Do you think Witnesses would drink the "Cool-Aid" if told to do so...like Jonestown?

by Witness 007 79 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Witness 007

  Jonestown 1970's, Jim Jones brainwashed his 900 member cult into committing mass suicide by drinking cyanide cool-aid. Only three escaped. {the smart ones} One man hid under a building....another escaped into the jungle while armed guards dragged another member to get injected by force. {Some violently protested after seeing the 5 minute death, froathing at the mouth} Most went VERY willingly, kids and babies first, then parents.

  I was thinking how many Witnesses do you think would drink the "cool-aid" if the Governing body ordered it.....I know some would protest but my anionted mother would do it in a heartbeat.
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  Mickey mouse

  In a closed environment like a Kingdom Hall and taking into account group think/dynamics - 80% would in my opinion.
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  NewChapter

  No, I don't. What happened in Jonestown is not happening in the KH. For instance, from the beginning, Jones inserted the idea that they may all have to die for their ideology. He practiced a long series of White Nights, where everyone would be called in to drink the koolaid. They practiced over and over. They were isolated, and had no other options. They were also malnourished, so their brains could not properly process information. While isolated, with no help, if anyone objected to Jone's teachings---they would be taken away and reeducated in a medical facility. Also they were constantly tested. Decoys would express doubts, and if the person they talked to, didn't turn them in, then THEY were in trouble.

  Yes, JW's are expected to tell on each other---but I don't believe they are habitually set up and the "re-educated". The paranoia in Jonestown was very unlike the paranoia at the KH.

  Now I know this post could be followed up with insistence on the similarities--and you'd have a point. However degree does matter---the mix is not here for this to happen on wide scale at a KH. First off---suicide is wrong---period. That is the teaching. Jones did not have such a teaching and trained his followers for an extended time to commit suicide. The dynamic would have to seriously change at the KH for quite a while to lead to something like this.

  Again---i recognize certain elements---but I don't want to cheapen what happened in Jonestown, the same as i don't want to cheapen what is happening with the WT. Those people could not walk away. Their environment was fully controlled. They had no outside contact. They truly were at the mercy of Jones. And they expected to die at any moment and were ever prepared to committ suicide. And keep in mind---this was not just mass suicide---it was murder/suicide. Plenty objected in the end--so they were also willing to murder for their beliefs. I don't know any JW that is willing to go that far.

  NC
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  Witness 007

  Dying due to refusing a blood transfusion is suicide, and we were conditioned and "Practiced" into what to say all the time.
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  cantleave

  Hypothetically - If the society could twist a scripture to show this was Jehovah's will, and would result in a resurrection into Paradise. many would do it. As has been done with the blood transfusion doctrine!
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  Giordano

  Newchapter is right .

  Todays witness barely has a grip on what they believe. They do put up with a lot but notice how many are walking out .........especially born-ins.

  Being trapped in a KH is a lot different then being taken to a foreign country, living in an isolated location, underfed and overworked.

  Beside which the growing consenous is that they were murdered................ forcing people to drink the poison at gunpoint is murder.

  Remember they had practiced this before many who drank willingly might have assumed that it was another dumb practice session. You can heard the tone change when their loved ones started to react to the poison.

  What is similar is how many witnesses refuse fractions and whole blood and die each year. I consider that murder as well plus they have allowed themselves to die in that manner since 1945. Any estimates on how many have died? I've heard upwards of 200,000 world wide.
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  Mickey mouse

  Todays witness barely has a grip on what they believe.

  Exactly. What they believe is not important and they know that. The most important thing is to obey.

  Obey and refuse a blood transfusion risking their life. They don't know why they would accept one thing and reject another. They just know it's imperative that they O B E Y.
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  NewChapter

  yes, the blood issue does have certain elements---however the dynamic is still very different. Refusing medical care and actively committing suicide/murder draw on different behaviors. What is the INTENT? Active suicide=INTENDING to die. Refusing medical treatment=Willing to take the chance---but preferring not to die.

  I think these are very different processes. A willingness to die is much different that a desire to die. Soldiers are WILLING to die, but they certainly don't want to. Yet they feel the principals they are upholding are worth the risk. Firefighters that run into burning buildings are WILLING to die--to risk it---but they don't want to. Again, their principals overcome their fear of death. A Witness that refuses treatment is indeed willing to die, but I don't think they want to. They accept alternatives---and try to find a way within their principals to live. Agree or disagree with those principals---people other than JW's have chosen to risk death for a principal.

  This is just very different from what happened in Jonestown. Again---they were even willing to murder others--and did.

  NC
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  NewChapter

  And on that subject---I was talking to a doctor who told me that they cared for a young JW that would take the stand in front of their parent---but then allow tranfusions secretly. The staff did quite the waltz to keep it from mommy---so I believe that less and less are willing to take that risk. But they do keep up appearances.

  NC
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  talesin

  Yes, it's a different scenario. Metaphorically, many of them have already drunk the Kool-aid. They are living non-lives, with no purpose, no emotion and no joy. They are living their lives like robots, and they will never leave. Psychically dead.

  tal