All This Talk of 'Morals'

[Godscreated]

I think that by and large, we "are who we are." I'm not much different from who I was when I was a believer, and most people I have known for a long time would not be able to tell the difference.

Religion can have a more subtle effect on people. For example, most of the JWs I know are smart, friendly, hospitable people. What I would refer to as "good people." Kind, caring, generous, and so on. Yet if commanded to do so, they would shun a fellow JW who had been removed from the organization. Note that being removed can be for something like joining a different Christian denomination. They would be shunned even by their closest friends and family, cut off from any communication or companionship. These would be those same smart, friendly, hospitable, kind, caring and generous people, suddenly turned very cold and distant, and in some cases very very cruel. Because they believe that they are helping a person to reconnect with god. That is, to me, the kind of damage that religion can do. Subtle yet devastating, and it turns otherwise wonderful people into very scary people.

This is not intended to insult you but, that is IMO the characteristic of a cult. I have other reasons to believe it as such also. I know scripture calls for excommunication of members who practice certain things that go against what the church is suppose to be, however I can not see that it says to completely reject the person.

GC