One day you guys will realize you were the only one "duped". I think you are very arrogant thinking that you are the only people out of 6 million that knows how to read and cross-reference. It is like those guys that think a letter about NGO status, 587 BC will cause us to flee like rats from a sinking ship.
You sound like people that got married too early. How can control "creep" into your head with out you knowing it. What may have happened was appeasement, you willingly signed over your freedoms to others in return for their interest and friendship. Once you no longer needed their approval you took your free will out of your back pocket, and went about your business. If you think I am blaming the victim you are wrong because you are not victims.
As for the suicides this is not a suicide cult. I do know a few in our area that took their life or tried. This is a depressing religion in a depressing world. If you have a problem with depression I would not recommend it unless you have a dedicated psychiatrist. You are all saying it should be illegal to make a religion that is depressing. Which is absurd. Think of it. Name one thing in Jehovah?s Witnesses beside it being one of the most melodramatic manic-depressive faiths on earth that would lead to suicide. It sounds like you want a law that says all religions can only serve the public good just like radio stations or hospitals. Banning depressive religion is like banning depressing music. This is an immature view of the world.
The blood issue is a moot point. JWs follow court orders for minors. The rest are stubborn adults exercising freewill. My aunt died a horrid death from lung cancer because she did not want to loose her hair, and believed in herbs. She was stubborn as heck all her life to the day she died. We all miss her and her children are tearing themselves up over woulda, shoulda, couldas when the reality she choose to not treat her cancer because she could not see herself with out her hair, or bent over a toilette bowl.
Breaking up families is not quantifiable. Many JWs that fight ?family opposition? have their lives destroyed just coming into the org. Saying that families are destroyed by people leaving means what exactly? If the majority of your family is JWs then you may feel isolated, but if they are the minority it will not effect you as severely. In fact you may gain support for leaving the ?cult?. Also another thing is disfellowshipped people loose friends mostly. Family ties are given tolerance. In fact when a minor is disfellowshipped the rules are so silly it amounts to not letting them pray and stern lectures.
The argument for harm and danger is very weak compared to quantifiable socially acceptable harms IMO. Most people also seem to complaint that the time they spent in the org could have been devoted to better things. If that was the case why were you there in the first place? If I felt going to wind surfing or doing chicks was more important I would be doing it. How come you didn?t?
