[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

YEah, I was a Kid JW and my Dad is an Elder in the organization. Here are some insites I guess. Hopefully will add to what Alex already said.

Originally Posted by Alex

1) Internal Control:
Depends on how some of the terms are defined. Seemed a pretty egalitarian group overall but there is definitely a somewhat mysterious power organization at the top in the Watchtower Organization in New York. But at the local level I didn't see a lot of overt control.

The JW's have EXTREME control locally. You can almost liken it to almost a government type organization. There are those who oversee an area, say Southern California - then smaller districts containing a number of Halls - then the individual "Halls" that have Elders at the top and several other levels below them before you get to the congregation. They have been so controling, knowing this firsthand, my Mom after divorcing my Dad (who is an Elder) had to get a restraining order to prevent the JWs from harrasing us. In "Hanging" with my dad, I've overheard many conversations about issues in the organization and dealing with people that is just extremely controling. And having grown up in it, there's no doubt it is extremley controling.

2) External Control:

JW's explicitly eschew the worldly political process so to the extent that you are discouraged from participating there is a lot. But on the other hand, beyond fighting for their ability to do what they think it is right they generally leave everybody else alone. One thing about JW's, regardless of how they feel about it personally they'll never vote against gay marriage.

Somewhat/ mostly what you say is true. They don't get involved and basically everything external is just temporary so they don't give it anymore thought that teen's listening to thier parents.

3) Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader(s):
Pretty strong. Not infallible but presented as simply well educated and having seen through the dusty encrustation of two millennia of religious decay.

Of course, it holds that the bible is directly inspired by god, but pretty much all Christian faiths go with that idea.

YEah, whether it is Infallible or not doesn't matter from the outsiders view. They're right period.

4) Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader(s) by members:

A lot of trust in the interpretation of leaders and this was something I was most uncomfortable with. Very little dogmatic discussion, just point to a cite and that is that.

Yes - all the material is pretty much printed and read from. The only time one has anytime of "Say" is when answering the questions given at the Meetings and if you're asked to give a "Talk." Oddly enough I have given them when I was I was young and there wasn't any type of check or censorship but I'm sure if someone said something outragious they'd be booted pretty fast. So other than the standards in questions and materials read from, there really isn't any "free thinking." IMHO

5) Dogma:
Yes, rigid.

6) Recruiting:
Yes, evangelical.

it's more about going out and telling everyone what the "truth" is and in every situation, getting people to go to the meetings and passing out the magazines. We're talking at work, at the store, school was encouraged and on and on.

7) Front Groups:
Not so far as I know, but if they're hidden I wouldn't.

Not really. It's pretty straight forward but it has a hierarchy

8) Wealth:
There was no mandatory financial participation though there were the standard contribution boxes in the Kingdom Halls. I'm sure there is plenty of money floating around but it isn't an ostentatious faith. If the leaders are living like royalty they kept it to themselves.

The participation is not mandatory but you will get "dinged" if you don't. Most of the money does cover the costs of printing and maintaining the Kingdom Halls - alot goes overseas, from what I understood. Sort of like the Salvation Army and the like - they do help those fellow Witness' that have been affected by disasters and hard times.

9) Sexual Manipulation of members by leader(s) of non-tantric groups:
I have no idea about the sexual politics of the group but I never saw it playing an official role. Never heard anything about "bad" sexual practices between married people and any sexual practices between unmarried people would be bad.

I don't they interfear with what people do in thier own homes. but it is very Man/Woman - dating is only in the organization and dates are shaparoned - so its pretty much like the sterotypical 50's 60's.

10) Sexual Favoritism:
It is a patriarchal organization but within most day-to-day operation surprisingly egalitarian in function.

11) Censorship:
None that I ever experienced. Watched TV and movies like everybody else. Could read whatever I wanted. To the extent that there is "censorship" it is probably passive in keeping you so busy that there isn't time for consuming a lot of popular culture (if you're really active you'll be spending 5 days a week involved in activities).

There is a lot of censorship. Naturally growing up, I got the brunt of this. Music was very sellective. TV and Movies also. I rarely went to the movies and when I did it was with the group. My comic book collection barely survived and there were many casualties along the way. If you were reading it was one of thier books or magazines.

12) Isolation:
My experience is that this varies a lot from person to person. I don't think there is a lot of formal pressure to isolate yourself but perhaps it is of a more passive type that I never really noticed.

And of course, there is the issue of being part of a very active specifically targetted social group that tends to exclude people. If you're book club meets six days a week and you have scheduled five hour trips to Barnes & Noble every Sunday then even without explicitly cutting out the non-readers you're not going to be spending a lot of time with them.

There is no socializing outside of the organization and if there is its going to school or a Job. Everything else is with people in the organization. Camping was with them or family. No school activities, although I did do a play once - big surprise. I'm sure I could disect those experiances with how I am today, but we'll save that.

13) Dropout Control:
My experience is that it is very easy to drop out. If you can take the sudden severing from the social group.

We'll depending. My mom was hurrased for months after the divorce went thru and all during that. Constant calls, visits and the such. But once you're out you are not acknowleged and members cannot talk or associate with you with the fear of being disfelloshiped as well.

14) Violence:
Never heard of any. JWs are pretty much a pacifistic group.

Yeah, true. My dad was - but I'm sure that had nothing to do with being a JW.

15) Paranoia:
A fair amount of this. Of course, it helps that there really was, and is, persecution. JWs were in the concentration camps with Jews and homosexuals under Hitler. Many countries have suppressed JWs. It is a strong Christian tradition to view antagonism as evidence of being on the right track.

But it isn't so much paranoia as reveling in it.

Yeah, that was a big thing. it's pointed out how in many countries JWs are killed, tortured and inprisoned for thier belief.

16) Grimness:
I suppose they'd be considered humorless. But I think it is more that they really don't care what outside groups think of them.

Not only do they don't care - its of absolute no concern at all. Everone else is going to hell and they're saved - is a way to put it.

17) Surrender of Will:
None that I experienced but this is another one where some people seem to have had a wildly difference experience than I did.

In a way - thinking about not being able to associate with those you want - read what you want etc. etc. I don't think people are prisoners but diffenetly don't have many liberties.

18) Hypocrisy:
I found this to be minimal. Again, if the leaders were living a different life then I didn't hear about it. But JWs have a very strong tradition of standing up for their beliefs in the face of some pretty serious confrontation, quite a few landmark First Amendment cases in the U.S. started because of JWs. And being conscientious objectors during WWI and WWII was not nearly so acceptable as it has become in recent wars.

Yes, and no -I think if anything went that far,it would have been delt with and the person dismissed. I know my dad curses, when it's "forbidden." I think it' smore on the lines of being human and making mistakes than anything.

Anyway, my experiance has been mostly a very negative one. I'm sure I could tell tons of stories. But, like in any organization, there were some really fine people who I personally really liked and enjoyed having as a friend. It was sad they had to believe as they did.