I have a JW aunt who was basically raised in the KH (my mom and her aunt raised her after her mom died). She has a lot of issues and goes from being a JW to being an addict/slut. When she is being a good JW (now she is a pioneer!) she is self righteous and moral and all until she starts oozing out (she always does)into drink, drugs and smoking as well as hooking up kind of stuff. She lives on this pendulum. The thing is, she looks all good when she is playing at being a JW, but I can still smell the cigarette smoke and the rum on her breath. I think she is past 55 now and figures that she may as well buckle down and play the game cause they will always welcome her back (she has no apostate leanings at all-if she hadbeen raised Catholic or Baptist, she would be going to mass daily or to revivals weekly-this is just her drug of choice).
some would think she cleans up becaause of her faith-I just think it is part of a mental illness in her case-bi polar or manic depressive (sorry, i'm not well versed in MH issues). It would be ANY religion. And for those who truly are wanting to change their lives, it can be any faith-but with here, its just another kind of addiction. She has to give up any personal autonomy cause she just can't handle it-so she gives it to men/org. If she was Catholic,she probably would be in a convent or something now. The old fashioned kind where you scrub stone floors with a brush and wear a hair shirt.
Any religion with restrictions can be good in some kind of sense, but the key is ANY religion. Whichever gets to the person first or already had them(historically) can serve the same purpose when it really isn't about God, they want a lifestyle that looks clean and undefiled. She feels very defiled by her life. So being a JW appeals.
My mom would be who she is no matter if she was a JW or not and so would my aunt.My mom would be in a nice normal church doing nice normalchurch lady stuff (she would probably enjoy church stuff more). For her,she loves God and has had everyone tell her that the JWs are the way to Him. If she was a Baptist,she'd be on committees, raising money for that littlegirl with cancer (another thread) and working at a food bank twice a week. At least. Because to her,THAT is how you show that you love God-by loving others As a JW she serves the org to serve God. I wonder if she had ever come to a real faith in god if she would have such a manic life?
The WT is good in the sense that it gives us an appreciation for NOT being in it. It makes other churches look pretty sweet comparitively and morally. And yes, I mean that. JWs are indoctrinated that to submit to the GB is loving Jehovah. The lack of authentic religion in that religion is shocking. It is more about sales and techniques and campaigns. (Avon and Mary Kay have campaigns!) It isn't about heart, its about placing literataure.
I think the Borg is evil. I don't rant about them much, as I think a lot of JWs are lovely, but the structured religion is insidious and I can'tthink of anything good to say about it ethically or morally or humanely.