Why are Jehovah's Witnesses afraid to examine the record of their organization once they have become convinced it is "God's organization"? There are many reasons why people become Witnesses, and there is no one personality type or situation in a person's life that drives him to become a JW. Yet, there is a common thread.
It is related to a basic human need that must be filled, and that is security. In our fallen state, all of us are pitifully insecure, and live in a hostile, unpredictable world. We look to others for stability and trustworthiness; and if we fail to find that in people, we will seek to find it in things or in power or in some other cause. Once we find a form of security that we think will meet our needs, we are faced with what social psychologists call cognitive dissonance (knowing we are not in harmony with our beliefs). We often instinctively know that a friend, a lover, a car or house, a job, or even a religious organization never seems to give personal security to others, yet when desperate and faced with the chance, we may choose to say, "Why not?" The temptation becomes great, and we must choose a course of action. And as is pointed out in the accompanying article, we embark down a road of close-mindedness towards reconsidering the choice we made. We may find the price of changing midstream is too costly. It will leave us with an even greater sense of insecurity.
This is why JWs react the way they do when the Christian or ex-JW challenges them to check out what the organization has done over the last 107 years. It is not just pride in having all the answers, and the threat of losing face to someone else.1 It is more likely that they are actually afraid to investigate the evidence against the Watchtower, which they had so quickly brushed aside in the beginning.
How does the Watchtower indoctrinate its members?
Charges are often brought against the Watchtower of brainwashing its members. If brainwashing is understood to include the repetition of their doctrines over and over so as to immunize them against any other viewpoint, then this is certainly true. However, there are two techniques the Watchtower uses that are even more effective in establishing a cultic mindset: (1) a highly controlled social atmosphere, and
(2) teaching the Witness to brainwash himself
In actuality, these two methods are usually employed together. It works like this:
(1) The Watchtower isolates the JW from his family and from society by keeping him totally occupied with meetings, study, door-to-door and proselytizing activity, and by warning them not to associate with "worldly" people, which often excludes one's own non-Witness family. As a result, a narrow, pessimistic and apprehensive mentality is produced. No one outside of the organization is to be trusted. One withdraws into the standard JW mindset, wherein he mimics the attitudes of the local elders as well as the Governing Body to a large extent. The JW learns how to "read between the lines" so to speak, when the Watchtower promotes its doctrines. Their doctrines may not actually look so unusual in print, but the JW interprets them differently than the person off the street who just picks up and reads the latest Watchtower. The JW has the key to understand the WT because he embraces the standard JW mindset and attitude.
(2) By the use of leading questions, the Watchtower study conductors can use their publications and even the Bible to direct the JW to certain conclusions, yet allow the Witness himself to give the answer. This technique of presenting certain one-sided facts and then using leading questions to get them to reason on these facts is the same as used in courts of law, where a lawyer may trap the defendant by reviewing certain selected facts (which may or may not be true), then asking the defendant "catch" questions, until the defendant admits he is wrong or his testimony appears inconsistent. While a new person studying with the JWs may suspect this technique, the committed JW responds out of habit, without even questioning the method or the doctrine. Because he is familiar with the attitude or the spirit of the organization, he generally knows the right answer to give, and automatically parrots it. For instance: A JW may read an article about dress and grooming, and how the way we dress influences others. Then the article may give a couple of experiences where someone with a beard was either dishonest or was perceived as such. Finally, the article may conclude with the leading question, "Would it be wise as Witnesses of the happy God Jehovah to display a form of dress or grooming that might cast doubts on our honesty or sincerity?"
The JW thinks to himself, "I don't know anyone in the organization who has a beard except a rebellious brother in another congregation, and so it must be a sign of rebellion to wear a beard. I don't want to be looked upon as `untheocratic'. Beards are obviously untheocratic." What we find is that the JW has brainwashed himself into believing that a Christian shouldn't wear a beard, and can even find Scriptures (provided by the Watchtower) to support his case. All this, while most all faithful men in the Bible had beards!
What happens when a Christian "does battle" with a JW using the Bible?
Several things may happen, depending on the personality type of the Witness. If the JW is the active, aggressive type, he may enjoy debating with the Christian, as it helps to sharpen his answers. If the Christian has an edge on the JW, it may still be seen as an opportunity to go home and brush up on how to refute the "new" points brought up by the Christian. Seldom is this type of Witness touched by the Christian's presentation (at least in a "debate" setting).
If the Witness is more reserved and less likely to aggressively pursue the debate, he will retreat to the elders and Watchtower publications in order to strengthen his security base in the organization (which has just been threatened). Often the Witness will come back later and tell the Christian, "I'm glad that I met you, and took the opportunity to check out what you brought up. Now I am more convinced than ever that I have the truth!" The JW appears to be more brainwashed than ever, much to the consternation of the Christian who thought he was doing so well in the debate! But the Christian is simply not aware of what just happened: (1) the JW's security base was threatened--the possibility that he made a wrong decision in becoming a JW surfaced and it was extremely disturbing (post-decisional dissonance). (2) to resolve the anxiety, the JW blocks out all outside reading material or disturbing thoughts and immediately goes to the elders or the Watchtower publications and reinforces his view of the Scripture or subject (by means of intense and very selective meditation on WT thinking). (3) Once the JW feels settled again, he is confident that that particular point will never bother him again! In the mind of the JW, once he has an answer to a particular difficulty (whether it is a valid answer or not), he no longer has to struggle with it. By outward appearances, the JW is more confident than ever. On the inside, he has taken one more step in selecting what facts he wants to believe and rejecting those facts which contradict what he believes; he has brainwashed himself. The Watchtower doesn't so much brainwash people as it actually teaches them to brainwash themselves! This is much more permanent than our more common concept of brainwashing.
