'us' against 'them' mindset

by Myxomatosis 3 Replies latest jw friends

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  Myxomatosis

  Hi everyone,
  
  I'm really curious as to what sort of verbal or otherwise abuse, if any, that everyone received as a JW.
  
  Did you get teased at all, threatened, shouted at, any damage to your physical property, leaflets left on the windshield, anything like that?
  
  I ask because after reading this bit from Steve Hassan's book, and was already rather aware of this through my own personal experience, but what did that make you think about your beliefs? Were you told or did you believe that any attacks on you or your beliefs were from 'Satan' trying to get you from the 'truth'? In 'Combatting Cult Mind Control' Steve mentions that while he was a
  'moonie' he thought any organised or personal attack on the Unification churches beliefs, or claims, or members, only made them MORE convinced that they were the 'only true religion'....was it the same way for you? Before you left, and before you started to actually question, did you believe that literally anything critical of the Watch Tower, or any personal attacks on your beliefs, or teasing as a result, was caused by Satan and further proof that you indeed part of 'Jehovah's organization' the 'only true religion'?????
  
  
  Also, that is something I've just been told by a current JW, she says that she gets alot of crap for being a JW, but she 'knows it's all from Satan....'
  *rolls eyes*
  
  Have they ever considered the possibility that people attack things that are BAD, where in any sort of situation can you find people only getting aggressive ONLY when it is GOOD? And for the most part, anyone it seems trying to get through to somebody who is not open or questioning themself, is really not possible, and terribly frustrating, hence, people get a bit angry, and react more forcefully perhaps. Especially since most current dubs, won't hear, think or see and examine [accusations] to see if they're valid, which is rather ironic when you think it is mostly directly from historical WT publications. I would say that anyone who has read a dime about the WT history probably knows more than the average JW,,what do you think? Either that, or they don't try and fool themselves into thinking that it is just the 'progressive understanding' of the WT.
  
  This site is completely amazing to me because all you guys are ex-JW's, which blows my mind after now trying to reach a number of them with no success, just utter frustration at their clone thinking, wrote responses, and refusing to read the WT own HISTORY!!!!! It's enough to make a girl go wild *no, not like that!*. You guys are awesome!
  
  Thanks,
  
  Myxomatosis
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  Gopher

  Welcome to the board, Myxomatosis!

  I was raised as a JW, and so did get some teasing from the other kids who could not really understand why I was different.

  I didn't get a lot of threats. I remember one time I was street witnessing, and someone told me "those magazines (Watchtower) will rot your mind". Another person yelled at me "get a real job!".

  I remember one time at a weeknight meeting, someone came to the hall parking lot and slashed two tires of each of several cars, thus disabling them. So I guess that means that Satan himself was persecuting us (and not just some nutcase who was angry at the JW's).

  I agree that anyone who has read some of the more fair-minded books about the JW's, such as Crisis of Conscience, will know more about the JW organization then your average JW. Other books that are too angry or that mainly focus on trying to disprove the JW"s through doctrine (such as the Trinity) are not as helpful.

  To "get through" to a JW to get him to consider where his organization is REALLY taking him, he has to be ready to think outside the box. Most JW's are not ready, and will revert quickly to JW thinking. Even many of those who are DF'd still would jump to the defense of WTS doctrine, even though they themselves have been mistreated by the organization.

  Yes the WTS is obsessed with keeping their people seperate from ex-JW's, and so promote the "us versus them mindset" of which you speak. They use fear to beat their people and guilt to motivate them. What a wonderful organization to have in one's rear-view mirror!
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  greven

  Strangely enough the typical JW fights for the very thing that enslaves them...

  I always had doubts and could not envision Satan as somebody that would feel the need to hinder the truth in such a petty way.... but many JW's see any resistance to their doctrine as an atack. Atacks on other religions are down played.

  Greven
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  obiwan

  Geez, all of the above and then some!