by TheLiberator 25 Replies latest jw experiences
"some things that irritated me" how long a list do you want? my last few years were spent dealing with irritations on a daily basis;
incompetence
favouritism
nepotism
hypocrisy
double standards
dishonesty
megalomania
abuse
mental torment
lies
arrogance
stupidity
pedantry
pig headedness
stubbornness
I could go on.
Welcome. That's a mighty long time to flog a dead horse. Now that you've discovered that's what you've been doing all that time.
I noticed that same attitude last week with my visiting sister-in-law. Neither of them are JW's, but she works with a few. They're all nice people. Not an issue. But I asked her what they thought about the ARC and how the WTBT$ dealt with child abuse worldwide. Her attitude to me was dismissive & patronising. I registered it but moved on.
I've just erased what I was going to add. But you've captured it in your OP. Ease up on the resentment though and channel your mental energy into living what's left of your life.
This couple in South Florida, who helped "raise my wife in the Truth", active Elder for 30 years, his wife and him both Pioneered and moved several times" to serve where the need is great" for another 20 years, with over 50 Years of "Faithful Service to the Organization", gave up going and are now inactive for the last 7 years!
I asked him what happened. He said "him and his wife lived a full Theocratic Life for Jehovah. Doing everything the Organization and the Traveling Brothers told them to do, like work Part Time, Regular Pioneer, Serve where the Need is Great. Armageddon is just ready to break out at any time. We heard that same line of Reasoning for many, many years. And those who could not do what we did were considered weaker than us!"
"They worked Full time, had Families, token Field Service, missed a lot of Meetings. They were able to retire with benefits, plenty of money, a home paid off and spend time with their Grand Children. They live a comfortable life now and their service to Jehovah is still the same."
"At 62, I tried to collect Social Security, but only qualified to receive $480 a month, not even enough to pay rent! We quick Pioneering, took on Full Time employment in our 60's, to try to increase our SSI benefits. My body gave out when I hit 67. We stopped going to the Kingdom Hall because we have been lied too all those years. That was 8 years ago. I am now 75, can't work, live in Government housing, get food stamps, and my wife is still about able to hold down a Part Time job answering phones so that we have a little change for necessities."
I said:"That is why 5 years ago, I quit Pioneering at 50,(The Overlapping Generations change woke me up), to focus on planning for retirement with whatever measure of time and health I have left."
LIBERATOR- I mean, I understand what you're saying- sure- I was born into the JW cult back in the late 1950's and my dad was a City Overseer, my brother long time at Bethel, and me a Ministerial Servant /Pioneer for about 6 years. I stopped doing that stuff when- like you- I felt I was being " used " by the WT Society quite literally in a negative way.
To me it seems you may have been deceived and hoodwinked into thinking by the WT Society that whether or not you were deemed " spiritual " depended on if you advanced in position in the organization. That WAS and still IS the WT Society's view . Being " spiritual " in JW terminology had nothing to do with how kind, compassionate, or loving a person was- it had everything to do with the amount of hours turned in, how many times they answered at meetings, or how regular they attended meetings. Being a good person in WT land has nothing to do with cultivating the alleged " fruitages of the spirit ". It's all about how well we did in WT functions, not actually BEING loveable people.
And THAT ideology my friend is what I have a big problem with the WT Society over. If you are going to get angry towards people- why not get angry at the idiots who RUN this organization the Governing Body and the other WT leaders who MADE these ridiculous guidelines in the first place that determine if a JW is considered " spiritual " or " progressing " ? The fellow JW's you spoke angrily about - who knows ? Maybe they didn't WANT to reach out because they had inner doubts themselves ? Or they just were wanting to stay in the JW cult because of family ?
If anything having been raised in a family by a self serving self righteous elder dad who thought getting position and praise from others was all he ever wanted in his own life - while he sneered at others who didn't " reach out " or " accomplish much " within the organization - reminds me that the " competition " that was stirred up among those we thought were good " brothers & sisters " - competing over who would get assembly parts, talks on the platform all the time, or who would grease up ( or jerk off ) the Circuit Overseer with green hand shakes to " progress and become more spiritual " ? I mean I hope you see my point. The whole WT system of allegedly " reaching out " was totally flawed. It fostered competition and animosity between people who " reached out " and those who did not. It had NOTHING to do with being a good person. Just had a lot to do with being a good Nazi, or WT soldier doing the bidding for the WT Society's purpose.
