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October 13, 2008 Author's |
Book DisplayJehovah Lives in Brooklyn
Jehovah's Witnesses as a Model of Fundamentalism
 by Richard S Francis | Availability |
Description | |
The book Jehovah Lives in Brooklyn: Jehovah's Witnesses as a Model of Fundamentalism describes some of the odd beliefs of this cult, and also gives a psychosocial overview of its place in society, its meaning, and its results. It discusses the effects of cult-psychology on otherwise well-adjusted minds, and shows why even intelligent people can be vulnerable. A brief outline of the book is as follows: Author's Preface: Alien Landscapes, Secret Societies The "alien world-view" of the cult is examined, and discussion explains the view that "alienation" is a plus, a good thing. The cult appeals largely to the distraught, the young, minorities, and others who might be already confused and alienated. These unhappy people are special "target groups" for cult-conversion. The separation of members from usual society is a psychological tool used to cause members to identify with the inner cult-society, which is isolated and insulated from general society, and comes to see all outsiders as bad, ignorant, inferior, or unworthy. *** Chapter 1/ We Are Not Everyday People: Hatred of the "Satanic" World People need to feel special and superior, and this need is abused by drawing people into a world-hating and tightly-knit group who see themselves as the "chosen ones." Being "godly" makes the rest of the world, by contrast, appear "Satanic" or evil. "Everyone who is really good has already joined our group, or will soon do so. So, anyone who does not join is bad." *** Chapter 2/ Strict Obedience to Jehovah: Avoiding "Evil Spirits" and Everybody Else The world is unclean because it is ruled by Satan, who has a plethora of "evil spirits" who permeate every institution and mind outside the cult. This makes outsiders dangerous, since nothing is more dangerous than a demon, who might attack and even possess you. So, a gigantic, relentless fear of the world and of all non-members is the result. *** Chapter 3/ Conversion and the Destructive Process of Personality Dismantling Before a person can be truly "converted," her personality must be destroyed, dismantled, or erased. A number of seriously harmful techniques are used to "remold" a normal person into a cult-member, who will not only fight, but will die, for her religion. The cult then becomes the supreme good, if not the only good. Its teachings are holy and unquestionable. *** Chapter 4/ Satan, Satan Everywhere: A Devil of a Story To make sure that the member avoids all normal social pursuits, and all non-members as potential friends, she is terrified by warnings that Satan is interested in personally attacking and destroying her and her faith. The Lord of darkness will use apparently "innocent" things and people to do this; he is subtle, invisible, and experienced. One is never to assume that he is absent. *** Chapter 5/ A "One of a Kind" Religion: Beliefs Designed to make JW's Feel Special Some beliefs have nothing to do with religion or spirituality, but are embraced and adopted simply so that JW's can feel "special." These concepts make them feel different and unique. This appeals mainly to people who do not really stand out due to intelligence, passion, or giftedness. This appeals strongly to people who feel that they are personally ordinary or even worthless, and serves as "compensation" for low self-esteem. Housewives, farmers, and factory-workers become the "only enlightened" people, and the "saviors of the world." *** Chapter 6/ You and Me Against the World As the new member begins increasingly to be enfolded within the group, group-cohesion is increased until she feels that she could not function, or even survive with hope and meaning, outside the group. Group-dependence is very strongly created and repeatedly reinforced, until the person feels that her life would literally be worthless outside the group, in the "dangerous and demonic" world outside. As the self gradually disappears into the all-important group, self-love is replaced incrementally, subtly, with group-loyalty. *** Chapter 7/ Through Thick and Thin: Lemmings United Group-members are presented as the only real, constant "friends," the very best in the world. Their golden promise of friendship is what every human heart longs and yearns for. But the price is extremely high: You must convert. You must give up all hope of ever being allowed to think independently. You must become a "lemming," or blind follower. If you are in any way even microscopically judged to have "misbehaved," the "friendship" is immediately withdrawn. This is an effective and powerful psychological control-tool. *** Chapter 8/ Duplicity and Double-talk: the "Truth" Made Unclear JW's change their definition of "truth." It is whatever doctrine or dogma is officially approved by the leaders in Brooklyn. So, "truth" is very liquid, changing from day to day and year to year. To keep up with the "latest truth" you must continually assimilate "new truths." If you leave the Organization, you "fall out of the truth." There is no hope outside the Org, no joy, no peace, no love. It is all "Satan's world," and he "walks like a roaring lion," seeking to devour you, and there is no protection but the Org. *** Chapter 9/ False Prophecies of the "End" and the Expulsion of High-quality People