How many JWs still have a personal conscience? (page 2)

eva luna

' a collective conscience'

I spent a lot of time thinking about this on my way out.

What I came away with is , you don't develop a 'conscience' if you live by rules.

Your brain isn't engaged in the same way.

I think religion generally tends to do that; some religions more than others. They fill you full of behaviour rules when you are young. Most of those rules are self-evidently right. Then they try to maintain their relevance or control by telling you that you need to keep listening to them so that you know what is right or wrong.

It is a classic marketing trick, because they in effect have created a need for their product, and sell you the cure. I suspect that is one of the major factors that keep religious people loyal to their chosen religion.

Xanthippe

In conversation with an old JW friend today, it struck me that most JWs have replaced their personal conscience with a collective one.

This is so true and when you study history you realise that JWs have set their consciences back about five hundred years. In medieval times people used to have a collective conscience. They would hand relatives over to inquisitions to be tortured or drive women who helped cure people with herbs out of their villages - or burn them alive. When I studied the medieval period I got the distinct impression people thought in group minds almost like bees or ants. I guess it was driven by the stark need for sheer survival.

So yes we have a religion that wants to take away people's consciences and put them back to medieval thinking. Primary example is they do hand their loved ones over to be tortured in JCs. Then when the 'clergy' say now treat them as if they're dead they blindly obey.

steve2

They have an organization-minded conscience: To disregard the Governing Body's counsel is tantamount to disregarding Jehovah Himself.

Vanderhoven7

Excellent OP. Borg-trained means Bible-trained in JW-land

tepidpoultry

Watch out for those with brightly colored socks!

pale.emperor

When i was in, it was very common for fellow witnesses (full grown adults) to ask me "are we allowed...?". Rather than using their own minds or their "bible trained conscience" they always asked "are we allowed to have wrapping paper with snowflakes on it?" (some thought it was too christmassy.

"Are we allowed to play this video game?"

"Are we allowed to listen to this band?"

And on, and on.

Vidiot

contramundum - "How many JWs still have a personal conscience?"

Plenty.

They usually end up here.

How many JWs still have a personal conscience?