We All Fall Down Like...

I've seen a lot of Facebook posts, blogs and comments on my blog recently that show JW parents basically disowning their kids who are either disfellowshipped, disassociated or simply 'faded' - though I hate that description - it's a Witness term and it basically means they have disappeared from view!

Of course the solution they always give is; Come back to Jehovah and we'll welcome you back into our family.  I wouldn't critisise anyone who rejoined the JW's in order to re-establish contact with their friends and family.  The prospect of never being able to have a relationship with those you love unless you conform is evil, nevertheless it's also compelling.  Frankly it begs the question; how many have gone back with loathing in their heart for Jehovah and his band of vile men, but put on a pretence in order to regain their family?

My guess is many.

Personally I would never do it but the cost of that decision is huge.  My parents are old and neither are in the best of health.  Neither would, for a single second, ever have a doubt that the Governing Body is directed by God.  They would never accept that the organisation lies to them, deceives them or could even have made a small mistake.

Whatever evidence I produced, even showing the lies in their own literature, would never shake their faith.  And so, sooner or later, they will die with the firm conviction that I am an apostate and Jehovah will resurrect them to a paradise earth to live forever in peace, security and perfect health.

It's sad but what is the alternative?

To go back to the Kingdom Hall, tail between my legs and beg for forgiveness?  To then live a life of lies, pretending I love this violent, judgemental, jealous excuse of a God who dishes out the death sentence like a confectioner dishes out sweets?  To openly turn my back on my friends who are homosexual and dismiss their feelings as ungodly and unnatural?  To view women as subservient to me simply because I was born a man?  To defend an organisation that is rightly ridiculed for their double standards and for their constant changes in beliefs?

I work in a sales environment and excuse my French but so many sales 'techniques' are bullshit.  I have, over the last thirty years, been exposed to dozens and dozens of training courses and seminars that discuss the 'half Nelson, the full Nelson, the presumptive close, the mirror body language, the negative close, the positive close, ABC, MAN and a million others.  The Governing Body use a technique called 'The Closed Doors' or 'The Corridor'.

Basically this sales technique is designed to close all the doors to your objections so that you have no excuse to say 'no' to the sale.

Here's how it goes:  Imagine a corridor with doors on either side all the way down to a solid brick wall.  Now imagine each of those doors to be an objection.  Those objections will include; too expensive, the wrong colour, too big, too small, too expensive to service, the wrong shape, slow delivery time, not in fashion etc etc etc.

The salesman's job is to close all of those doors with his skill at negotiation and building desire for his product.

The Governing Body have also addressed that corridor;  The door slams shut in the following ways;

It's apostate information
You are being disloyal to the organisation
It's worldly
It is Satan's propaganda
Your reasoning is worldly
Your course of action will result in you being shunned by those you love
We are directed by Jehovah through Jesus, are you willing to question the Grand Creator?
Only a fool claims there is no God
We do seemingly bad things because it's a spiritual war and sometimes lies and subterfuge are necessary in spiritual warfare.
Your friends will avoid you if you persist with your questioning.
You have been attacked by Satan.


ETC
ETC
ETC

It is a tried and trusted technique that works - as long as the basic premiss is that the Governing Body are Gods spokespeople, all the rest of it works.  Of course if you remove that basic premiss everything else falls down.