Disfellowshipped! Forced Exile and Liberation.: A true story of finding my truth and rebuilding life after being disfellowshipped from religion and family. by Hale Christopher

Author:Hale, Christopher [Hale, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

It is a matter of social control. Social control generally applies to societal and political mechanisms or processes that regulate individual and group behavior in an attempt to gain conformity and compliance to the rules of a given society or social group. This definition can very well apply to religious sects and has found practice inside the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Once you have met their high standards for admission to their social landscape and with the ongoing requirements to remain, leaving successfully is very difficult.

Most people view the word ‘control’ as a negative and would not willingly submit to having their lives come under the jurisdiction of any person or organization. It is equally difficult to imagine that Jehovah’s Witnesses willfully set out to create or even execute a method of control. The organization disguises their methods of social control by misusing and misapplying the scriptures to inculcate a feeling of superiority amongst their members while administering a program of exclusion.

The organization creates the illusion that anyone that does not believe as they do is a ‘worldly person’ not fit for a regular association. They create the fear that these worldly people might influence their members toward a wayward way of life so as to lose their relationship with God and miss out on everlasting life in the so-called paradise. This illusion is so great that it permeates their ministry, their speech, and their actions toward outsiders. While other religious organizations are helping others in need by providing food, clothing, and shelter, Jehovah's Witnesses view those outsiders as unworthy of such material assistance until they become part of their social circle. They teach that Jehovah will fix everything for all people in the promised New World and that there is limited value in material assistance instead offering Bible studies, books, and magazines to satisfy the need today.

Members of the sect are taught to hate the ‘things of the world’. This includes all the so-called ‘trappings’ and pursuits of the ‘worldly people’, the non-believers. For example, the pursuit of higher education is strongly discouraged. Their illicit reasoning is that they need to cherish and protect the Christian mind from the infiltration of worldly ideas. They generously refer to higher education as “the philosophies of men.” They focus on the idea that higher education will introduce their minds to theories and ideals that will wreck their pure understanding of truth and overexpose them to demonic teachings. They do not want to encourage critical thinking because it may lead to questions and, as can be expected, some level of dissent. Only the organization has final say on every matter because, according to them, they have God's spirit.

By disparaging knowledge, apart from that dispensed by the so-called ‘Faithful and Discreet Slave’, and discouraging biblical research outside of their publications, they effectively keep everyone on the same level playing field. Everyone talks the same talk and walks the same path as the other, at least in public. Exorbitant pressure is exerted upon those

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