16 karma · joined May 30, 2016
They've made a bunker video for their convention, made me think of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt [1]
A while ago, they also made a propaganda animation, made specially for children which teaches that being gay is wrong and can be cured [2]. They compare gay people with terrorists at the airport, going through TSA.
The 'reasonable and loving' part is called conditional love. It's a tool used by most cults.
- Adam & Eve vs DNA & archeology: JW's believe Adam was created about 6000 years ago, 4026 BC to be exact [1] and he was the root of humankind. - The Genesis flood narrative: JW's believe that all known kinds of animals survived a worldwide flood in 2370 BC [2], in a boat made from wood. - Destruction of Jerusalem (607BC vs 587BC): JW's use the wrong date 607BC [3] as a base of a dooms day prophecy, which is supposed to point to 1914 but streched and streched over time. Still waiting.
During the research of these things, I noticed quite some manipulative writings in their literature, presenting only the facts they agree with and misrepresenting the others. They also misquote and twist the words of scientists A LOT! [4]
Another thing was there their involvement with the UN. For an outsider this might look as a none issue, so let me clarify. This is what JW's are teached about the UN:
"No, the UN is not a blessing, even though the religious clergy
of Christendom and the rabbis of Jewry pray heaven’s blessing
upon that organization. It is really “the image of the wild beast,”
the visible political, commercial organization of “the god of
this system of things,” Satan the Devil. So the UN will soon be
destroyed along with that beastly organization."
Watchtower 1984 Sep 15 p.15
"The United Nations is actually a worldly confederacy against
Jehovah God and his dedicated Witnesses on earth."
Watchtower 1987 Sep 1 p.20
I could continue for a while, but you get the idea :)
[1] http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200000089#h=7
[2] http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001150#h=2
[3] http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011736 and http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011810
[4] http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/misquotes-deception-lies.p...
[5] http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/united-nations-association...
It's a weird thing, alarm bells going off everywhere in your head, but you still tell yourself: It's alright, I'm ok this is what I have to do, it's the best life choice, it's not that bad, everyone else is wrong, ...
For me personally, the subconscious reason why I acted that way is that I knew the repercussions when I would try to leave. My whole family, friends, everyone I cared for would start shunning me. I would've been kicked out of my the house by my parents, completely on my own, no contact at all. That's a scary though when you've been thought the world is a wicked and evil place. This year, the group has even become more aggressive when it comes down to shunning, showing emotional propaganda videos on their conventions [2].
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/search?q=cognitive+dissonance&...