It’s not a new story, but I’ll briefly touch upon it anyway (although it leads one to wonder why we keep preaching to the converted).
There’s no need to quote fictional bible passages that have no place in a world of reasoning and logic.
My Aunt and Uncle were obliged to turn their backs on their firstborn (they had 8 children) in order to appease nasty, psychologically-questionable individual(s) at the head of an evil organization. Their son, my cousin, was a wonderful young man whose only crime was an inquiring mind and a thirst for knowledge, who excelled scholastically because he had a passion for learning. He was academically gifted.
“What did he do wrong?”, you might well ask. He wanted to graduate from high school and go on to college. A full education is satan’s influence, apparently. Indeed, I was reefed out of school at 15 for the same reason; armageddon’s coming, education beyond legal requirements is turning your back on god, and scholastic education is always unimportant.
But he stuck to his guns. I admired him; I was anything but academically-oriented (not surprising when your parents move so frequently, you’re forced to attend 33 schools in 15 years from two different sides of the globe). And I thought he was kind of cute, too, even if he was blind as a bat without his black-rimmed glasses.
Well, they had to turn their backs on him, really; after all, he’d been baptised as one of them and once you do that, they own your sorry ass, so they’re (apparently) entitled to throw their entire Arsenal of Ignorance at you.
My Aunt and Uncle lost so much love they never knew because of religious stupidity and pride. They never met their new daughter-in-law, nor their beautiful little granddaughter. Aunt and Uncle both died with stubborn, stupid, religious fear and ignorance governing their hearts, minds and lives.
It happened to me, too, but not for long, because it was only a few years later that my mother came to her senses. She told them where to shove it – preferably sideways.
So how do they do it? How do the JWits manage to control so many minds with sheer, bullying ignorance, and twist it into a controlling mechanism?
It’s pretty easy, really. You repeatedly brainwash people by expounding your own fictional writings 3 times a week, forbid them from associating socially with anyone outside of their ‘fold’, and encourage your fictional works to be ‘light’ conversation at all your religious social gatherings.
Then, when someone breaks the rules you created, you make an example of them by telling the congregation that the ‘criminal’ is going to be murdered by their god for daring to be human, and that they must all now turn their backs on said ‘criminal’ forthwith, until the ‘elders’ decide when – and if – they might be returned to the fold.
No one likes being left out in the cold. No one likes being shunned by an entire group – especially when the ‘entire group’ has been all you’ve been permitted to associate with; without them, you’ve got no one.
It’s basic schoolyard behaviour that the JWits have crafted into an art form. The vATiCaN had an amazing control mechanism with their ‘hell’ invention; fear works wonderfully well when blended with fiction (lies) and ignorance.
How, in this 21st century, are bullying tactics still legally allowed to flourish? I mean, we don’t allow that kind of behaviour in schools, so why is it acceptable in an adult world? Isn’t all of life a school, after all?
In parting, I’m going to ‘dabble’ in my own ‘prophesying’ talents; let’s see how the fear mongers ‘like them apples’, as my mum would say:
MyHeathenHeart’s Prophesy - 21st January, 2013:
“Religion shall create its own doom. The day approaches when Science, Archaeology, and the Laws of Physics have thoroughly debunked the lies of men, and humanity is set free of religious tyranny. In fear and confusion, men and women of the cloth seek to hide from their crimes, and they shall find no succour; their way is blocked by Truth.”
Wow, intense stuff. Thanks for the insight. I’ve sat and comforted a few people who are very close to me for hours as they cried about being shunned by family because they didn’t tow the line of their religion. It sucks. And yes, what you said is spot on – “My Aunt and Uncle lost so much love they never knew because of religious stupidity and pride.” Well said. In a moment of [buzzed] nostalgia I thought back on some of the “spiritual” experiences I had while on my Mormon mission – the people I met and had a great, deep connection with, a strong feeling of love, nothing else. I wrote something about it saying how religion doesn’t ALWAYS inhibit love, but in fact had helped ME to love others in a meaningful way. Then I thought about it for about . . . three more minutes. I realized how many other people I wasn’t allowed to love fully, who I believed weren’t happy or complete, or who were wicked and hardened people. My religion’s message is essentially “We’ll love you as long as you’re showing progress to accepting our ideology or as long as you’re obeying the commandments. Step out of line and we’ll call you names like ‘apostate’ and withhold the things we give to those who are obedient to our ideas.”
