Were you a non-spiritual JW?

moshe

I sure tried to act spiritual in the beginning of my JW life. I could go through the motions of being a good JW, but I just never could get turned on with being spiritual.I gave great talks and when I was an elder I could fill in for a no-show and never miss a beat. However, my wife at the time always complained that we didn't do the family study or study the WT lesson ahead of time. I really tried a few times, but I didn't like doing it. I would almost have prefered studying Moby Dick instead of Sunday's WT article. I never got close to any of the brothers, either.

I only had one serious Bible study that I can recall and he gave up after six months. He kept wanting to know how much longer until the end. I just couldn't lie to him about that. Funny thing was his wife hated when I came over and she usually left or did household chores while I was there. Looking back it was obvious that we didn't care about our studies as friends, they were just another number to add to the yearbook statistics.

I wonder how many others were fakers , too?

jelcat8224

I would have to say that I was just going through the motions as well. I also used to get highly praised for the talks I gave (even though they were usually thrown together at the last possible moment).

I too only had one serious study. She progressed quite well and even went over the questions for baptism. The elders denied her for baptism. She was furious and eventually stopped coming altogether. I honestly didn't blame her ... I wondered who they were to tell her she couldn't publicly dedicate her life to God?? I later realized that they were actually saying she wasn't fit to publicly dedicate herself to the WTS. I just wish I could have seen it earlier.

I auxiliaried for a little while but I hated it. I only did it because I was out of high school, wasn't in college, and worked mostly at nights, and if I DIDN'T increase my ministry I knew I would hear it from all sides! So I did it to avoid the grand inquisition.

motions motions motions ... that was pretty much as deep as it went with me. I wouldn't say I was non-spiritual, but I never felt that what I had was completely true, and was never truly motivated to serve the WTS.

Vernon Williams

Based on my life now, as a Christian within the Historic Church, there was no chance a "being Spiritual" as there was no opportunity to enjoy the endwelling of the Holy Spirit or of being nourished in the Lord's Meal. The WT perspective is the obediance to Law without the nourishment to accomplish the task. It is, truely, hopeless.

I mentioned this on our web site:

http://jwmidwest.com/tired_jehovahs.asp

Wishing all a Good Day,

Yours in this Struggle,

V

LongHairGal

Moshe:

It is a good post. And, no, I was not a "spiritual" JW and was probably criticized. But, did I appreciate spiritual things? Yes, I certainly did.

No offense to anybody here but I always HATED the term "spiritual" as used by JWs.

The reason I hated it was that what it really meant, when translated to English, are you parroting the party line and doing your studying, meetings and service, etc. This is what the term "spiritual" means to a JW. I just had a JW friend tell me recently about an argument she was having with somebody who criticized her. She told me she told them "I am a very spiritual person.....yada, yada". I needed all the self-control I could muster to keep from rolling my eyeballs at this ridiculous and unnecessary statement she made in her "defense".

The reality is that we are very physical creatures who have an appreciation for spiritual things.

LHG

diamondblue1974

Is there such thing as a spiritual Jdub?

I dont think so, but I know what you mean.

Personally I just did what I wanted and didnt pretend (usually to my own detriment); the problem was that when I was more 'spiritually' inclined they doubted my motives and it was even more difficult.

I couldnt stand all those leading double lives to be honest - its only now that I understand what pressure they mustve been under.

Gary

justsomedude

I think thats about as good a way to say it as any. I just did what I did because I thought it was the right thing to do, I believed in god, but didnt really feel moved by the whole experience like some do.

I pioneered for a while, was regular in coming to the meetings and commenting, but felt obligation rather than motivation really.

ex-nj-jw

Nope, just did as I was told until I could leave home! Hated every part of being a Jdub.

nj

delilah

I was never a spiritual person, I just went through the motions. I always had a hard time believing in God. I know now, that a lot of it was because of some of the things that happened while I was a kid. If I couldn't trust people I could see, how could I trust that there was a god that loved me, whom I couldn't see?!

Now that I'm getting older, I realize that maybe it's something I need to look into.

undercover

Good thread.

Even when I was in, I knew that I wasn't a "spiritual" person. I saw how spiritual some in the congregation were and I had wished that I had that same spirituality, but it just wasn't there.

Like many, I went through the motions thinking that if I did everything just right, then maybe Jehovah's spirit would help me be more spiritual.

Now that I've been out a while, I realize that I was trying to fool myself the whole time. I was trying to be something that I wasn't or couldn't be.

free2think

I was never a spiritual dub by their standards and they let me know that often enough. I think I was just going through the motions too.

Were you a non-spiritual JW?

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