Greetings...its been 5 years since my last post...

Spitfire

I have been "out", for 7 years now. I spent two years on this site, reading, posting, sometimes debating. This site (all the contributors) played a role in helping me deprogram some very deeply held beliefs. I stopped posting about 5 years ago and decided today to "drop by" and say THANK YOU - all of you - for the various roles you played in assisting me on my journey.

The last 5 years has been an adventure in self-discovery. If there is anything you wish to ask me, please feel free - I'd love to share with you my perceptions, thoughts, understanding...and perhaps in the same way those that shared with me, many years ago, was of assistance to me...I may be of assistance to you.

Heaven

Hi Spitfire! Welcome back. What was your username before? Glad to see your life is working out and that you are free from the cult.

I'm not a JW but my Dad is. He's an MS but due to his advancing age, he is really no longer able to function as an effective Witness. Now he has to rely on me -- his 'evil, worldly' daughter to help him out. I think he knows that a lot of what is taught is bogus but he's been doing it for over 24 years now and I doubt he'd be able to let it all go. It's pretty tough to admit you've made this big of a mistake. Life has been a rough road having JWs in the family. The JW legacy dies in my immediate family when my Dad goes.

Spitfire

I chose the same username that I use to use.

My mother also is a witness and has been for 62 years. Its wonderful that you are able to help your father, because it is an act of love for him. It will provide for him, if he choses to "see" it, a contrast - an understanding that your love (from his perception) stemming from a worldly person is of more service to him than the love (from his perception) of a religion that is restrictive in how it expresses love.

There are no "mistakes" in life. Regardless of the road chosen, it is all of service ( not the good' ole door-to-doore service <which is non-the-less a "service">).

Spitfire

Heaven... I just had an additional thought. Thinking of your father, and my mother, and relating to my own experience as a Jehovah's Witness, it may be the "judgements" placed that keep them within the organization. As a witness, you are taught to judge everything, even though lip service is paid to "not judging". How they view others outside the organization may play a part in what keeps them "there" perhaps out of fear of being "judged" like they judge others.

I never knew the meaning of unconditional love or free will until I left the mindset of being a "Jehovah's Witness".

mentallyfree31

Welcome back. I wasn't on the forum 5 years ago. I hope you have found much happiness over the last 7 years.

-mentallyfree31-

Heaven

it may be the "judgements" placed that keep them within the organization.

Spitfire... this is definitely one aspect that is used to control them. It all ties in with the "We're God's Chosen Organization" mantra. It is difficult to have someone be critical of you, especially an organization you believe to be God's Chosen. JWs are coming from the paradigm that if one angers God by not following the FDS, the consequences will be horrendous. What a sad way to go through life.

Spitfire

Heaven... yet we were once apart of that "life". My mindset was exactly as you described above, was yours?

Thank you mentallyfree. Are you physically free?

Spitfire

Mentallyfree - I have had times of great happiness, confusion, anger, sadness and it has all been beautiful. I am now at a point of living what excites me.

Heaven

Heaven... yet we were once apart of that "life". My mindset was exactly as you described above, was yours?

Spitfire... I had a lot of doubts about JW beliefs while I was growing up. I never totally bought into a lot of what they preached. My Mom was getting us to study as kids. My parents weren't baptized JWs until after all their kids had grown up and moved out. The whole judgmental thing was ingrained in me during my childhood and it has taken me a long time to overcome it. I'm not sure I have completely done so. I have come a long way though.

When I was 16, I mentally left the JWs. I never said a word to my parents about how I felt. I just asked questions that I knew they couldn't answer and tried to make them think. At 19, I physically left by moving away from my parents home to go to College. I was never baptized.

Spitfire

Thank you for sharing your experience with the Witnesses. Since you did not completely "buy into" their teachings, and left mentally as a young teenager, bidding your time before you could physically leave, is there anything positive from the experience that you "took" with you?

I'm curious. In what ways do you "judge"? and lastly...are you now doing what you love?

Greetings...its been 5 years since my last post...

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