JW's have made two glaring errors in the structure of their Org: They have made the serious mistake of predicting the "end" of civilization for specific years. This is dangerous, because it can so easily be reality-tested: Simply wait for that year to come. The "end" never does. The other error is that they expel (disfellowship) the best and brightest minds from the group, because these have committed the "sin" of independent thinking. This "brain drain" leaves as loyal JW's only those with the lowest IQ's, and thus, is a form of self-sabotage. Every time a high-quality person is expelled, the entire Org grows weaker. *** Chapter 10/ Where Is the Love? A long time ago, JW's enjoyed a sense of family. People really seemed to love one another. But that love has long since died away. Tens of thousands leave the group every year because they say that they find no love in the group. Cult-literature talks about Christian "love," and thus, pours salt into the wound. Since there is no more fundamental human need than that for love, the Org will continue to cripple itself as long as this basic emotion is down-played, dismissed, or ignored. *** Chapter 11/ "Escape from Freedom": God's Government and the Desperate Longing for the End of Civilization JW's are taught that the end of civilization is a good and desirable event. Like other fundamentalists, they would have welcomed even nuclear war. That, they are told, would have led to the final battle, Armageddon. After that war, they are told, "God's government" will take over the earth. Unlike most scholars and students, who know that "the kingdom of God is within you," the cult insists that this "kingdom" is a literal government, ruled by the iron hand of the governing body in Brooklyn. Unqualified in the extreme, these arrogant but untrained non-professionals plan to take over the world. *** Chapter 12/ The Elder Catastrophe: A Spiritual Hurricane JW's used to be ruled democratically, by vote. Then some bright man got the idea that it would be "better" if ruled from the top down, by appointment. In political terms, this form of rulership is called a "dictatorship," but since the system of elders was presented as "truth," members must believe that it is from God. It has resulted in oceans of tears, conflicts, disagreements, and arguments, explosively ruining lives and families. All members must believe that this "survival of the toughest" hierarchy comes from God, that elders are appointed, not by men (which is true), but in some mysterious process, "by holy spirit." *** Chapter 13/ Clash with Reality: "Study" and the Subculture JW's are told continually to "study." But this word is a part of their own secret inner language. For it does not at all share the common meaning of comparing references, reading widely, exposing oneself to new ideas, and digging into libraries. For the JW's, "study" is code for recitation, rehashing, recycling, and regurgitating the doctrines and pet-texts of the JW propaganda. It is reinforcement, not real study. It is very, very heavy programming, reiterated over and over, and thus, reinforced. It is the core of the "subculture" of JW's, which guarantees their "uniformity," of which they are inordinately proud. *** Chapter 14/ Why Is Studying the Bible a "Sin"? The title of this chapter will shock JW's. They think that they spend all their time "studying" the Bible. But as the last chapter proved, they do not really "study" that book. In fact, people who really study the Bible-- who use standard (non-JW) Bible-dictionaries and -encyclopedias, who compare various Greek texts and modern translations, or who use any source-book not "officially approved" or sanctioned by the leaders will be summarily disfellowshipped. This means that a person trying to study the Bible with the aid of virtually ANY book not published by the Watchtower Society is flirting with excommunication. Thus, although they like to present themselves as serious, scholarly, knowledgeable students of the Bible, this is an illusion and a lie. *** Chapter 15/ Dogmatism and Fluctuation: Walking a Perilous Tightrope JW's are expected to be unbending, rigid, stubborn dogmatists who cling as tenaciously as bull-dogs to the latest interpretation of "truth." The challenge is, this truth is liquid. It is always changing, in constant fluctuation. Thus, the "loyal" JW must at once hold tightly and literally to the letter of the "truth," but must be willing to change at a second's notice when the leaders tell her to do so. Trying to embrace both attitudes simultaneously is what psychologists call "crazy-making" behavior. It is yet another unbearable psychological stress created by the cult. *** Chapter 16/ Misfits, Mediocrity, and Madmen: Inmates Running the Asylum Psychologists have often seriously questioned whether a person of sound mental health and balance can belong consistently to a mind-numbing and -controlling cult. If belonging to, or defending, a cult is itself a sign of mental instability, or even mental illness, then it is no wonder that poor alienated souls band together to convince each other that they are not mad-- that they are, in fact, the only people on earth who are sane. It is this quirky arrogance that appeals not only to the mentally unstable, but to misfits of a wide spectrum. *** Chapter 17/ Mental Turmoils and Storms: On the Imitation of Jehovah If a human being behaved as Jehovah is reported to have acted, she would and