Observation -- Posters Don't Seem Clueless

Band on the Run

I'm impressed with sophisticated thinking on this site. After all it is an ex-Witness site. I wonder what changed in the former Witnesses. Was there a specific incident that killed it for you? I don't understand how people who can write these posts became JWs in the first place. Sorry if I offended.

pirata

Just a born-in, but...

A lot of people seem to convert to JWs at a vulnerable period in their lives when they are at a period of re-evaluation. We often learn at the service meeting to keep preaching to people who aren't interested because their circumstance change.

I read in Steve Hassan's book "Releasing the Bonds", that a therapist who helps people out of cults had to remove himself from a cult recruitment seminar (went there for the experience) because he felt himself starting to get pulled in. Persuasion can be a powerful tool.

As well, JWs are trained to be masters at shelving doubts (ie. wait on Jehovah = Don't think about it or question it).

OUTLAW

Many of us didn`t have a Choice..We were raised in the WBT$JW Cult..

We were all forced to Dumb-Down as JW Kids or face the consequences..

Stupid parents don`t always have Stupid kids..

........................ ...OUTLAW

Nobleheart

I'm also impressed at how knowledgeable many posters here are, and how willing they are to help you out with research, reading materials or whatnot.

Higher education doesn't answer questions like "what's the purpose of life?, why we suffer etc?" The JW religion assumes that it provides answers to all our questions. Questions that are legitimate, but perhaps we'll never actually find out. And they claim that the answers are all from the Bible, so people who have respect for the Scriptures give them the time of day.

Lillith26

Pirata, your post said it all for me.... they came to my house to 'witness' at a time in my life when I was vulnerable. I had a very close call with death during childbirth with my second son and I had questions... lots of them.....

Band on the Run (great name by the way)- not everyone here is an ex witness... and welcome to the board

ProdigalSon

For me, everything changed once I stopped viewing the Bible as an Idol.

There was a time when the Watchtower was an enticing draw for spiritual people. World events and total control of our media had us hopelessly clueless. But the Internet has changed all that. In the information age, there's simply no excuse to get caught up in this cult. That's why almost all of the growth is in third world countries where not many have access to the web.

Lillith26

PSon- in my defence... I didnt get the internet put on at home untill about a month before I quit studing.... conicidence???

Reopened Mind

Band on the Run you certainly don't offend me by asking how I became a JW in the first place. I studied in the 60's and 70's way before the internet. As a teenager I was beguiled by their reasoning on how I could live forever on a paradise earth. Their "proofs", especially from Matthew, Mark, and Luke concerning the last days seemed reasonable to me at the time. Also when I was new I was excited to have instant friends and family. I married a born-in whose father and brother were elders. He, too, became an elder. Then with 2 children and a full theocratic schedule I had little time for outside research. About 4 years ago I read an article in a local newspaper that directed to www.ajwrb.com. That's what started me on my journey of researching the Watchtower on the internet, starting with this forum, freeminds.org, silentlambs.org, jwfacts.com, and every other site I could find a link to. Steve Hassan's book, "Combatting Cult Mind Control" helped me to realize I had been recruited by a very sophistcated cult.

mamalove

I never thought that way before....but generally I always think everyone else is more smart than I am lol! A lot of folks are born ins. I was. I love the smartyfarty's on this board, such thought provoking questions and thoughts and complete ideas.

Leolaia

I don't understand how people who can write these posts became JWs in the first place.

No choice for me (raised-in), and technically I never became a JW as I never took the step of getting baptized.

Observation -- Posters Don't Seem Clueless

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