Read S. Hassan's Book: Do JW's really fit the cult mold?

by simon17 67 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Mad Sweeney

  The point of the book is that a group doesn't need to attempt ALL of the mind control tactics nor be successfull at all of them in order to fit the definition of a cult. If they do some of them, they're a cult. So seeing exceptions among JWs and the Watchtower doesn't make them non-cult. NO single cult meets EVERY bit of criteria.

  The author of the book, Steve Hassan himself calls JWs a cult, based on his professional assessment and knowledge of Lifton, Singer, BITE, and how the JWs employ the methods that research has laid out.

  Randy's article at freeminds.org is excellent.

  You can listen to Steve Hassan and a discussion of this exact issue on the latest Cult Free Radio. Show #011 is the one with Steve Hassan. I also discussed the issue in show #001.

  Video:

  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cult-free-radio

  http://www.youtube.com/user/MadSweeney1914

  Audio Only:

  http://ex-jw.com/web-directory/cult-free-radio-archives-1-6
• 

  exwhyzee

  People who wind up being cult members never think they are in a cult. I think that the JW's recruiting tactics are more insidious than that of a full on Cult. Most people would run from the typical cult member but JW's are taught how dress and appear harmless and how to lure potential interested ones in using the hope of paradise and everlasting life. Lest the intrested person should be scared off, they withold the information about Holidays, Blood, disfellowshipping and the restriction of outside non JW information. The person isn't told that once he becomes a Witness, there will never be a ligitimate reason for him to leave the group without suffering dire consequeces. They purposely wait until the person is well along the way toward being a convert and has learned to doubt his own reasonings before revealing the full extent of the hold this group will have on their life. They present themselves as people who there only to rescue those who are sighing and crying over world conditions. Most JW's beleive that is really what they are doing because they really don't understand the inside goings on of the organization they have dedicated themselves to folowing or view their tactics as devious. Children who's parents are JW's stand no chance of ever getting out without shreadding their entire support system and personal histories to ribbions. They are taught from childhood in mind numbing all day education sessions to be at war with themselves internally and to doubt their own common sense ...even view their own internal warning system as being of the devil. They are taught that terrible consequences will befall them if they ever disagree with or leave the group.

  Are JW's a Cult....maybe not in the true sense of the term but the methods they employ are the same as the ones cults are known for and the effects these have on those who end up being associated with them, are just as effective in convincing individuals to give up their lives and personal freedoms based on teachings that have time and again proven to be untrue.

  Better the cult you see, Than the one you don't see .
• 

  ABibleStudent

  Hi simon17, why did you focus on the techniques used to control people instead of the BITE control model and the universal themes that organizations that use mind control have in common that are described in Combatting Cult Mind Control?

  I agree with OnTheWayOut and other posters that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult. The WTBTS just uses different techniques than the Unification Church to indoctrinate people into being JWs. The way that JWs conduct bible studies is a prime example of indoctrination (subtle but effective). If a bible study does not progress as planned in 6 months or less, the JW will drop the bible study in a heart beat.

  Would you agree that the WTBTS uses mind control by evaluating the practises of the WTBTS with the 10 universal themes of organizations that use mind control? If the WTBTS uses mind control and uses the BITE control model to control the behavior, information, thoughts, and emotios of its members, how can you believe that the WTBTS is not a dangerous cult?

  It took me awhile to realize that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult and not a religion. After reading Combatting Cult Mind Control, it was painfully obvious to me what the WTBTS is.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert

  Steve Hassan describes the following universal themes that organizations that use mind control have in common:
  1) The Doctrine is reality – members are not allowed to disagree with the organization’s doctrines. The most effective doctrines are those “which are unverifiable and unevaluable” in the words of Eric Hoffer.
  2) Reality is Black and White, Good versus Evil – there is no room for interpretation, deviation, and compromise.
  3) Elitist Mentality – “members are made to feel part of an elite corps of mankind. This feeling of being special, of participating in the most important acts in human history with a vanguard of committed believers, is strong emotional glue to keep people sacrificing and working hard.”
  4) Group Will over Individual Will – “The group comes first. Absolute obedience to superiors is one of the most universal themes in cults. Individuality is bad. Conformity is good.”
  5) Strict Obedience: Modeling the Leader – new members are often encouraged to imitate people who they are paired with (i.e., how they dress, speak, behave) to effectively overcome their individuality.
  6) Happiness through Good Performance – “One of the most attractive qualities of cult life is the sense of community that it fosters. The love seems to be unconditional and unlimited at first, and new members are swept away by a honeymoon of praise and attention. But after a few months, as the person becomes more enmeshed, the flattery and attention are tuned away toward newer recruits,. The cult member learns that love is not unconditional but depends on good performance.”
  7) Manipulation through Fear and Guilt – members come to live within a narrow emotional band of fear, guilt, and shame. It is always the members fault for all problems.
  8 ) Emotional Highs and Lows – members swing between the extreme happiness of experiencing the “truth” with superiors, and the crushing weight of guilt, fear, and shame for failing.
  9) Changes in Time Orientation – how members interpret their past, present, and future are changed. A member’s past is rewritten to color everything dark. An organization creates a great sense of urgency for members to keep members extremely busy on daily tasks and to prevent them from thinking too much. As time-tables pass, the leaders will establish new time-tables to keep members busy.
  10) No Way Out – there is never a legitimate reason for leaving an organization. Members are told that they must be weak, immoral, tempted, brainwashed by deprogrammers, pride, sin, etc.
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  poopsiecakes