should be locked up for the safety of herself and society. People become like the god they worship, and Jehovah is consistently and regularly out-of-control. He blazes with regular ferocity and anger, and believes that it is a "good idea" or viable solution to slaughter his enemies, including their wives and babies. He rages against "enemies," in a paranoid state which sees them everywhere. He is merciless, cruel, and insensitive. He is jealous which means that he is insecure. He throws temper-tantrums. He is guilty of barbaric and brutal atrocities, including genocide. He was unable to keep the loyalty of a tiny band of nomadic savages in early history. Now he psychotically plans the annihilation of the human race in a gigantic blood-bath. He is quite insane. *** Chapter 18/ Keeping the Mask On: Impressing Others at All Costs For the average JW, "what people think" is the most important and crucial consideration in determining behavior. Each member carries on her shoulders the reputation and credibility of the entire Org-- an immense burden. Because they are really so strange religiously, they will always go the extra mile, bending over backwards, to let their neighbors know that they are "regular" and "respectable" people. The average JW would be horrified if the community found out his/her "secret" religious identity, and it is not unusual for members to practice covertly. *** Chapter 19/ The Conversion of the World or the Mass Slaughter of Humanity: Between a Rock and a Hard Place JW's, by their teachings, have cornered themselves in a completely untenable position. For they teach that all people must either convert to their cult or suffer hideous, ghastly death at the hands of Jehovah. Yet any reasonable analysis clearly shows that they have not a "snowball's chance" of converting the entire world. (After over a century of frenzied proselytizing, they are still a microminority.) Thus, the death of the mass of the human race is guaranteed. *** Chapter 20/ The "Kingdom of God" and the Old Men in Brooklyn Although the average JW would probably deny it if it were stated bluntly and clearly (they are not used to clear speech), the much-vaunted "Kingdom of God" translates, in purely earthly and religious terms, to the group of octogenarians who run the Watchtower Society in Brooklyn. These are about a dozen men whose rulings are "the word of God" for JW's everywhere. To question their doctrines, rules, or rulings is a "sin" worthy of disfellowshipment and "eternal annihilation" at the merciless hands of Jehovah. Thus, while proud of the idea that they use the Bible as their only guide, they are in reality doing precisely what every other church in history has done: Following the words of men. *** Chapter 21/ Under My Thumb: The Clergy of JW's The cult bizarrely prides itself on the idea that it has no "clergy." But its administrative-system is actually indistinguishable from that of many other churches. Its arrogant and power-based "elder system" is in fact nothing but a variation of a real, substantial clergy. Long ago, the cult began with the fine concept of Luther, the "priesthood of all believers," but long since, they have instituted the complex, inequitable, and disastrous "elder arrangement." Thus, in yet another way in which they claim to be special or unique, they are, upon careful examination, just like other churches. *** Chapter 22/ Can the System be Changed? Some argue that, instead of leaving the JW Org, one should remain and fight for justice and compassion. But the Org is structured so that any dissonant voices are effectively sealed off in a bubble of silence. Criticism of any particle of a dogma is rigidly forbidden, and might "mark" one as an "untouchable." Laws and rules are not only exceedingly restrictive, but they are also quite punitive. Anyone who calls for even the most microscopic change is seen as a "murmurer," their clumsy term for "troublemaker." These people are to be treated not only as lepers, but as dead lepers. No active JW will even greet them. JW's will flee from them in public, hang up the phone on them, and ignore them when they call at a JW home. Thus, any message of change, even the prospect of the most microscopic change, is suffocated by a thunderous silence of ignoring, guaranteeing ignorance. *** Chapter 23/ "Education" and "Unity," JW Style What JW's call "education" is repetitive reiteration of propaganda. What they call "unity," of which they are very proud, is simple conformity or uniformity. True education threatens them so severely that all JW young people are either discouraged from pursuing higher education, or downright prohibited from it. Why? Because when people become truly educated, they leave the cult, as has been demonstrated thousands of times. Thus, real education is the enemy of the cult, even though it disguises itself as an educational religious institution. Also, true unity can exist only among free people who have made the voluntary decision to cooperate in cultivating a world-view. This contrasts sharply with the forced "unity" that "hypnotizes" believers by endless repetition and enormous social pressures for conformity. *** Chapter 24/ A House Divided: Dissidents and Dissonance As never before in history, JW's are coming apart at the seams. A quick perusal of Internet material shows just how active JW dissidents have become. Not that these people are still in the shackles of the Org. Real debate is