POLL Do you think the average JW is happy?

by aSphereisnotaCircle 39 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  keyser soze

  When I was in, there were happy times and difficult times, just like life.. I can say that life is happier now than it was in the last few years before I quit. When I was young and stupid, I had no sex, no mad parties, not many friends, no Christmases but I felt happy in the knowledge that I was special, that God had allowed me to be his Organization and, hey, I was going to live forever in peace and security !!

  This is the best answer I've read yet. I think the ones who still believe it's the truth are basically, happy. Whatever moments of unhappiness they experience have more to do with life in general, not simply tied to being a JW. When I still believed it was the truth I was happy, for the most part. It was only after I started doubting, and learned the truth, that I became miserable, to the point where I had to leave for the sake of my mental health.

  I think the unhappy ones are the ones who feel trapped. They no longer believe it's the truth, or that armageddon's coming, but for any number of reasons, can't bring themselves to leave.
• 

  ziddina

  No offense, Keyser Soze, but Oh, Boy, do I ever DIS-agree with this statement: "I think the ones who still believe it's the truth are basically, happy...."

  My numnuts parents and fleshly bro still "Beeeee-Lieeeeve", but see my above post for the actual state of their 'happiness' - REALITY keeps intruding into their little 'happy' fantasy land... JWs are living SO OUT OF TOUCH with REALITY- that will undercut ANY supposed form of 'happiness'...

  Zid - who's actually happy based in reality, now - oh, and based on my smileys, too!!
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  mindmelda

  I know too many Witnesses who are taking antidepressants to believe that over all, they are truly happy people.

  I remember sitting in our smallish congregation of 66 publishers and starting to count how many I knew were on medication for depression. They rarely went to get the accompanying therapy recommended go to with it..it doubles the recovery rate statistically speaking, but they wouldn't go because they were afraid of being "brainwashed" against the Witnesses or having to defend it, or because it was "spiritism"....any number of reasons.

  Anyway, in a congregation of 66, 37 people were on some sort of medication for depression, or had been at some point that I knew of. I also knew 3 more people who had been told they needed medication for depression but had refused it, for various reasons. (They tended to be proud of that, saying that they believed that Jehovah would take care of it or that they were too "tough" to need that, it was for spiritual weaklings.)

  That's an inordinately high number in a small random group. I wish I had some statistics on how Witnesses compare to the general public or other religions on reported and/or treated depression. I imagine that it would blow your mind. I know that Mormon women have an inordinately high rate of depression and the reason is simply unrealistically high moral, social expectation, emotional, social and moral repression and over conscientiousness. It's the perfect set up for depression.
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  mraimondi

  out-of-touch =/= unhappiness

  brainswashed =/= unhappiness

  cohersion (even by god himself) =/= unhappiness

  doubt =/= unhappiness

  ignorance =/= unhappiness
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  Scarred for life

  mraimondi:

  I totally agree. That's exactly what I see.
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  The Berean

  I believe everyone testifies that they are happy. It is because CONTROL is the #1 issue for mankind. Thus, to admit unhappiness would also admit a lack of control. The truth is that most people are not happy, they simply pretend ...
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  minimus

  Yes & no. Depends upon what makes them happy. If they derive happiness from following rules and feeling good about themselves, they might be happy. If not....
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  restrangled

  JW's are some of the most miserable people in the world.

  They are waiting to die, waiting for the big A, waiting for their offspring to come on board, waiting, waiting, waiting.

  No need to live life now, just get your arse out in service. This is not the time to enjoy life.

  Thats what I was always told.

  Forget your art work, forget highschool, drop out...there are more important things..... No, I did not drop out but that was the attitude.

  You are going to die, you are going to die, you are going to die, if you do what you do......Yep, I died and here I am in 2009 taking care a parent who thought I would be dead.

  Jw's happy?.....they are miserable.
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  zombie dub

  probably not, but most fool themselves or pretend they are happy - so it's hard to tell.
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  DNCall

  As one Circuit Overseer told me about three years ago, "half of the friends are on Prozac and the other half should be."

  DNCall