How do I get past the fear?

Quester55

I';ve been indoctrinated for a long time. I have a residual fear that maybe, maybe, just maybe they (JW's) might be right. But my logical mind says they are so far off into left
field that it ain't funny. This site has helped me tremendously, I have one foot out the door and the other is sliding toward the exit, but still, the brainwashing and the indoctrination
was ery thorough. They caught me at a vulnerable time in life, (my mother had died and my father was an alcoholic, I was the oldest of three and all the responsibility and problems
fell on my shoulders) I find that I no longer believe their doctrine, but my sister is still a very staunch and strict JW. I don't want to lose my sister, yet I don't want to remain in a
religion that no longer holds any meaning for me. What to do?

I appreciate this site so much, so many of you have been thorough this same problem and have come out victorious.

dinah

Sweetie, the most I can tell you is to start looking more than 2 or 3 years ahead. In your heart you know. Don't think about it too much and remember to breathe.

They keep your lifespan short, because we all know we can't really measure up. Don't miss a meeting, get your field service hours in. At the same time, they make Christ's love soooo conditional. Read the gospels, make up your own mind.

Hortensia

good luck to you, I hope your sister wakes up one day and escapes with you.

darth frosty

It does take time. I just posted this: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/164585/1.ashx

You've been in a high control group that has a conditioning process that is second to none. They have been doing this for over a hundred years and they have honed there blade to a razors edge. Experience life and learn to find your own way.

I look at life and knowledge like a buffet, some great dishes but you dont have to eat or accept everyone. you pick and choose the food you like and need and leave the others. One book that really help me was 'The way to love' by Anthony De Mello. Its a little book that has a very refreshing look onto scriptures, that we have been conditioned to believe mean something else. It really helped me to break free of the JW mindset.

JimmyPage

Like you I also wondered if they were right or not. But you yourself said that's just the residue of mind manipulation. What totally broke the bond for me was the double whammy one-two punch of reading "Combatting Cult Mind Control" and "Crisis of Conscience". After reading those books nothing will ever be the same again. And that's a good thing.

Homerovah the Almighty

By realizing it is nothing more than a bogus corrupt Publishing house $$$

They utilized Fear as a tool to keep literature circulating and promoted.

KingArthur

When i first left I did not really know how to explain it, not even to myself. I just knew I had to get out as I could not live like this anymore. so I started to read things as many here have done, like crisis of conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom, Combating Cult Mind Control, etc. Get on amazon.com and type thought control into the search engine and many dozens of books on this topic will come up. Buy a few that seem most interesting to you and begin to read. that's what I did and it worked for me! ----Art

shamus100

It does take time to lose the bullshit. For myself, it was about three full years until I felt that JW's were 100% wrong, and there was no way that armageddon was coming.

Try to think about it daily; would you really want to live forever with assholes like witnesses, farming? Wouldn't it be a horrible place to live, worrying that someone was going to turn you in all the time and you would be killed? It's a fantasy world that does not make sense, and would never work.

It's a process freeing your mind. Trust me, your fear will pass.

yknot

People are falling out of the troof left and right. Does your sister live near you? Can you become 'inactive'? Most JWs are very happy if the inactives they love keep up on pubs and whatnot. This makes them feel like you will return, on the other hand it gives you a chance to get them out. With all the changes this is an opportune time to ask question and become 'burdened'... thus becoming inactive. Hope this helps some. Yknot..... of the life long indoctrination class

BonaFide

You hang in there Quester. I am in the same boat, and I served as a missionary and a circuit overseer. My stomach used to hurt so bad after elders meetings, so many things I just didnt feel right about and I didnt know why. I blamed myself.

I came on here and they helped me so much. I cried a lot, I mean I have spent my life in this organization. You will be ok. They are trying to disfellowship me, but not successful yet. And now more than ever I see the lies and the control.

When I post about my own situation, I wait for a day or two, then I print out the responses, and I keep them in my folder. Then I take them to the Kingdom Hall. They look like the CD-rom notes, ha ha. Just dont print out the Watchtower logo on the top. But they help me so much.

I am an active witness, I have a talk next week. So don't worry, you are not alone out there. A guy named Gilead on here helped me, so did Seeker4 and Flipper. SnakesintheTower helped too, and others, really kind people.

The Witnesses mix the good stuff like love and kindness and forgiving, then they mix in the other teachings. The one I hear the most now is, "We are imperfect, thats why the elders make mistakes." All the Witnesses repeat that same phrase when you point out an inconsistency.

I will say one thing though, if anyone asks you, like elders or family or friends, if you believe this is God's Organization, always say, "Yes of course." If you say no, you will be disfellowshipped that same week.

I have three friends now that I am talking to, and I am using the reasoning found on here, they are really taking it in. I would never have been able to do that from the outside.

You can PM me if you want. I am not as good as those other guys, but at least I know how it feels to sit at the meetings and realize everyone is wrong.

You can do it.

BF

How do I get past the fear?

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