If Jehovah's Witnesses Weren't So "Cultish," Would You Have Remained A JW?

minimus

I see that millions of people belong to a religion yet may be non-practicing. There are home Baptists, Catholics that go to church just once a year, and others that are not considered "devout" but still are members of a certain religion. If the Witnesses were much more relaxed in their approach as to how they enforced their views and gave people more "normal" rights so as to believe or not believe certain things, could you see yourself totally out of this religion? Could you see yourself remaining as a Jehovah's Witness under any such lessening of their hold, if they were more relaxed???

greven

No not quite.

The reasons I left include their cultish behaviour but many more issues like:

Their history of lying and deceit.

Doctrinal issues including DF/DA and blood but many more.

A general lack of love and personal interest among the flock

My growing disbelieve in the bible, resulting in skepticism and atheism.

It would have taken longer to realise I am not at home there, though.

interesting question!

Greven

minimus

Greven, most Catholics, for example, could take your reasons in stride.And my thought is, if let's say you lessened the blood issues as conscience matters or areas that would not be enforceable, couldn't you think about staying in a religion that didn't FORCE total allegiance? I believe the majority of people are not full-fledged believers in what their religion teaches, but because they are not disciplined or censured for their thinking, they just remain members. Since they are not forced, they, without much thought remain a member. I think JW's in most cases would do the same.

pr_capone

I will be totaly honest here. I probably would have. It took EVERYTHING that they do to make me want to leave. Had some of the issues been lessened I probably would still be attending meetings but I would be my old self, living a "double life" as they say.

teenyuck

I would not.

Between all the hypocricy, lying, scrambling up the ladder power (men only), backstabbing, on top of the preaching and the failed armageddon dates....NO.

They were so down on everything. Negative, negative, negative. When I speak to my mom, she always focuses on negatives in life. I think she got that from years of being a JW, thinking she is more worthy than Mother Teresa and better than "worldlies."

My life is very positive because I left. I don't want to hear about paradise. I don't care. I don't want to pee in a hole in the ground, wear fig leaves and not have running water. The promise of that is so ridiculous.....I fell for it young and as I got to my late teens I realized that it was a bunch of hooey. Just a way to keep the troops in line.

greven

Minimus, I now know better what you mean. but I would still have left being a atheist.

Greven

garybuss

Hi Min, All, If the Jehovah's Witnesses were not a high control group, there would be no reason for me to leave or expose their tactics. All my issues with them relate to their high control behaviors. Same applies to my Witness relatives.

The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

teenyuck

Since I have come to believe that the bible is a bunch of stories that could only have been produced by someone who ate magic mushrooms, I am more convinced than ever that religion is just plain bad.

I don't care what religion it is. They all teach love your neighbor type stuff. However, they all have an agenda. Power. Over people. When you can control the masses with an invisible object, (God, Allah, Budda, whatever) you have lots of power.

By telling people that they will be "saved" if they let Jesus into their lives, what does that mean? Saved from what? Hell? Just being dead?

My thinking all goes back to the nasty things god has done over the years. He is credited with some really hateful acts in the bible. Why would I want to be in heaven with a diety (or on earth eating dirt) who cannot control his anger and says that offering your first born for sacrifice shows a strong belief?

imanaliento

would I stay if they were more relaxed in their views? NO

I'd say having the two witness rule was way to relaxed, they lie and they cover it up. When the Catholic church was aired for their pedophile problem I was thinking that we were fortunate not to have that in our faith and that if I was a Catholic I would of left. How hipicritical it would of been for me to stay when date-line aired the JW's. It made me literally sick.

when my husband studied he would argue almost every point with the elder, the elder said to him," Jerry if 99% of what I say is the truth then that 1% also has to be the truth.

jerry replied with, yes if that 1% turns out to be a lie then I have to question everything you say after that.

we did our own research and guess what?

we left.

minimus

"If the Jehovah's Witnesses were not a high control group there would be no reason for me to leave.".....That's my point. If they lessened their hold on people and even if they gave their "official" stand on something,(as the Pope does), as long as it wasn't enforced and that high control did not continue, thousands of drifters or "apostates" may not be away from the organization.

If Jehovah's Witnesses Weren't So "Cultish," Would You Have Remained A JW?

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