  You know, every time I read those 10 themes the hair on the back of my neck stands up. EVERY TIME.
• 

  flipper

  SIMON 17- You know you are in a mind control cult when there is no acceptable way to exit an organization and you have no " locus of control " as Steve Hassan mentions to decide to leave without suffering shunning and repercussions. The WT society promoting Jehovah's Witnesses is a much more dangerous mind control cult than many people realize. All non-Witnesses see is these " shiny happy people " knocking on their doors with plastic smiles telling them they can " live forever in paradise " . Outsiders are NOT aware of the control, and strcitness which occurs once you join the Witnesses and start attending meetings
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  Aussie Oz

  One of the problems for lableing them a cult (and i admit i still find it difficult to do so) is the cherry picked definition used in the Reasoning book:

  A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. The standard for what is orthodox, however, should be God’s Word, and Jehovah’s Witnesses strictly adhere to the Bible. Their worship is a way of life, not a ritual devotion. They neither follow a human nor isolate themselves from the rest of society. They live and work in the midst of other people.

  They simply will not be seen as one because they (and those infected by the above reasoning) ignore all the other factors that define cults:

  the bite model in the title book:

  Destructive mind control can be understood in terms of four basic components, which form the acronym BITE:
• 

  3rdgen

  I'm with Poopsie!
• 

  simon17

  Hi simon17, why did you focus on the techniques used to control people instead of the BITE control model and the universal themes that organizations that use mind control have in common that are described in Combatting Cult Mind Control?

  I agree with OnTheWayOut and other posters that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult. The WTBTS just uses different techniques than the Unification Church to indoctrinate people into being JWs. The way that JWs conduct bible studies is a prime example of indoctrination (subtle but effective). If a bible study does not progress as planned in 6 months or less, the JW will drop the bible study in a heart beat.

  Would you agree that the WTBTS uses mind control by evaluating the practises of the WTBTS with the 10 universal themes of organizations that use mind control? If the WTBTS uses mind control and uses the BITE control model to control the behavior, information, thoughts, and emotios of its members, how can you believe that the WTBTS is not a dangerous cult?

  I would agree the WTBTS is a controlling organization, playing with guilt and fear techniques. I guess what I was after is that this particular book is often recommended as a great thing to get Wtinesses to read if possible because it doesnt ever mention JWs.

  From reading the book, I got the imrpession that many of the aspects he noted to be almost universally true in all cults did not fit the witnesses at all. From reading the book, I would not have gotten the impression that Hassan (at the time of its writing) would have labelled witnesses a cult. Therefore I don't think its a very good tool for bringing witnesses to self-awareness because they will be even more likely to see the distinct differences between the physical realities of a cult as described in the book and their own organization. Yes, there are some things that are similar, but that is probably true of any religion.

  As I said, I would describe the WTBTS as a high control group myself. I think the common conception of a cult by most people is not similar to what is pictured by witnesses although many of the effects may eventually be the same.
• 

  ABibleStudent

  simon17 - . . . I would agree the WTBTS is a controlling organization, playing with guilt and fear techniques. I guess what I was after is that this particular book is often recommended as a great thing to get Wtinesses to read if possible because it doesnt ever mention JWs. . . .

  Hi simon17. I have personally recommended reading Steve Hassan's books Combatting Cult Mind Control and Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves to many exJWs or awakened JWs to enable them to improve their communication with active JWs, who blindly follow the WTBTS, and not to convince active JWs that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult. I will recommend to "Worldly" people to read Steve Hassan's books to enable them to communicate with active JWs and to help "Wordly" people to understand why I (and Steve Hassan and many others) classify the WTBTS as a dangerous cult. To me it would be pointless to even try to convince active JWs that they belong to a dangerous cult, because JWs would not be able to see that the 10 themes that universally apply to organizations that use mind control are used by the WTBTS. Active JWs only believe what the WTBTS tells them and nothing else.

  Steve Hassan's books are just two tools that can be used to help exJWs and awakened JWs to free the minds of JWs so that they can regain their authentic personalities. There are many other tools that can also be used. Unfortunately, I do not know of a single silver bullet to show or tell a JW to awaken them. If that silver bullet does exist, please tell me, because I'm sure that many other exJWs would love to know what it is.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
• 

  Black Sheep

  Don't use the word 'cult', then.

  It is meaningless unless the person you are talking to has the same perception of the word that you do.

  Hassan isn't the first author to write a book about cults while under the illusion that the WT isn't one.

  I have one that states reasons why WT isn't a cult, but the author simply hadn't done her homework and all of her reasoning is debunked in WT literature that she hadn't read, using logic that she had written.

  Don't give Hassan's book to fully indoctrinated Dubs. Learn from it, so that you can work on the chinks in their armour, yourself.