Maybe being a Witness wasnt so bad?

acolytes

Before I became a Witness I was a shallow egotistcal happy go lucky married man. I owned 2 houses which were rented out.I lived rent free in London working for a rich Arab-

Due to being a witness I quit a job and a lifestyle I will never have again.

I now live in Sweden with the same wife and have a Kid- I can think critically.My good friends are those I met on the ministry (But never converted)-I have good friends from my congregation in England.(Those who are no longer witnesses) Being a Witness never stopped me going to Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts. I still live a priverliged life living on the rent from properties.

My anger at being conned by people who refuse to admit they conned me makes me bitter.But my 4 year old Orlando is the LOVE of my life. He would not be but for having been a Witness.( I also learnt that life is Today any eternal bliss a bonus)

So what positives have come from your Witness exsperiences?

Acolytes.

lifelong humanist

acolytes

Interesting post.

The only positive thing that came from my being a JW was meeting my wife who was also raised in the cult - that was 40 years ago (38th wedding anniversary is this Friday, 11th). I'm still hoping that Joy (my wife) will wake up and realize that JWs have conned her for all these years and quit the cult like I did almost 7 years ago now. None of our 4 children have any involvement with JWs, I'm pleased to report.

lifelong humanist

stillin

scary thought. Sure, there were good things, too. Stability, seld-discipline, the rewards that virtue brings with it to ANYBODY, whatever religion, who puts forth the effort.

Also, my family all grew up around the religion, so naturally, I helped to inculcate a sense of right and wrong in my children. None of them want to be JW's, but they're all good people.

babygirl30

My morals...both my parents came from MESSED UP backgrounds, and so I becoming JWs gave them some type of 'purpose' - i'm guessing. Of course since I was raised a JW, it's all I knew, and I admit that if it weren't for the fear of getting DF'd and losing EVERYTHING...I stayed 'clean' for much longer then I ever thought I would've and continue to hold onto that morality. NOT in the rigid sense of JW-land, but in the sense that I respect myself and my sexuality - so I expect whomever I am WITH to do the same.

jamiebowers

I know many "worldly" people who have morals...yo don't have to be a jw for that.

HappyGuy

Are you insane?

Oh, this post makes me very angry.

Those bastards made my life very hard for no reason.

I did not have a childhood.

My father was opposed and I spent all my time with busy work "putting Jehovah first" and ZERO time with my father.

I LOVE learning and did not get an education.

When I was a young adult I worked for "brothers" who paid me far less than the market rate for the same work,paid ZERO benefits, and laid a huge guilt trip on you if you tried to bargain for better working conditions. This is a common theme in the JW organization.

I spent 22 years of my life feeling like I couldn't enjoy anything, believing that all non JWs are "wicked".

Oh hell with it, this list is really long and I don't want to relive this shit any more.

I HATE the WTBTS and JWs and wish I had never heard of the mother fuckers.

zombie dub

what happyguy said!

creativhoney

it wasnt that bad so long as that was what you were happy to do. the moment you want more it becomes a miserable existence. like a cage. that simple.

VIII

These types of threads always make me smile then laugh then get mad.

There is nothing good or *not so bad* about being in a high control group or cult like the Jehovah's Witnesses.

You are denied basic rights. As a female you are put down and treated as a second class citizen. You might as well be living in a third world Islamic country for the advantages being a JW female provides. If they could convince us a Burka was in the bible, you bet JW women would be wearing one.

As HappyGuy noted, there are zero advantages and many disadvantages.

You are told education is bad. What kind of parent in a free country wants to deny their child the advantages of an education? Especially college? College only helps in todays world.

Only a completely brain-washed idiot for a parent, that's who.

I hate to say this but most of us on this board were denied that. If you are honest you will see that your parents did not want what was best for you. They wanted what was best for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

And that is free labor. Labor to print and distribute their magazines and literature and keep the corporation running. They need new recruits for that which requires more free labor. Which requires more uneducated individuals who are unable to figure out that being taught how to give a Public Talk isn't the way to pay the bills.

Being brought up in any religion will teach you *morals*. Biblical morals. The Ten Commandments. Those are pretty basic.

What else did you learn? How to discriminate? How to look down on people? How to take a donut break? How to wash a toilet?

How to....what? How to be a team member? How to be an RN? How to be an architect? How to run your own business? How to be an accountant? How to be a doctor? How to be an IT consultant? How to write a resume?

How did being a JW prepare you for life on the street? How did they prepare you for life away from them when you really have to get along with the rest of society and learn the not all Worldy people are evil and won't kill you at the drop of a pin?

acolytes

Thanks for the replys.

As to the comment I love learning and did not get an education. Out of the negative is the positive I see education as lifes lessons. Ironically and painfully a great education for me was being a witness.

That makes me angry but not insane.

Acolytes

Maybe being a Witness wasnt so bad?

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