Recommendations About Leaving The Truth (page 2)

jaguarbass

Describe how you would get a friend out of the organization without it
leading to a firefight or mudslinging contest. How would you go about it
without arousing resentment, arguments, or defensiveness?

I was never into the Jw control mind set and since I left even less so. I have a zen thought process about such things. When the student is ready the teacher will appear.

No one came and rescued me from the watchtower. When the watctower wreaked so much havoc in my life, I crawled out.

I have a wife, I dont have any friends, I do know a lot of people, accquaintences. And thats the way I like it. But when I was a young witnoid I thought I had a whole world of witnoid friends. I guess I have changed.

Back to your original question, In my studies, I have come to realize that many people are like zombies walking around in a trance. This is profound at the kingdom hall. Who am I to wake the zombies? I think rescuing friends and saving people is residue from being a witnoid, Thats their mo, recruit more magazine sales people. Under the guise of saving the world from the debil.

Nowadays, I go through life observing and enjoying. Trying to change things especially people is stressfull and not my thing. It also smaks of conditional love something the witnoids taught me to abhor.

Mum

David Reed has some publications to help. I think his site is cftf.org. CFTF stands for "Comments from the Friends," a newsletter that he publishes or used to publish.

Left to my own devices, I live the happiest life I can, enjoy new ideas and experiences, and treat JW's as I would treat anyone else. I am not currently associated with any JW's as far as I know. They do tend to show up in the most unexpected places, however. I worked with a JW who got fired for doing consulting work on company time; this same JW was in charge of our "Christmas in April" outreach at the government agency where we worked. I was taking some college courses a couple of years ago, and a couple of young JW women were assisting with instructing the class; it was a business skills class, so not overly "educational." When I was going to a particular city to be in a Silentlambs protest, the people sitting next to me on the plane were JW's. Yes, unlikely places.

Regards,

SandraC

Mum

P.S. There's more. My exit out came about gradually, and I think some of the things I read would be useful.

Personally, I was having serious problems living the JW life. I tried to stay in by giving myself some space (very little at that) to do some things I enjoyed, one of which, unfortunately, was taking college courses. However, I must credit Dr. Wayne Dyer's book Your Erroneous Zones for giving me the courage. In this book, Dr. Dyer has useful strategies for coping with and overcoming guilt, anger, fear and other emotions that come from our domestication and manipulation by others who are controlling and domineering. I gained a different perspective on the things I had been taught from the Bible and a better understanding of spirituality in a truer sense, along with learning to feel good about just being who I am and refusing the label of "selfish" if I live authentically.

What-A-Coincidence

this book says it ALL

with it unplugged my mom and dad!!!!

Madame Quixote

refusing the label of "selfish" if I live authentically.

Thanks for those words, Mum. Very nice way to get through to anyone, I think.

Recommendations About Leaving The Truth

First and foremost, I'd stop calling it "the truth."

IsaacJS2

Personally, I agree with dedpoet. I seriously doubt that we can change the mind of a Witness unless they've already begun the process. Getting pushing or excited at the first sign of doubt could easily run them off, so a sense of reasonableness is probably important when the opportunity arrives. You don't want to pounce on them. Preaching the Society's evils when they don't want to hear them will probably just push them away, and that'll be one less WT-free influence in their lives. To help, you have to be there when opportunity knocks.

I would probably make it known that I have doubts so that it would occur to doubting Witnesses that I could be confided in. But after that, I suspect you just have to wait.

IsaacJ

Alligator Wisdom

I just don't have the stomach anymore to say the boatload of crap you just did.

I wouldn't either before, but now it is fun pretending to be a fanatical FDS follower. But like I said, only when the occasion arises.

Now that I think about it, do you think you're just seen as someone who's a little too gung-ho and off balance?

No. Everyone knows me as being a mild and sensitive brother. I've been told that I am very approachable. Far more approachable than the elders. (By the way, I declined eldership twice). I'm active and considered to be balanced. I organize congregation events outside the meeting arrangement and visit the neglected ones that the elders should be giving attention to. Can you imagine me in your minds eye? So they know the point I'm trying to drive when I over emphasize the FDS. Yet, nobody will stop me. Because if they did, technically they can and will be accused of apostasy. It really makes them think. And thinking is what they had been hindered to do. It really is satisfying to do and see.

If so, I'm not sure your strategy will work.

Believe me, it's working. They actually start to downplay the FDS. Then it hits them! They see what I'm doing, but in a tactful sort of way. They smile and finally acknowledge who the real head of the congregation is, Jesus. Their conversations now include Jesus and Jehovah far more than I've ever heard in the congregation.

Or, do you think some in your congregation are beginning to doubt the authority of the F&D slave?

Whether they are doubting the authority of the FDS, it is very possible. I'm just trying to let them see and gear them away from being a FDS follower. I'm having a great time doing it. It is a subtle form of strategy. Very candid. Very telling. And the most important thing is that it makes them think!

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)