For Active JW Men: Ideas on Awakening Your JW Spouse (Long post)

by Open mind 61 Replies latest jw friends

  • Doubting Bro
    Doubting Bro

    But I noticed the distant look in her eyes, like saying “I agree with you…but where else can we go?”.

    Yup and that's always been the tough one to overcome. Also, the fact that many born-in JWs (like me and my wife) look at being JW not so much as a religion but as part of our social heritage. Much of the family on both sides are JW, many "friends", etc. There's the tradition of not celebrating holidays, birthdays and the various workarounds so that you do have celebrations with your family. Of course, there's the shunning which is really the glue that holds the whole thing together. If they dropped shunning, I would guess a good sized number would leave.

    I've been in limbo for several years now not knowing which way to go. Part of me wants to take OTWOs route and let the chips fall, part wants to unring the bell, and part has sort of given up on everything.

  • tjlibre
    tjlibre

    At one point, I used to think that people where uninformed when they say that the JW are a sect or a cult. My thoughts were, I have friends, we have fun, we socialize and we don’t do the weird things that cults do. But now that I’m facing this dilemma, that I see things for what they really are…I realize how naïve I was to think that we were a “congregation of free people”. I know for sure that if they drop the shunning many many will run for their lives outside the Org. (I still want to believe that the JW are not a cult, just a religion with cult like characteristics and mode of operation).

    Sometimes I think I should just wait for the GB to loosen the grip, but I see that as a pathetic hope, because it only means that I’m still surrendering my freedom to them. Other times I think I should just stay to help the ones in, help bring some kind of balance. But I know the people I care for are only conditional friends, they won’t stick by me, they’ll shun me and if they legally could, some won’t think twice -upon command- to spit on my face and stone me to death.

    Sorry if I sound a bit upset. I only whish I had listened to my non-JW father when he used to tell me, don’t get involve with those people.

  • creativhoney
    creativhoney

    sounds like your wife didnt agree with it anyway and was glad at the chance to jump. as for kids, ask them do they want Christmas this year, and they are on your side!

  • Open mind
    Open mind

    tjlibre,

    Excellent raw material you had to work with there.

    Can I offer a couple observations/suggestions?

    om

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    Excellent advice Open Mind, I like your style.

    Of course you will need a wife that would be willing to face reality and be brave enough to question her beliefs .........

  • tjlibre
    tjlibre

    By all means Open Mind, that's what we are here for. Go ahead.

  • cantleave
    cantleave

    Open mind, I was lucky enough to find out my wife was harbouring some doubts and it was easy for me to wake her up (within weeks of me waking up). The has facillitated a much faster fade than I initially anticipated. I would have probably taken your approach if she needed more convincing.

    I have 2 school age children (7 and 9) and want them to grow out the rest of their childhood without the JW hang-ups. My is not ready to celebrate Xmas but has told our kids teachers that they can partcicipate in a number of key activities (as long as they are not acts of worship - Carol singing and prayers).

    None of this would be happening if I undertook a gradual fade. Stepping aside as an elder was pivotal to my strategy, again without my wife's support I would not have been able pluck up the courage to do this.

    So altough your approach was right for you, It would have been wrong for me. Everyone has to find an approach that suits them. I know you said this, but I just reinforcing that point so that people who have the right circumstances don't procrastinate if they don't need to.

    I started waking up whilst preparing this years memorial talk in March and joined JWN in July. I still submit a FS report and attend a few meetings. I don't expect to be attending by next Summer.

    CL

  • BabaYaga
    BabaYaga

    Can't Leave said:

    I started waking up whilst preparing this years memorial talk in March and joined JWN in July.

    Wow... now THERE's a story! Did you have an epiphany directly due to the way the Memorial is handled?

  • cantleave
    cantleave

    Baba, whilst researching the section about who partake of the emblems it dawned on me that my relationship with god was mediated through the FDS and GB.

    Strangely enough I had a large mumber of people commend me on the talk, quite a few said it was one of the memorial talks they had heard. If only they knew it was to initiate my road to apostacy.

  • Open mind
    Open mind

    OK, tjlibre, here goes. BTW, I'm just going by what you typed. I'm not there and am 99% just grasping in the dark. You know the inter-personal dynamics of your home life way better than anyone here.

    I got the impression that you're pushing just a bit too hard. It comes across like you hope she'll wake up to how messed up the meetings are in one conversation. If I'm misreading this, just let me know. It's more important to be a sounding board and provide an open, non-judgemental atmosphere where she feels free to vent. BTW, if the kids are within earshot, you've got to be even more careful, and maybe not even discuss the topic until they're not around. In any true-believing JW mom's mind, her kid's everlasting lives are on the line. Mama Bear instincts are pretty much unstoppable. The occasional leading question or personal observation are fine, but try to avoid questions that require her to take a stand against any particular WT doctrine/policy.

    Step back and try to look at it from her perspective. Over the last few months, who has been the source of various questions and criticisms about the WT? If its you, try to change that. One excellent way to do this is to actually prepare for the meetings (blech, I know). Then you can be ready if she brings up something. The point from Deuteronomy re: false prophets is an excellent one. But, if in her mind, you've been too critical of the WT lately, let her or the kids bring it up if at all possible. On average, I think about 3 out of 4 conversations I had with my wife were initiated by something she or the kids said. I just had to be ready.

    Try to regularly make some one-on-one time with her and with each of your kids. Really get to know her better. Ask open-ended questions about her hopes, dreams, preferences, viewpoints, etc. "If you weren't a JW........?" "If money was no object..........." You get the idea. I believe Steve Hassan refers to this as getting to know her "non-cult" personality. If you are responsible in your use of alcohol, a shared bottle of wine could also be just the right dose of truth serum.

    Here's the long-term strategy that worked for me. One brick at a time, weaken the mortar around a particular JW belief or policy. When enough bricks have been sufficiently weakened, then it hopefully is just a matter of time before your spouse will have a "light bulb" moment and all those weak bricks will come crashing down at once. When my wife finally was ready to read an excerpt from Crisis of Conscience on the internet a couple weeks ago, I'm not even sure what finally pushed her over the edge. I'll have to remember to ask her. The key is for her to let it fall when she's ready.

    Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Know various topics inside and out. Review in your mind what presentation would be most effective for your spouse. When a particular brick has been loosened a little, be ready to revisit it at a future date. For me, one of the earliest was the question of how hard it is for me to really believe that a loving God is going to kill that really nice couple we met at the gym just because they didn't take the WT. Put a face on the victims. Don't make her take a stand. Just say it's something that troubles you. See how she responds. If you end up agreeing on this, now and then when the timing is right, mention it again and make sure she still feels the same way.

    This slow-drip method will be EXTREMELY trying on your patience and sanity. Vent your frustrations here. Not to your spouse. That sucks for now, but it's necessary if she's still a true-blue JW.

    OK, done for now. If any of this fits, use it. If not, here's your money back.

    http://static.open.salon.com/files/twocents1237073290.gif

    Strength to you on your journey.

    om

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