So what is your story? How did you get in? How did you get out? Who did you leave behind?
We got some this in a previous thread, but I am always interested in hearing more about you all.
What is your story?
by mrhhome 9 Replies latest jw friends
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mrhhome
As for myself, married a DA'ed ex-JW. She had been through a whole bunch of "stuff." Despite my general disgust, I kept my opinions to myself for 13 years. One day my brother-in-law was pressured into shunning my wife at a funneral. That day, I took the gloves off.
At the moment, my mother-in-law seems to trying to make peace. Consequently, I am showing some restraint. However, I am trying to make sure that everyone understand that this nonsense is NEVER going to happen again.
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nonjwspouse
I seem to recall a similar story. yuku perhaps?
Of so, I remember being quite darn proud of the way you handled the whole thing and how much you show your wife your love.
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Bob_NC
You have more power over your JW inlaws than you might know. JWs are sort of scared of the non-JW family members. Scared in the sense that they want to bring you into the truth and therefore feel an obligation to show you the best side of truth and let you see just how wonderful it all is.
The will be tip-toey around you, like the brother inlaw was when he was telling that your wife couldn't come. He was scared to death of how that sounded.
SO! Use this to your advantage where you see the opportunity.
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zeb
left behind. Folk who never called unless we did. Who only ever phoned to ask some one elses phone number. Looking back who never had an original conversation.
Shunning at a funeral.. that is the pits.
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Band on the Run
Born in. My parents were born-in. Grew up in the NYC area so many family members (male) served at Bethel during Rutherford and Knorr. Family hated the org but focused on the religion as if they were exclusive. Rules were applied inconsistently. Loss of relative's love if a school event or something happed to come out was scary. Very abused at home and at KH.
Father tried to pull me out of school at 16 while I was near the top of my class and colleges were interested. We were a poverty school so we had special fireld trips to colleges or they came looking for recruits. I adored school. Decided to ask a judge to send me to foster care so I could graduate. Not feasible b/c I did not want to leave my friends. Father would know where to find me. I would be dead. Made appt with principal to discuss. Father died in the interim.
My mom remarked that we could breathe for the first time. She told me to get ready the next meeting night. Full of teenage bravado and no longer afraid of murder, I informed her loudly that I would never go voluntarily and gave her the phone to call the police to take me in handcuffs against my will and mentioned that the ACLU had a new high school rights project. Rest of family went to KH for their last time.
Entire life changed for better. Several elite colleges gave me generous financial aid. I chose one in the city I loved. I was exposed to so much in a concentrated time. Perhaps those years are just pivotal for everyone.
Relatives still active found out about antiWitness stuff despite my best efforts. They pretended they did not know. Wish I had known they would pretend before the anxiety. Took a NT class during college. Read Bible for first time. End of Witnesses. Later, some JW dissidents appeared on Regis Philbin when he was a local NY show and Ray Franz' book was mentioned. I called the producers for more info. Read book. Mom confirmed most of the info. We kept fighting over who would read the next portion first. End of Witnesses big time.
One day I was bored and clicking on Internet sites, I saw this site. Saw names from childhood that normal people do not know. Find it interesting that so many others find the Witnesses to be the way I found them. I always thought everyone was so happy 'cept me. I love the paraodies which must use a common reference to work. Stay too long but this stuff was almost twenty years of my life when I had no choices.
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titch
My story is fairly simple. Born-in, but started the "fade" in the late 80s. This came about as a result of coming to the full, complete realization that I simply had no "spritual hunger", no "spiritual needs, no spiritual cravings, or yearnings", that needed to be satiated by ANY kind of religious belief system. And, I do mean ANY kind. After fading and leaving, I didn't search for spiritual enlightenment in any kind of religioius belief system. I guess that I didn't inherit the so-called "God gene" that some scientists think that some people have. Oh, well, it happens. Best Regards, everyone.
Titch
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mrhhome
This thread died quicker than expected.
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Iamallcool
OMG, It is a VERY long story. I will have to write a book before you can understand my whole story why I left the borg.
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keyser soze
Born-in. Started having serious doubts when I was in my early twenties, but wasted another ten years trying to reconcile those doubts. I finally made a clean break, about 8 years ago.