Dan, it takes a very long time to be able to drive by a KH and not twinge, or see them on the street and not twinge, or have them come to your door and feel that twinge. We feel some initial remorse, anger, anguish, frustration, and then pity. They hurt us in different ways; our hearts were damaged, our minds in disarray, but we have to take responsibility for our own actions and we have to take steps to heal ourself.Right now, I am a great deal of empathy for someone "stuck" in a cult.
Many cannot simply walk away even if their heart tells them something is not quite right. Others, rebel and get the boot and while they are "out", they begin to see the light. Others take a tally of what they would lose if they left that belief system behind, and it's too high for them. Some feel they have no choice. It has affected us all in different ways.I have a fanatically faithful mom as a JW, and her belief system really affects me and my loved ones. I've never tried to change her, only to allow her to see me the way I am, and to keep reminding her that love and compassion are the most important things. I don't want to pull the rug from under her, yet I've had to exist in a very dysfunctional relationship for a very long time. I stopped playing the victim when she began shunning me again over a year ago. That was a big step for me. She won't give me ANY information about the organization, literature, or old friends--as she says I am not privy to it anymore. Sometimes I am a bit curious about their activities (only because of my mom) and being on here allows me to find out stuff. I am thankful for those who continue to post information about them here. 
Many cannot simply walk away even if their heart tells them something is not quite right. Others, rebel and get the boot and while they are "out", they begin to see the light. Others take a tally of what they would lose if they left that belief system behind, and it's too high for them. Some feel they have no choice. It has affected us all in different ways.I have a fanatically faithful mom as a JW, and her belief system really affects me and my loved ones. I've never tried to change her, only to allow her to see me the way I am, and to keep reminding her that love and compassion are the most important things. I don't want to pull the rug from under her, yet I've had to exist in a very dysfunctional relationship for a very long time. I stopped playing the victim when she began shunning me again over a year ago. That was a big step for me. She won't give me ANY information about the organization, literature, or old friends--as she says I am not privy to it anymore. Sometimes I am a bit curious about their activities (only because of my mom) and being on here allows me to find out stuff. I am thankful for those who continue to post information about them here.