THE BATMAN POSTURE
The Witnesses’ Practice of Non-Recognition
I was walking up my street this morning to buy a newspaper. (Yes, who buys newspapers these days, eh?) This one I had to though, and it had nothing to do with Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration later today. Some local journalist was breathing life into a dead story at my expense; so I opted to get the hardcopy for my archives.
On my way back I came across some Witnesses I once knew. Good people otherwise. Of course they noticed me; but as they drove past, I was confronted by what I’d like to call the ‘Batman posture.’ If you’ve watched any old Batman movie, you’ll know that the early Batman costume was made in such a way that Batman couldn’t turn his neck. He had to turn his entire body to face whomever he was speaking to. And this is what I was met with, Witnesses who were cognisant of my presence, but who assumed this Batman posture, unable or terrified of even making eye contact.
In one way, it’s funny. In another, it’s downright preposterous. It’s only natural to gravitate towards a familiar face. It takes deliberate effort to assume the Batman posture, where even swinging one’s eyeballs seems too difficult a task; as if making eye contact with Mabunda would pay the same wages as staring at Medusa. Only ‘religion’ could validate such madness. Where something that is patently childish is cloaked with nobility and honour.
Ludicrous as this practice is, however, it has the potential to be truly traumatic: living people being taken for dead; intimate family ties disconnected; friendships that took a lifetime to forge severed by a religiously imposed silent treatment. The ‘silentee’ and the ‘silentor’ often suffer in silence; and it is the silencer that is the beneficiary of the censor.
Adults know that differences are resolved, not by silence, but by meaningful dialogue. This is especially true when a person is no longer a Witness, not merely owing to an infraction, but as a matter of conscience backed by sound logic. Insistence on silence under such circumstances does not inspire meaningful resolution, but creates unbridgeable divides. More often than not, the ones meting out this silence are themselves impoverished as to the facts in question, and so it is a mindless system that is jealously aimed at extracting conformity – at whatever expense.
Despite the Batman posture, however, I’m inclined to believe that somewhere deep beneath this crusted exterior is an organic part that is suffering as well; but undue influence is at work; the momentum of belief creates inertia; religious conviction justifies everything; the ‘God’ ingredient makes even the abominable palatable.
It is only when the love of truth eclipses the fear of oppression that what is human inside can be a given a chance to grow. Only freedom from religious pride can permit our mental curtains to be drawn, so that our souls can be nourished by the light. It is a complex process, yes, when the universe that is our life is riddled by commitments and connections. One can only hope, however, that that which is right will prevail over that which is oppressive.
#ThinkingWitnesses
Comments (14)
You nailed it clement,very well thought out and beautifully written.
When I was dfd my uberdub neighbors would drive around the corner and almost run up the kerb trying to avoid eye contact with me.
So unnatural and like so many of their rules, punishing the ubers too. Family destroying bastards…
Once again a pleasure to read..
Thanks, Jeff.
It’s kinda hilarious… 😀
Excellent piece regarding the subject of shunning within cults cloaked around the pretense of God! For me personally, I found that the act of being shunned allowed me a generous time out from vicious abusive people who were hell bent on stopping my success to become a physician after leaving the JW Cult at age 31. I was unfortunately “born” into the cult and taken out of high school to be used in their full time ministry program as we’re quite a few young people during the 1970’s. To finally be done with individuals who sought nothing but to prove themselves right and who set themselves up as the “only true religion” was pure freedom. I accepted all losses without a tear and bought my only child’s freedom when I left. No regrets.
Victoria Beckman MD
Wow! I love hearing stories like these. You became a doctor despite the chronic denunciation of higher education by the Watchtower organisation? Kudos to you!
Glad you liked the article, Victoria. Thanks for sharing, and I wish you all the best… your child will be spared the saga that most born-ins have to endure. 🙂
Victoria, I too don’t mind the shunning. It allowed me peace and I developed New friends. When around relative’s they won’t discuss religion and that is a Godsend as I hate hearing about anything their gb has to say. I like it now.
Wonderfully written, thanku. You covered every aspect of this ridiculous, awful practice with humor and seriousness! I don’t do Twitter or Instagram – do you have a fb page? Cheers Rachel
Much appreciated, Rachel. I’ve since added a link to my FB account (not a page as such).
Thanks for the heads up… 😉
Such a good piece. And in African culture where respect and human dignity is displayed by recognition – the simplest of which is eye contact – such treatment goes against the most basic of human instincts. Our Constitution tolerates a human rights violating cult. Imagine…
Baie dankie, Jaco.
Ours being a pluralistc society, South Africa’s Constitution champions freedom of religion. It is a worthwhile right, yes, but it does necessarily shelter certain evil. Freedom of religion does not allow our judiciary to encroach on matters that are largely theological or doctrinal in nature. Except on rare occasions, it is generally not the courts province to meddle in religious affairs or interpretations of scripture. Thus, unscrupulous entities have taken advantage of this constitutional loophole. This, of course, makes it difficult to navigate these waters, especially when the injustice is obvious.
But I feel you… 😕
Thank you very much Clement for such a beautiful, inspiring, consoling and lovely to read piece. ‘as if making eye contact with Mabunda would pay the same wages as staring at Medusa’: You’ve killed me. I have printed myself a T-shirt with bold letters: APOSTATE. I love wearing it. I call it Witness Repellent. My next print will say Awaken!
Mr. Mabaso.
Always a pleasure hearing from fellow South African. Glad you enjoyed the piece, mf’wethu.
(PS. I kill myself too; I don’t know where I come up with this stuff, lol)
😆
G’day there,
I have just discovered your site. It reads very well indeed. Is there any chance of making the print darker.. please. The light grey is very artistic but hard to read.
Cheers
Haha Mr Mabunda! Beautifully written. My son and I are also no longer JW’s. He has a wicked sense of humor, and once when they come knocking, asked if there were any virgins in the group as he needed them for his next satanistic ritual! It repelled further attempts to preach at our door.
Wicked, lol.
Thanks for sharing, Terry.