that is going to attempt to solve the problems in America and will not tolerate the corruption found in today's politicians. Yet, others are content to sit back and watch the action--without being hounded to do ever more. Many will fit in between. Others, formerly content to sit back, will eventually find something that excites them and make progress without "warning"--contributing value to society. For sure, not the "feeling you can never be good enough" that the witlesses have to deal with.
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  MrFreeze

  I wonder sometimes just how many people there are that wish they could get out of the organization but they feel trapped in it. I know most people don't really care for meetings or service. Otherwise they wouldn't have to constantly hound the members to engage in both.
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  life is to short

  Spot on
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  thetrueone

  I wonder sometimes just how many people there are that wish they could get out of the organization but they feel trapped in it.

  Thats true there are some who are pushed into it by family pressures among other reasons.

  There are also ones that don't want to completely remove themselves for if by chance the WTS was right about a great tribulation occurring

  they would quickly jump into it full steam ahead, sounds silly but its true.

  Its a game in a way playing inside people psyche as what if ? Better just keep one foot in the door just in case.
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  darkuncle29

  A lot of that sounds like the U.S. govt, with a few tweaks.
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  WTWizard

  Definitely, I think Osama Obama is working hard on many of the "unsafe" categories for bad leaders. There have been problems even before, but Osama Obama is working on killing dissidence by attempting to purge the Internet and start Internet II (which would be nothing more than a glorified cable TV system).
• 

  freydo

  Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

  1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.

  4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world,

  9. The group/leader is always right.

  Happened to pick up the 5/1/10 wt yesterday and happened to open to p26-7 where two articles appear side by side that illustrate the mind control technique/dangerous leadership characteristics. The first article, "Will You Walk in Loyalty" talks about trusting Jehovah with no mention of organization. Only trust in him, "no matter how others may let you down." Translation trust the borg no matter what. The second article, "How Do JW's View Interfaith?" Translation - trust only the borg - all others are evil.
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  darkuncle29

  Obama, bush, potato, potaoe. I think Ben Franklin warned us about keeping our democracy, we failed to heed that warning. It is just an illusion.