Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 75
Women are relatively powerless in a male-dominated society. Feelings of
hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, futility and suppressed rage, the major
ingredients of depression, are the emotional responses of anyone in a permanently
subordinate position. (p. 258)
Although the feminist movement begun in the latter half of this century is commonly
acknowledged as having made great strides toward creating a more egalitarian society,
patriarchal attitudes continue to pervade many aspects of our society.
Patriarchy in the Watchtower Society
Having survived into the 20th century, WTS still maintains its 19th-century attitudes toward
women. Women are told to Abe in submission” and to maintain a state of “wifely subjection”
to their husbands. They are not allowed to address the congregation directly as a man does,
and may not religiously instruct a baptized male member. All of the leaders --from the
Governing Body, which runs the worldwide organization, down to Elders and Ministerial
Servants of the local congregation --are male. According to WTS:
The woman, in God‟s arrangement for the family was always to be in subjection to
her husband and not to usurp his authority. Also, in the Christian congregation, the
woman is not to teach other dedicated men nor to exercise authority over them.
(Watchtower Society, 1971, p. 726)
The woman, being created out of the man, was dependent upon the man for being
brought into existence. Being part of the man, “one flesh” with him, and a
complement and helper to him, she was subject to him as her head … Secondarily,
the woman was to obey her husband. (p. 1664)
The Watchtower states that “a God-fearing and submissive wife who is flexible and
sympathetic finds it easier to manifest godly obedience” (“Godly Obedience,” 1995, p. 28).
The following excerpt from Awake! provides an example of how WTS views differences
between men and women:
Dependence comes naturally to Pam. She feels loved if Jerry finds out her views
before making a decision, though she wants him to take the lead. When she has to
make a decision, she likes to consult her husband to show her closeness to and
reliance on him…. So in marriage she is not nearly as interested in outside
activities as she is in an empathetic listener with whom she may share her feelings.
(“Husbands and Wives,” 1994, pp. 5B6)
Another WTS text states:
Today female aggressiveness and competition with men have become common.
But when wives push ahead, trying to take over headship, their action is almost
sure to cause trouble … She may have a correct viewpoint, and the family would
benefit if her husband listened to her … [but] when the husband makes a final
decision on a matter, the wife should support it if doing so will not cause her to
break God‟s law. (Watchtower Society, 1982, p. 241)
In WTS, “if a woman prays or prophesies in the congregation, occupying a position God has
assigned to the man, she should…demonstrate her submissiveness and her acknowledgment
of man‟s headship” (Watchtower Society, 1971, p. 726). Women are never allowed to
address the congregation by preaching, or “giving talks,” as WTS phrases it:
Similarly, there is no provision for a woman to take the lead over qualified men in
the Christian congregation…. Should Christian women chafe under that restriction?
No. Most are grateful to see that aspect of Christian service cared for in a
theocratic manner. They are happy to benefit from the shepherding and teaching of

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1997, page 76
appointed Elders and concern themselves with the vital work of preaching and
making disciples. (“Do Restrictions,” 1994, p. 27)
Later, in the same article, in reference to dealing with restrictions in general, WTS provides
this dubious comfort: “Things may not change until Jehovah‟s new world is here.
Nevertheless, what is to be gained from fretting because one cannot do what others can?”
(p. 28). Bergman (1992), in a discussion of WTS, states that
Much concern exists over insuring that the male openly acts as the clear Ahead” of
the house. If it is felt that the wife makes too many decisions, or has too much to
say in the affairs of the house, the husband may not be eligible for positions of
responsibility within the congregation. (p. 246)
Clearly, women are relegated to a position of less power than their male counterparts.
Women are instructed to defer to men both in their personal/marital relationships, and in
the social and religious life of the congregation.
Psychological Issues
Locus of Control and Cognitive Dissonance
Psychological literature refers to an individual‟s source of motivation as the “locus of
control.” Locus of control is viewed as either internal--that is, stemming from inside the self
--or as external, where control is attributed to sources outside the self, such as another
person, group, or adopted philosophy. Studies have shown that people with an internal
locus of control tend to fare better psychologically then those whose locus of control is
external (Pearce &Martin, 1993 Thompson et al., 1993). Having an internal locus of control
has been found to correlate significantly with feelings of happiness and self-esteem (Kopp &
Ruzicka, 1993). People with an external locus of control tend to have difficulty accepting
responsibility for their lives and tend to blame forces outside themselves for difficulties
when they arise (Wang &Anderson, 1994).
Those involved in high-control groups have their reality defined by the group‟s ideals--that
is, their locus of control is external. Winell (1993), in a discussion of fundamentalist family
structure, states:
Doctrinal rules are applied and fear of punishment are used for control. By
adopting such a simple formula, a family can be robbed of the enormously
constructive process of consciously developing family values and mores…. As a
result, children often fail to learn about personal responsibility or how to make
complex choices. (p. 119)
The group dictates what is acceptable behavior, what and who is good and bad, and so on.
Ambivalence, uncertainty, moral struggles, and conflicting feelings are tidily resolved by the
group‟s dictates. For the practiced member, such feelings are repressed before even being
raised to consciousness.
In high-control groups such as WTS, doubt and ambivalence are seen as “moral weakness.”
Should doubt arise, members are exhorted to “work harder” and “have more faith.” In many
cases, the group defines how one should even feel. Certain feelings and thoughts are
defined as “bad,” while others are seen as “good.” The world is perceived in black and
white. Tobias and Lalich (1994) write, “Cults create a world in which all the answers are
known--and the cult supposedly has them. This type of thinking also serves a protective
function, saving members from the anxiety of thinking for themselves” (p. 100). The
individual in a high-control group does not have to struggle to develop her own beliefs and
perceptions because they are defined, interpreted, and predicated by the group. Right and
wrong are known, not discovered. In fact, The Watchtower plainly states that “Adam and