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Want to know what growing up in a cult is like?

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Johnny Neuron
Finally Comfortable
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2002 10:57 pm
21

Want to know what growing up in a cult is like?

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A couple of you know that I (as well as Cheryl, aka, "Naddia") grew up as members of the Jehovah's Witness religion. Yeah, you know, the ones who ring your doorbell while you're in the shower and want you to read their magazine, "The Watchtower." Well, this is something I posted on an ex-JW forum a couple days ago and I thought you might enjoy it. It's a commentary on a Watchtower article from the 1950's that is just too hilarious. It nicely illustrates the extremes fundamentalist religions will go to to control their members and get salvation. Yes, the article itself is real. So you can distinquish between my comments and the original article, any commentary by myself (all sarcastic, of course) will be in italics. Maybe you'll enjoy it...hehe.In the long and unusual history of the Watchtower Society there are many doctrines and rules that would make one wonder if the originator of them was high on crack or just escaped from the loony bin. Why, just by using the "Search" feature on your Watchtower CD-Rom and typing in the most innocuous of words will many times lead to the most outlandish article that your imagination could ever conjure up. I just typed in the word "Hats" and see what I found...*** w52 4/15 254-5 Questions from Readers ***Questions from Readerso Is it proper for men to tip their hats to women?
stevepainter

Re: Want to know what growing up in a cult is like?

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Interesting read. This paragraph intrigued me:"Incidentally, not only is patriotic significance given to this gesture as shown by its being done for the flag, but also religious significance is accorded to it in that Catholic men tip their hats when they pass the Catholic church. They do this as an act of worship toward the bread and wine that is inside the church and which according to their belief becomes the actual flesh and blood of Christ. So in doing this they believe they are paying homage to Jesus Christ, who they think is inside the church in the consecrated wafer."I was raised Catholic, my parents are still Catholic and my sister and her family are also Catholic, yet I never heard of this. It must be some custom that the Catholic Church abandoned. I'm curious, when the Catholic Church let the whole "hat-tipping" custom slide, did the WTS nod their heads and say "there's hope for them yet". ;)I'm sure I'm not the first to point out that this Franz guy sounded like he had some serious issues. Let's see - a lifelong bachelor, hostile towards women and I'm sure hostile towards homosexuals since that's part of the doctrine if I recall. Sounds like a repressed gay man in need of something. :)Thinking back, I'd say that the treatment of women is one of the things that pushed me away from Christianity. Even in the sects that claim equality, the men are smiling and winking - secure in the "knowledge" that because of Eve women are the root of all evil. Happy that even though they say that women are just the same, men were made first and women were an afterthought. And then of course, God and Jesus are male...Oh well, I'm rambling too much. Thanks for the post Johnny.
Dom

huh?

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Quote:"Only such as are content with these assigned places will live in the new world."Errr... new world?
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