WT Style Pacificism

by Sea Breeze 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Phizzy

  A little lad in our Congregation, about 8 years old, had picked up on the idea that he was not supposed to defend himself, and so was being bullied and punched at School by one boy in particular.

  His father, a wise Elder told him that sure, he could defend himself, no way was he expected to take being bullied and physically attacked.

  The next day he went to School and punched the Bully several times, he had no more problems at School.

  But if that little lad had not been properly guided, he could have suffered as the guy in this Thread did in later life.
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  Diogenesister

  StephaneLaLiberte Concerning the situation in the OP, I would've tried to find an escape route or tried to fight back. But honestly, it's much harder than it sounds. Fighting looks easy in the movies but when you never ever fight and never consider it, it is much more difficult to gather the courage to fight back. So, even if we say: In the same position, I would have done this or that, perhaps we'd have behaved like him: scared frozen like deers in the headlights.

  Exactly. It's easy to say what one would do from a distance. The "fight or flight" theory is indeed incorrect because "freeze" is a far more common reaction (that I know I myself did).As witnesses - in fact all Christians - we are taught to 'turn the other cheek' and to love our enemies. How many of us can truly say we do? Almost none, in truth.My heart breaks for that poor lad. Leading a sheltered life, he couldn't conceive of the type of motivations such a damaged mind had, that belonged to the young lad who murdered him. We really need to question the background of the murderer.To be so brutalized at that young age, he must have been surrounded with violence and neglect.
  I know Witness women are taught to fight back when it comes to rape.
  Maybe we can say the witness lads background didn't prepare him for the 'real world' but how many of us are confronted with such evil? Thankfully few of us. My own husband was attacked by two lads who killed their next victim and went to prison for life. My husband is convinced his pacifist reaction saved his life. The next victim fought back and died doing so. Each crime is different to the next as Mum posted above the best thing is to use your intuition, gut feeling and good sense.
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  DarleneGatus

  We left when my eldest son was 14, and shortly after, the thing he told me he hated most about the JWs was that they were turning him into a p&$$# - a weakling. After leaving, both my sons wanted to go to gyms where they could essentially learn to defend themselves as well as blow off steam. I have since learned that hard workouts are a good way to get over the trauma stored inside myself from the JW years. I regret so much. At least after leaving, we can rebuild our self-respect and learn to defend ourselves as needed.
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  Drearyweather

  Too bad the WT didn't reverse their spiritual food in time for Chris Chavez to save his own life since this article came out after his murder. Sorry about that Chris.

  Sea Breeze,

  In the WT, fighting back in self defense, even inflicting a fatal blow to the assailant is permitted. at least since 1975:

  Awake 1975 9/8 Page 27-28

  If flight is impossible, the individual may be able to reason with the assailant. But, at other times, trying to reason with a person determined to inflict injury may lead to loss of valuable time. The situation may be such that the only thing a person can do is to use whatever is at hand to protect himself or others. As a result, the attacker may receive a fatal blow. From the Scriptural standpoint, the one acting in self-defense would not thereby incur bloodguilt.