I see and understand your anger. I believe you need to redirect your anger more accurately at the WT leaders for the criminal policies they have regarding child abuse, and how thousands of innocent minor children have lost their lives due to not receiving life saving blood transfusions. This WT criminal organization needs to be taken down. THOSE are the important issues all of us as ex-JW's are facing - not whether Brother Joe Blow or Sister Mary Irregular never " reached out " and that angered you. Why not hope that these people will open their eyes about the WT Society's crimes and join you in leaving the organization as well ? We were ALL mind controlled by WT Society doctrines, even you one who thought he was " doing good ". Once we all exit the organization it doesn't matter WTF we did inside the org. Title of your thread should read NOW IS IMPORTANT not Now it's important. Just trying to give a different view here. You feel how you feel I respect that- but how about moving on into the now and the future and it may bring happier moments for you ? Take care, I'm glad you are here. Hang in there Peace out, Mr. Flipper
Liberator, I appreciate your post and wanted to click Like. Once again I clumsily clicked on Dislike when I didn't mean to, sorry for that.
We were friends with a pio sis and her husband who were a popular couple. He made friends with everyone but never made a move to become an approved associate or get baptized until he retired from his job. THEN suddenly he's doing the whole deal. Oh and her nephew is an elder.
Special things for special people.
Marina
Many of us can relate to your "best years of my life wasted" experience. I certainly can! By the time I truly woke up to TTATT, the best years of my life had passed me by, so I concentrated on rescuing our kids.
It's painful for me to look back and see how things "could have been". It makes me both angry and saddened. Fortunately none of our children were snared by the Cult. They are past college and pursuing careers that pay them well and they live fairly happy and successful lives, and most of all they are NOT on the JW Hampster wheel.
We now have young grandchildren who also will not be enslaved or have their lives wasted by chasing the false promises of the WT Bullsh*t. My goal is now to help ensure that they are able to pursue and achieve to their maximum potential in life (though I doubt I have enough years left to witness it to completion).
Doc
The eternal judgement is what I never understood...everyone ELSE can make a choice on how they want to act or what they want to do - but when YOU make choices, they all of a sudden have so much to say. It is forever frustrating and can make you think you are losing your mind...their 'circular' reasoning.
There was a sister in my cong when I was in who had married a non JW and was Df. She came back, retired, and became a pioneer. Now she would bring her husband around to diff JW parties and all, and he would come to a few mts here and there, but never did more then that. But she was who they used in demos and assemblies to speak against marrying outside the org and she would talk about how hard it was, how she was still trying to get him to come into the 'truth'...blah blah blah. Her husband ends up getting really sick, and I guess that pushes his spirituality into overdrive, cause he starts studying. He eventually gets baptized and they become this 'sooo happy' couple in the cong. So, there is a young pioneer sister who is dating a non-JW in the hall during this time (who is close to the older retired sis) and this older sis and her now baptized hubby have the nerve to TELL the elders about it together. Mind you, they did the same damn thing, but because their situation changed I guess they felt they had the right to speak up since their situation turned over and became RIGHT when the husband got baptized.
The Watchtower Corporation has been messing with people's heads for over a century, using emotive tactics of coercion to not only draw up attentions to its published goods but allure people into this publishing house as its own public sales representatives.
The early founders of the WTS. were responsible for setting up this delusion that this is god's exclusively chosen earthly publishing house and that he was the chief executive director to all that was written.
Well its not, it was built upon human ignorance, fear, exploitation and tainted commercialism.
Great post.
Yes, I agree with flippers post above. WT should be held accountable for it's actions but WT has created "little monsters" out of some of it's members. You all know those....self righteous, arrogant, judgmental do gooders. These ones can tell you how YOU need to improve, yet their life is a train wreck. Most of these ones suffer from depression, yet we are told they are the "happiest people one earth."
HYPOCRITES TO THE CORE!
: ToesUp
How I detest those "little monsters"!
We've all been duped and that's the reality, the length and degree to which we gave our all to the 'org' ... the more difficult it is to come to terms with it.
