Has anyone got anything positive from the WT organisation?

by BloominMarvellous 46 Replies latest jw friends

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  AudeSapere

  I got some positive things from my time (25 years) in the WT but at a very VERY high price.

  Ability to talk to all sorts of people. Limited public speaking. Speaking my mind/thoughts (which was really regurgitation of THEIR thoughts).

  Toastmasters, college, etc would have given the same - and better - training with much GREATER payoffs: Education, true marketable skills, honest self-esteem, better understanding and acceptance of myself thus putting me in a position to make better social connections.

  I did not get married or have children of my own because I was putting kingdom interests first. I helped raise my younger siblings (even had legal custody for a time). I dated some wonderful worldly guys but had to break off relationship because of mandate to marry only in the lord.

  I have managed to make a pretty nice life for myself but it's been a tougher struggle than it should have. Took me a while to wake up from the the FOG of JW-ism.

  The time value of freedom and real world experience cannot be measured. Too high a price to have paid for being involved with the WTS at critical times in my life.

  -Aude.
• 

  sooner7nc

  They honed my appreciation of Shasta lemon-lime and cheese danishes.
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  AudeSapere

  its pretty much the same thing heaven

  In my opinion, they are not. The individual people who I associate with that call themselves Witnesses are multi-faceted human beings and do not make the policies of the WTS Organization.

  I think the authority on the meaning of the title of this post should be the poster who created the opening post: A young woman who was associated with the JWs / WTS / Org / Society for only about a year. I'm pretty sure that she see the 'WT organization' as the conglomerate of individual JWs; the Body of Elders at her and other congregations; the literature provided by the WTB&TS; and the governing agency (Governing Body) who set the standards.

  To claim other wise, is petty and splitting hairs. I think most of us agree that individual witnesses may break away from directives but the question was clearly in regard to the organization 'as a whole'.

  They also choose on a daily basis what policies they agree with and are going to follow and not follow.

  Wow! You must have gone to a very liberal hall. Most do not choose daily which to follow. They follow most and occaisionally will have their own crisis of conscience and quietly find a way to circumvent the directives without raising suspicion. You make it sound like there is alot of freewill and free-thinking amongst JWs. These are *not* traits that individual JWs are known for.

  -Aude.
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  Heaven

  Wow! You must have gone to a very liberal hall.

  I never went to any Kingdom Hall except for 1 or 2 Memorials. I am NOT a JW. Some of my family are. I also have JW friends some of which are married to non-JW mates. They actually attend birthday parties and Christmas get togethers, they just don't partake in what they deem 'the pagan' portion. In reality, these get togethers are all about family, not the actual 'birthday' or 'Christmas' portion. They're really secondary.

  In my own family, we celebrated birthdays, 'Gift Exchange' Day instead of Christmas, and we also got together as a family at Thanksgiving and Easter but didn't celebrate any 'pagan' portions of those holidays. We all had time off work to get together as a family and so we did.

  What I can say about this thread is that each of us has our own personal experiences with JWs. Anyone who says that I am a liar and mentally challenged because I don't agree that the actual WT Organization gave me anything positive is speaking out of turn, with no factual hard evidence to back up their statement.

  I stand by my original post. The JWs I know are multi-faceted people who choose what they wish to do in their own private lives regardless of the WTS. I have never received anything positive from the organization. Anything positive came from the individual people as their choice. And the principles in my life came from the Bible as well as others such as Gandhi, Stephen Covey, Monty Roberts, and my family and friends. The WTS had nothing to do with this.
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  warmasasunned

  hey FINALLY-FREE love that comment,

  so did i........ jw`s gave the world window cleaners!!!!.
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  SouthCentral

  I do not hate the WT. IMO, they are just like any other religious organization. There are errors and mistakes and flaws and...... IMPERFECT PEOPLE!!

  I was raised in a very middle-class family in South Los Angeles. I have become an outstanding speaker. I have recieved many accolades regarding my entire skill set. They have helped me to advance within my career, to the point of making corporate videos.

  I must say, I owe some of my ability to the WT. Going door-to-door, taking to crips, Bloods and drug-dealers....fearlessly!!!!
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  SouthCentral

  I think many are miserable and need to blame someone for their failed dreams. Why not the WT. Every religious organization has flaws and imperfect people. THe WT just does not admit mistakes, so that makes it harder to digest.