Fear and the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Winston Churchill once warned, “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” How true these words are when we analyse the motivating factor behind many religious and political movements. This is especially so when we apply this to the cults of our day.
It is one of the most common threads that weave cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and the Moonies together.
These cults fear change, loss of influence and modernization. They fear the influence of mass media and its ability to subvert the young with song, dance, fashion, alcohol, drugs, sex and freedom. Education is especially feared if it undermines the teachings of their religion. They fear a future they can’t control, or even comprehend.
Jehovah’s Witnesses fit this notion outright. Their doctrines are based on fear and it is a tactic they have used for decades to recruit new members and to keep the rank and file in check. One only has to look at their publications and literature wherein depictions of destruction and violence are rife. Their book of bible stories, a publication that is supposedly targeted to teach children about the bible, is notorious for its imagery of violence and brutality. No wonder there are reports of Witness children having nightmares when reading this book (And here I speak from personal experience). If their intention was to instil fear in the minds of their little ones then they have certainly succeeded.
Their blood doctrine is certainly the one that is rooted in fear. By now we all know that many lives have been lost due to their refusal to accept blood transfusions. This refusal to have a blood transfusion administered to them is supposedly in obedience to their god who wants them to die and leave family members and young children behind. Once again fear stands out. Fear of disobeying their god and losing their so-called hope of a resurrection into a paradise earth. And here I emphasise the word “hope” because you are not really guaranteed a resurrection according to the Witnesses.
Jehovah’s Witnesses also fear the “end of days”. The word Armageddon sends shivers down their spine. It is the one day they fear the most. They obey their savage and bloodthirsty god for fear of not being spared at Armageddon. Once again this is instilled in them with imagery in their publications.
The leadership is also to be feared. Every utterance that comes forth from the leaders is supposed to be seen as the undeniable “Truth”. And don’t you dare question the leaders! If you do, you are threatened with expulsion and excommunication. The fear of being expelled and losing ones family is what keeps the members from ultimately leaving. This characteristic of fear certainly is another identifying mark of cults and fundamentalist high control groups.
In a nutshell, Jehovah’s Witnesses and their fundamentalist principals characterised by intolerance and rigid adherence to those principles is a cult rooted in fear.
I was a JW for 20 years. I came into the religion. I raised children in the faith, today, none of us are JWs. However, I know it was not because of fear that I became a JW nor was it fear that caused me to stay in the faith.
I have forwarded this article to my adult children and have asked them to give me their opinion on the thought of fear and being raised a JW. Hopefully, they will tell me what they think. They normally do! :}}
I became a JW because of the hope of the resurrection and the thought of living in a paradise earth. This has nothing to do with fear. Why I left, I will not delve into here.
If there is fear, it can be compared to the fear of the traditional religious faiths that use the idea of being tormented in a hellfire, that is scary! The nightmares from the bible stories book, I am sorry the writer experienced that. I do not remember my children saying this to me, so hopefully, they will let me know.
Although Armageddon is seen as God’s war against the nations instead of the nations warring against each other, I see no difference in other Christian faiths whose doctrine refers to Armageddon. If the JWs are a cult because of their teaching of Armageddon, then all of the Christian faiths are a cult since the teaching of Armageddon is based on the readings of the bible book of Revelation. The majority of mankind has this fear. There is a doomsday clock and reference to it has been linked to Armageddon. So, perhaps, the doomsday clock and those who pay attention to it are operating a cult based on fear.
As for questioning leadership, I will not disagree with this view. The summation, can be applied to many religious sects, even when a secular religion is not considered a cult.
Does it matter that the JWs are a cult or are not a cult? Apparently, this is important to some but not all. There is fear in the religion, but there is fear is all religions.
Jehovah’s witnesses are heretical cult and this article tells it very assertively.
http://koti.phnet.fi/elohim/jehovaswitnesses
“They fear the influence of mass media and its ability to subvert the young with song, dance, fashion, alcohol, drugs, sex and freedom.”
Anyone in their right mind does. Few will maintain that the mass media have had a fine effect on humanity over the last few decades.
I am not a J. W. but I have to admit that Jehovahs witnesses have good standing morals. What it with all this negativity tawords them?
I am not a J. W. but I have to admit that Jehovahs witnesses have good standing morals. What is with all this negativity tawords them?
Robin, I am sorry to say but you are a TWIT. Dont quote from famous historical figures about nothing to fear – how about AIDS, rape of babies, drugs, satanism, violence against woman, children, animals, Porn. There has been NO progress in the this secular world that we live in, we wear smart clothes, we live in the electronic age, we think we know it all – and NO ONE IS HAPPY and everyone is SEARCHING for something to fill their shallow, empty lives with.. I am not a JW, but admire their guts to go out there and try and give people HOPE and TELL PEOPLE THERE IS NO HELL- only the hope of a better world. Methinks you protest too much and are probably SAD. Lonely and miss having some religious substance to your life which gave you the belief there was something better. This blog is not going to fulfill your life and stop using to to look for recognition on what is a very shallow and one-sided subjective viewpoint. – Go and do some good instead of spreading malicious kodswhallop.
Thank you Vanessa! Your opinion and comments are much appreciated. Thank you for calling me a Twit because you may follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/robin76. I was a Jehovah’s Witness for 25 years and I think that would constitute more than enough experience to talk about the Jehovah’s Witnesses.(Oh,yes! You are not one!) As for the point you make about me being sad, lonely, and miss having some religious substance in my life; you can’t imagine how far from the truth you are. I have been a much happier person since I left the JWs.Oh and did I mention they have enormous bloodguilt on their hands for their blood doctrine and refusal to allow their members to have organ transplants previously. Me thinks you should do a bit more research before they pull the wool over your eyes.
Robin Jackson
Hi There Robin,
Not to stray too far from the issues at hand however, I am quite sure that I am in love with a JW who has been ‘shunned’ for living with her ex etc. I don’t have any issues with the JW’s except that they seem extraordinarily judgmental, for example I spoke to an elder involved in the local JW church to get some insight into joining the sect. The reason I would become a JW is purely on the stance that this girl (Janine) is looking for security, and in order for her not to be looked at in a light of wrong I would need to become a JW in order to legitimately go out with her.
I think morally I turned out fine despite being an atheist from birth, so I don’t think a persons moral standing is inherent of religion – religion or lack there of is an easy excuse.
I think all in all my point is the following:
- religion should bring people together not enhance segregation
- religion has very little to do with moral standings
I love this girl and thus am prepared to through my self into a stuff up however I would just like to say I have been reading your blog and it is a scary prospect I am delving into however again I fear as a result of the one sidedness of the JW beliefs that this is the only option. – I will however continue to follow your blogs mate.
Regards,
Nick
Hi Robin
I finally got around to the webpage we spoke about at breakfast a few months ago. http://www.bounceback.co.za.