What is more effective than playing the game of "Scripture Checkers"? (informal debates using selected Scriptures)
Sometimes the Christian who employs this technique has a problem with insecurity himself. At some point in the past, a JW may have challenged his faith in his doctrines enough so that he is living in a state of cognitive dissonance. He wants to be sure that he has the truth! Since the Watchtower doctrines challenged his security base, he can only gain peace of mind by learning to refute every Watchtower argument that there is. This type of person will always resort to Scripture checkers or argumentation. So we then have two persons arguing, both of which have placed their securities in the wrong thing!
The Christian seeking to reach the JW needs to understand that the real problem of the JW is misplaced security.2 Rather than walking in a personal relationship with a personal Being, and basking in the real answers to life's problems, his belief system as well as the organization is his security. As long as there are no holes in this doctrinal structure, and he is convinced the Watchtower is "God's organization," he feels secure. A breach of confidence in this structure must be quickly patched up to avoid the torment of doubt.
It is better for the Christian to listen to what the JW is saying, and to quickly and concisely refute the individual points being made, keeping it brief (for additional information, see the May-June Newsletter). This requires study of their belief system, but it pays off by taking them off guard. The next and most important step is to offer them a greater security; a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as is spoken of in John chapter 14 (which it is good to read to them, commenting as you go). In summary, the arms of the one receiving them must be stronger than of the one whom they are letting go!
Can't it also be said of Christians that they need a "crutch" or security blanket to lean on?
This is certainly true of many who go to church and possess the outward show of being a Christian, but it is not true of a born-again Christian who walks by the Spirit of God in his day-to-day affairs. Many people join a church or attend a church because they have a conscience, and their conscience tells them that there is a God, and that He has moral standards, and they therefore feel guilt for their sins. By going to church and associating with Christians, their conscience doesn't bother them as much. Fellowship is a form of security, as is the promise of escaping judgment. While none of these things are wrong in themselves, they may be all that is there. All such a one has are visible, outward forms of security. The atheist is right in accusing this type of Christian of seeking a crutch.
What the atheist cannot see and does not understand is that a Christian is supposed to have a working relationship with an invisible Person; a Person whom the Christian cannot hear or see in the natural realm. A Christian is to learn to stake all on this invisible relationship; even when he can't see two steps in front of him. This form of security is not security at all in the eyes of the world; it is insanity! Indeed, to risk all on such a relationship, it better be real!
For the JW, the organization takes the place of a personal relationship with God. How does a Witness know he is "right" with Jehovah? By his standing in the organization, and how much he is doing for the "kingdom." The real Christian, on the other hand, knows how he is doing by the witness of the Holy Spirit in his heart; a very personal and real manifestation. He can be right with God, even though his world around him (church, job, family, etc.) is falling apart. He is not making such things his base of security, but has faith in the One who is invisible (Heb. 11:27). In helping the JW out of the Watchtower organization, what is it important not to do?
Do not allow their security in the WT organization to be replaced simply by security in a particular church or denomination, or even a particular circle of friends. These things are all good in themselves, but not as a substitute for what the person really needs to initiate--a working relationship with Christ. Since it is a new step, it may be strange or foreign to them. It is easier just to get comfortable with the same set of misplaced securities one once had in the Watchtower!
Do not load them down with books or advocate a diet of Christian television (but don't discourage such things, either). They should be studying the Bible with a scholarly frame of mind, which will help end their confusion over doctrine and give them a firm foundation in true doctrine. Allow them to see that there are areas of doctrine (beyond the fundamentals) that are points of division in the body of Christ, but that this is characteristic of human nature. Teach them that they will someday learn all the answers, but that they need to pray and meditate on the Word of God and get established in God's wisdom first, and they need to develop a "track record" of relationship with him. This will give them true security. Teach them to love others without expecting it in return; for the Lord will repay them out of his own love (Matt. 5:43-48; 6:4). Teach them to allow the Lord to fill them up when they are empty, and not to always expect that from other people. * * *
Footnotes:
1. although this is a significant factor. The JW is continually told that they are the only ones who have the truth; indeed, they are "the truth". They are well-trained in talking to people at the door, and do pride themselves in having all the answers, since they believe that the true Christians must have all the answers.
2. This can be demonstrated by bringing forth photocopies of older WT articles that gave false prophecies or said something that they no longer consider as truth. The hostile reaction of the JW usually tells the story.
Trackback(0)
 |
Articles 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