You’re absolutely right, Jefferson, they like the word ‘apostate’ when their line isn’t duly towed.
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As I surf through new blogs today, looking for insightful and stimulating posts, I have found myself repeatedly saying, “How unfortunate.” I believe religion will never release its hold on humanity, but I believe we train it to be more tolerant and semi-openminded.
Nice post. I look forward to reading more!
Thank you very much, but I wouldn’t place a bet on us not being shot of religion entirely. The wheels of discontent have already begun creaking into movement. It’s only a matter of time.
That’s what J. S. Mill and many before him said. We will see, and I’m all for it if it happens, but I highly doubt it.
Fair enough, although who’d have thought, 15,000 years ago, that a murderous cult called christianity would sweep the world and destroy countless lives?
THANK you for sharing this story and being so beautifully and bluntly honest. I echo your exact sentiments of anger, betrayal, and yet compassion and pity. It is the strangest thing, to have escaped from a “cult”-like atmosphere and be shunned by literally your entire community. I am doing that now and I never thought it would be so freewheelingly enlightening and so utterly heartbreaking. I admire you. I love your prophesying. You can be my prophet, for sure
Thank you so much, shrinks! The ‘prophecy’ part was just one of those ‘up-your-nose-with-a-rubber-hose’ jibes, and partially just rubbish…but it felt good to say, anyway *wink*
And congratulations on breaking free! That liberating feeling when you do is just amazing, heartbreaking bits aside. It takes courage to break away from a crowd of sheople. Well done, you!
I think that’s kind of what prophecy always is/has been and what makes yours so delightfully right on the money! Thanks for the congratulations. It’s definitely a process..and I feel anciently old to be making it at twenty-six and AFTER I dug myself a neat little hole to live in…but to be free….any amount of digging is worth that!
“Anciently old”? At 26? Good grief, girl, you make me feel positively decrepit! lol
Lol. I just meant to be “finding myself” or however you’d like to term it. I feel like I’ve wasted so much time! But time has always been something that I’ve noticed. I practically had a mid-life crisis at twenty.
The period before waking up, at any age, is never wasted. I promise
You…have left me wordless. I might have to get this tattooed somewhere or spraypaint it above my bed or something. ……..
love.
LOL You crack me up, sista!
I was serious on that one, though! You grew me a few new brain cells, there. I liked itt : )
My pleasure…perhaps you could grow a few new ones for me, too
Yes and yes, interested to hear more of your stories (but sad that you have been through stuff nobody should have to). I am SO against people forcing others away from making their own decisions. It revolts me and I can’t believe so many people on this planet buy into it. I’m loving this Age of Reason but it does astonish me as to how many people are blatantly blind to it and instead choose to rely on cultish followings. Weird, man. Kinda over it!
Hey, autumnshire!
Thank you for that. I’ve not suffered near as much as many, but yes, it is incredibly disgusting that this crap is still going on in an age when we’re supposed to be so intelligent. Still, there’s hope, thanks to people sharing on the internet, mountains of research, science, archaeology, etc.
Things just tend to hasten slowly
So incredibly sad that people still use fear to control others. If in fact that is a god out there, don’t you wish that he/she would appear, raise a mighty fist and yell “I NEVER said any of that crap!”
Or as my children say, “I have no real problem with god; its his fan club I can’t stand.”
lol
The human tragedy that is religion.
What cheeses me off is when ‘ordinary’ Christians climb in with their holier than thou “oh we’re not like this in our church..” And there are over 35,000 different denominations.
Makes you wonder does it not?
It certainly does, Ollie!
Brilliant! That is all!
Thank you, Miss J!
May I re-post this?
Hello, lovely! Yes, of course you can – that’s what WP is all about, yes? Sharing
And thank you!
Thanks for the quick reply. I’ll be posting it after 12 hours from now.
My pleasure