simply not permitted among JW's, and free, independent thinking is largely regarded as "sinful." Still, there are courageous JW's who are starting to speak up, and to question the unquestionable dogmas of the old men in Brooklyn, weakening the monochromatic cohesion of the group. They must often perform their services anonymously, due to the threat of retaliation from the Org. But the "xjw" or "ex-Jehovah's Witness" community is more active and vocal than ever before. Christian and other groups have begun to see how the cult is a threat not only to freedom of speech but also to freedom of religion. Importantly, the mind-controlling aspects of cult-psychology are among the most disturbing. *** Chapter 25/ "We Know Their Secrets": The "Threat" of Ex-members JW's have long had adversaries, especially, paradoxically, among other fundamentalists. Mainstream Christian writers have long bemoaned their shallow doctrines and harsh treatments of members. But for the first time, their major opponents are people who have been through the entire "course" of JW indoctrination. These are people who deeply, truly understand the Org, its doctrines, and its structure. These are ex-members, some of whom were the brightest stars in the group. Creative, intelligent, wise people are dropping out of the cult by the thousands, and they are leaving every day. But they do not just sit and stagnate. What most try to do is to share the benefits of their long ordeals, often to prevent other innocent people from getting "caught in the jaws" of the cult. JW's don't mind disagreement; they are quite accustomed to that. What they cannot tolerate, because they cannot survive it, is objective analysis. *** Chapter 26/ "Up In Smoke": Denial of the Pursuit of Liberty JW's are not free people. They do not enjoy even the liberties that people in a democracy take for granted. They have NO freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, or freedom of personal expression or exploration. They are not free even to choose their own friends. This absence of freedom is not theoretical. It is illustrated by something that actually occurred within the Org. During their history, JW's have been permitted to smoke. Then, suddenly, as if on a whim, those who smoked were told that abruptly, their eternal lives were at stake. If they did not stop, they would experience "eternal annihilation at Armageddon"--the precise JW fear-analog to hell. Thus, overnight, lives were shattered, families broken, friendships ruined. As another example, from 1967 to 1981, it was taught that organ-transplants were "cannibalism." Suddenly, that decision was also reversed-- after innumerable people suffered, and even died. *** Epilog/ Thanks a Lot: How JW's Have Enriched My Life It seemed only fitting, in a book such as this, to express my sincere gratitude to the cult for all the lessons of life that it taught me. I disagree with the methodology and dogmatism of the cult, and with its anti-human hatred of the world. I disagree with its image of a god of blood, horror, and violence, who wants to eradicate the human race. But I do love the people in the cult, and those who are thinking of joining. For them, in fact, this book was written. If they would permit it, I would still welcome group-members into my home, to share a meal and some good times. But my brother, a cult-member, has not spoken to me for twenty-five years, and is convinced that I am some kind of "servant of Satan" simply because I decided, as a free man, to leave the Org. I wish happiness and blessings for all JW's everywhere. I hope that they find the very best that life has to offer, that they share abundantly in Love, and that peace and joy fill their lives. ******** ******** If I had a single sentiment to express to the average member, it would be this: If I already have a good relationship with God, and I am a happy and contented person, why do I need your group? I appeal to all cult-members of any group to try to practice toleration, kindness, modesty, and moderation. I appeal to all: Use your God-given intelligence to make spiritual decisions for your own lives. This seems like mind-boggling, unbelievable hubris to cult-members. It also scares the hell out of them. Like children, they are accustomed to having others make their most important life-decisions. But it is not healthy to live out of our "inner children"-- especially not if someone else's "inner parent" is trying to take over in our lives. Practicing the highest love, compassion, and kindness, try to open your mind and heart to the idea that others might also have valuable components to the "truth." Your group does NOT have a "monopoly" on God, on truth, or wisdom, joy, peace, or love. Make friends with your neighbors, opening your gentle heart of peace. Talk with them; more importantly, listen to them. Laugh with them, share and celebrate with them. Look at them objectively, and you will see that they are not "bad people." See them through the eyes of forgiveness and compassion. It is only the child who carelessly sees everything and everyone as either "good" or "bad." Your Organization contains bad people; the world contains good people. This is only reasonable, since absolute purity cannot be consistently maintained among millions of people. In short, the suggestion I give here is the recommendation given since ancient times: Love one another. | |
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