Welcome to the board. I read your post with interest it is nice to know that you feel that you received some benefit from being in the organisation however it does not follow that being outside means that you will automatically turn to drink, drugs and promiscuity neither does it follow that your children must stay in to live good lives. Since leaving I have met many people who are self sacrificing, charitable, loving and considerate of others. People who are non judgemental and kind. Not all people sleep around and not all people outside the organisation have STDs that is what the society teaches us to believe and it is a lie.
I was a witness for over 40 years and I was bringing up 2 children as witnesses and I ultimately left for them. As witnesses they were robbed of normal lives, they were constantly isolated by the choices we imposed on them and although we tried to make their lives happy, field service, meetings and study meant that although we were together we were not really spending time with them as people. Having left they have the opportunity to make friends who are not conditional on a belief system, they can join groups and clubs that build their self esteeem and skills. They are moral, well balanced individuals as a result. As their parents we actually spend time together talking, laughing and learning as a family.
It is also worth considering how some of the choices imposed on us by the organisation are actually detrimental to our children. They are taught from early on to put others ahead of themselves, not to have pride in their achievements, to give control to an organisation, not to pursue goals outside the organisation, to belittle their skills, to judge others, not to pursue education and careers and to put life changing medical decisions in the hands of poorly educated men. They are told that these things are what God wants but really it is not the case.
People here are often damaged by this organisation which displays the worst attributes of group think. They have been treated very badly and they realised they were lied to by people claiming to talk from God. It is little wonder that they are less than complimentary.
