Right to "Sow the Seeds of Doubt"?

JanH

From time to time exJWs may face the question of whether they should do anything to cause doubts in the minds of their JW family or friends. Many argue that these people are happier where they are, inside the organization, and that becoming an "apostate" would cause too many problems to them. In other words, perhaps "ignorance is bliss."

I just read an interesting article about this dilemma on this webpage: http://www.secularsouth.org/show.php?column=facts_for_thought&story_id=19

This article does not deal with JWs at all, but with "normal" fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity.

Reading the author's arguments for helping people to doubt, one cannot fail to note how similar JWdom are in many ways to more "mainstream" Christianity, particularly the evangelical brands.

- Jan
--
Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. [Ambrose Bierce, The Devil´s Dictionary, 1911]

patio34

Thanks JanH,

That was a helpful article I'm printing out for future reference in regards to my two jw sons.

What the author said about appearing to be happy because it's 'ordered' by the Bible was true in my case.

I always enjoy your posts.

Pat

peterstride

Thanks Jan...the article is so right about fundamentalists being told to be happy because the bible tells them to be...not because they truly are.

The whole article is really good, so I downloaded it for future reference.

Peter Stride
Toronto, Canada

lisaBObeesa

Thanks for the article! Very interesting!

On Sewing doupts:
As far as JWs go, I ask questions or share my point of view on a subject, if they bring something up first (and they always do!).
Of course, I do this with all types of people who are trying to 'sell' me something. Mostly, I guess I am trying to get them to be HONEST, to really realize what it is they are saying they believe.

The only time I wouldn't do this is in the case of a child. Kids are just off limits in my book.

ianao

JanH:

Thanks for sharing the article. Too bad some of us have to learn the hard way. If only we could 'turn back time'.

I'm going to show this article to a JW "friend" of mine and see how long it takes him to shove it back in my face.

Francois

Yep, there is a certain similarity between all cults and all people who join cults; it's in their very makeup.

Is it right to sow seeds of doubt? I submit it was certainly right to sow seeds of doubt about the validity of the Nazi religion, the cult of Hitler. And there is a certain resemblence in the violence he did to the Jews and the violence visited upon the "apostates" done by the Borg.

I have a friend who did much better as a JW than he has done out. It gave his life some structure and provided him with limits. Since he left, he's damn near drunk himself to death, and engaged in all sorts of other destructive behaviors. But I think his example is rare.

If you have something better with which to replace the Borg and its fanciful teachings, I think sowing seeds of doubt is fair game. If not, then springing someone out (who needs it) and leaving them hanging can't be a loving thing to do. Of course, having something to offer instead becomes key, and then you're really doing a service in my view.

ft

My $0.02

think41self

Jan,

Thanks for posting that article, I am saving it. Do you know what was one of the things that finally helped me see the truth about the "truth"? Articles like this, that point out the similarities in fundamentalist religions, the "disfuckshonal" thinking (as UncleBruce says)

Once you see that the Witnesses are just another religion that is misleading their people, and certainly not God's one true religion, the rest of the shackles fall away, and you are really free!

think41self

"Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

peaceloveharmony

jan, i also want to thank you for posting this article. i printed it out and hope someday to use some of the ideas presented with my jw family.

thanks again

harmony

"Power doesn't mean you're acting like a man, or you're a bully or a bitch. It's that you don't let people step on you"
-Sharon Monplaisir

Roamingfeline

That was an excellent article, Jan. Thanks so much for posting it. It's a keeper!

RCat

Introspection

Hi Jan, thanks for that article. I think the author summed it up very well at the end where he said the most important thing is to be compassionate and respectful. If you're trying to help them, then it isn't about your own feelings of anger and whatnot. I think it's certainly reasonable to point out things that don't make sense, often people will generate the doubt itself by putting two and two together. If they are good at compartmentalizing things though, you may need to spell it out for them. My feeling on this though is that a little goes a long way. Especially if they're not used to looking at the subject logically, you don't want to make it too complicated for them with many different points. Of course, it's probably unreasonable to expect immediate results, but in the end the choice is up to them. A thinking person may atleast keep it in the back of their minds, some people may go on like they never heard you.

"It is not so much that you use your mind wrongly--you usually don't use it at all. It uses you. This is the disease."--Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

Right to "Sow the Seeds of Doubt"?

Share this