How have you benefited by leaving the WT Organization?

Quirky1

This is just a curious study. I would love to get everyone's input on how each individual or couple has benefited from leaving the JW/WTBS as well as how their life is currently VS. being part of the organization.

Eyes Wide Open

Quirky1

OnTheWayOut

I had a well-structured life as a JW. It revolved around meetings.
Years before I started freeing my mind, I found myself being judgmental
and quick to put people in categories. They were "weak" or "worldly" or
"spiritual." As I grew away from accepting the doctrine, I broke myself
of that habit. I felt a great sense of relief just from resigning as an elder.

I hated reading for pleasure because I had so much WT literature to read.
Now, I love reading for pleasure. I mostly read nonfiction that expands my
thinking on religion, the Bible, understanding humans. But I will get back
to fiction and read just for the shear joy of it.

I had been bitter for quite awhile, but it has been fading. I am so amazed
at the things I used to just accept as facts. I am careful that I don't just
accept opinions and facts that I read now, but recognize that it is okay to
speculate on whether Jesus was married, or whether the redactors wrote
Genesis or edited it long after the claimed time of writing. It's okay to
join a celebration of a holiday "just for fun" even if you are not a believer in
that faith.

AlmostAtheist

I think the greatest benefit I've experienced is living without constant guilt. I still sometimes do things that violate my own personal rules -- hurt someone's feelings, for instance -- and I feel guilty about that. It's not like guilt is gone altogether. But as a JW, I ALWAYS felt guilty, since I was always in violation of one rule or another. Missed a meeting, didn't go in field service when I could have, haven't read the latest ~~rags~~ mags, etc.

Being able to accept reality is also a more pleasant way to live. Instead of having to force every bit of scientific information I receive through the JW filter, I can accept it and evaluate it on its own merits. Truth became what IS, and not what the latest Watchtower SAYS it is.

I guess most of the benefit to me was internal. I shook off "the new personality" and found out what *MY* personality was like. And I'm still learning on that one three years hence.

Dave

WTWizard

All those times going out in field circus are no more. I no longer have to worry about going to the Kingdumb Hell for boasting sessions, and then having to get up for field circus the next morning and waste 3 or more hours out there. Now I have more time to expose the Watchtower Society and help ruin it.

Other than that, I also have lost that dread for the Christmas songs to start. It used to be something I hated to see--the day after Thanksgiving, I could not listen to the radio or go to a store without hearing it. And having to have the remote in hand from Columbus Day on to hit the Mute button when an ad for Christmas music comes on was a drag. Now, I just listen to them, and I enjoy the lights and Christmas tree so much that I think I drove them all out of the area last year.

And I can listen to bad songs without worrying about stumbling anyone. Bad videos including porn are also OK, since I don't care if I stumble someone. And I no longer dread the next Kool-Aid telling me that something I was doing, or wanted to do, was wrong and needed to go.

blondie

I have left the spiritual abuse behind me that made my life so sad and unhappy. Trying to meet the perfect standards of humans was frustrating. I have more time to do things that are important to me. I actually read and study the Bible rather than human publications that masquerade as God's word.

Blondie

Lady Lee

How have you benefited by leaving the WT Organization?

Want a list?

don't have an elder husband coercing me to have sex whenever he wants and was willing to shake a ~~Bible~~ Watchtower at me to prove my obligation to provide "the due"
don't have to sit through boring talks that I have heard dozens of times
don't have anxiety attacks by being forced to sit in a chair for a couple of hours
no more stress related pain due to a constant reminder to "do more"
no more walking all over the territory in skirts and boots in sub-zero weather to hawk books to people who aren't interested
no more requirement to study and study for the study
no more ban on silly things like what I watch or do or say
no more fear that I will die when the big A happens
no restrictions on who I talk to
no more "holidays" to go to assemblies or conventions
no more restrictions on telling my truth about what happened to me and why I left
no more guilt about sleeping in
no more need to make excuses why I can't or didn't get to all the meetings
went to college and university with no one blinking an eye or treating me like I was "weak"

I'm sure there are others

tigresse

The benefits are countless, just to name a few:

My life is no longer robotic. I can critically think about different subjects and topics. I get to choose my friends. I'm so content with my life, no longer feel like a hamster on a treadmill. Overall, the most benefit has been the opportunity to acquire more than 1 University degree since leaving.

Cheers,

Tigresse

mad max

Just like On The Way Out said, One can now just read anything that was not accepted by the JW ...read about the John or Luke in story form ..read about all the characters of the bible from different authors instead of just the society what a pleasure ..that is how I have benefited, enjoy life now and not have the feeling of guilt!!

Junction-Guy

How about personal Freedom for starters?

I can date anyone I wish

I can work any job that I want to

I answer to no one but myself and God.

Freedom is about the best reason I could think of for leaving the JW Cult

MissingLink

More (fun) time with the kids.
Mind open to endless posibilities instead of thinking that I already know everything.
No guilt for not spending all of my time on the field misery.

How have you benefited by leaving the WT Organization?

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