by thraxer68 29 Replies latest jw experiences
Russell was buried under a pyramid in the United States after being ritually killed on Halloween 1917.
Whatever you think of Russell, he died on train on October 31, 1916 (not 1917) and he is not buried under the Pyramid but a few feet away. The Pyramid was built by his friends about 4 or 5 years later.
George
alice, watch big love on cable
One question I have though is if there has been as much research into brainwashing and mind control in Mormonism as there has been in JW. I thought this would be a good opportunity to gather these quotes onto one thread to demonstrate the similarities between controlling authoritarian religions to show that the whole experience with JW's is fairly common and not unique to "the truth". Perhaps people with more insight and knowledge of both religions might be able to explain the similarities between the Mormon and JW experience more clearly and in depth. Thank you
I don't know how much research has been done, but there are endless books and websites that show that the Mormons are a dangerous mind-control cult. I think it's better established for them than it is for the JW's, thanks to the fringe LDS cults with men taking multiple (often teen) wives.
The problem is that experts disagree and cults themselves get their "expert" opinion in there. "We are not a cult because we don't live in a compound or have a single, charismatic leader." Even outsiders argue over it. Heck, we have many former JW's that don't want to admit they were in a former dangerous mind-control cult, so they say JW's don't qualify.
When you read Steve Hassan's COMBATTING CULT MIND CONTROL, you can be amazed how the words fit JW's although the words are describing the Moonies.
I believe that, if you are quoting from a public part of another forum and provide a link, you are OK. People might be interested in finding out what else is on that board. It's when you paste something from a private part of the board, or a private message, without permission from whoever posted it there that you can create problems.
As for whether the witlesses are difficult to leave, I think they are even worse. They will happily bust up a family if one quits believing what "the church" says. Their term for "the church" is "the Society". If you quit believing in them or you break one of their rules, you can be disfellowshipped. If you quit the group, you are disassociated. Both are treated as if they are dead, and they encourage families to break off contact except where absolutely necessary with such persons. They might still have to associate with minors still living with parents if either are disfellowshipped, and a disfellowshipping of one spouse does not automatically end a marriage. However, grown children or relatives are in fact cut off if one party decides to leave or if they break a rule.
As bad, many congregations try to put a barrier between two disfellowshipped people. They don't even want disfellowshipped people talking with other disfellowshipped people! This includes family members, except where contact is absolutely necessary, in a marriage, or a minor living with parents. This is usually enforced within the congregations, however, and is not uniform throughout the organization.
"Alice, is English your first language?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Hatter
In the Disney animated feature Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter appears as a short, hyper, tea-loving person.
I get ya... I googled the two characters. I've actually never seen the cartoon or movie so I didn't know what that person was talking about.
Actually, this was a Yes/No question.
I have no clue what you are talking about.........
I created a comparison chart with the help of some ex-Mormons. Very interesting similarities.
Exclusionary religions share many of the same characteristics. I think this goes hand in hand with the claims of restorationism, which argue that a "restored" and "pure" christianity has been organized in the modern era.
These religions tend to have more intense experiences because they are more direct in their beliefs. They see the world in terms of "spiritual battle", us vs. them, the chosen vs. the dammed.
As such, people who leave these kinds of groups are more likely to talk about how miserable they were under all the pressures and problems that come with those beliefs.
Keep in mind that both the Mormons and JWs developed at the same time in American history, and share many of the same "restorationist" values.
I remember when I left in 2001, I began to talk to mormons then I did some research on them and found ex-mormons felt just like we did when we left the jw's. Brain washing used to be touted as a good thing in the jw's you know we got our brain washed by Jehovah weekly. Now looking back it was hardly funny. Thanks god some of us are waking up and finding a good life and are no longer trapped, depressed, loosing out on life.
Ruth
Some folks on my father's side of the family were Mormon wannabes who couldn't abstain from cigarettes and drink. To me, they're like JWs, only their beliefs are even further from the mainstream of Protestant Christianity in the US. I always thought of the Mormons as the misbegotten love child of the WTS and the Church of Scientology. :)
The similarities are scary. My cousin and my aunt (now deceased) are/were mormon's.
Years ago, the mormons built a 'temple' locally, and my aunt invited me to the grand opening of it. I promised her I would go - but I had no interest in any religion after my experiences with JWs.
I went, and toured the 'temple', which was quite interesting.
When leaving the parking lot to go to eat lunch with the relatives, my cousin was riding with me in my VW. We passed a group of 'protestors' (I guess you'd call them that), who had set up a table on the sidewalk across the street, and were handing out literature that was labeling the mormon's as a cult. (I think that they also had anti-JW literature there too - I didn't go over and look to see, though.)
My cousin's reaction was quite shocking to me, and reminded me very much of a JW reaction. She snorted that she wished that she could go over there (meaning to their table), and take ALL of their literature, and throw it into the trash, so that they didn't have any left to hand out!
I calmly reminded her that we lived in a country that promoted freedom of speech and religion, and that those people had every right to be there. I also told her that there were many people who were perhaps hurt by their experience in the mormon's and felt that that was their only way to express that hurt.
She mumbled some sort of agreement, and we let it drop.
Regards,
Jim TX
