Is "The Truth" Killing You, Lurkers?

by metatron 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  streets76

  As a child, I remember a married sister (husband was an elder), mother of two, giving a talk on the Ministry School one Thursday night. She literally had a nervous breakdown right there on the platform. "I just can't do this," she finally said, and left the platform. No one batted an eye. The show must go on. All these years later, that sister (quite elderly now), is still in the borg, still waiting on Jehovah.

  My brother married a girl whose family was strong in the borg. The whole lot of them were bonkers. If they weren't on their meds they were bouncing off the walls.

  I don't think I ever knew one single "normal" Witness, and only one or two that were genuine Christians.

  Living a double life was the only thing that saved me.

  [I should change my user name to Holden Caulfield.]
• 

  LongHairGal

  Yes, I believe that the so-called 'truth' is killing people, or, at the very least, making them sick. There are far too many medicated people there. I know of somebody who is a 'faithful' sister who has just about had it.

  The religion heaps a heavy load on people. They can't even be up-front about what is actually involved and carefully hide this from new recruits - because they are afraid the new person will say "hell, NO. I'm out of here". I am a 'fader' for about ten years and can honestly say that I have moved on and not only do not miss it - I am relieved to be free from their emotional blackmail.
• 

  Meeting Junkie No More

  The other aspect of this I concluded before resigning as an elder was that the New Testament was written by men who expected and looked forward to death by violence at an early age. I'm sorry but that's historically accurate relative to conditions in the Roman Empire generally and martyrdom specifically.

  So, it's going to reflect an attitude of daily self sacrifice with little concern for personal health. It's not written by or for having a long, easy life. Deconstruct it as you wish, that was Paul's outlook in particular. The idea of your body saying 'no' is inherent to Jesus example as well.

  Wow - I think I realized this sub-consciously, but never actually saw it said so well, metatron! Great observation!
• 

  gutted

  Well I can relate to this.

  I would read self-help books about anxiety and depression as a witness, and even though I think some of that is genetic in my case, the things those books tought are not in accordance with the WBTS thinking. I do think WBTS have defintely lightened things up, but the ideas of worthlessness/not doing enough are still very much predominant.

  So I wouldn't say it causes those conditions but aggravates them.
• 

  metatron

  The point about aggravating a health problem is fair. There are some researchers who think that we form cancer cells in our bodies every day but manage to suppress them. Throw in some chronic depression and stress and the outcome may be tragic.

  A repeated theme in this book concerns people who can't say no - so their body says it for them.

  I intellectually rejected the Alter/ Multiple Personality illness that spread like wildfire through many congregations years ago. I felt it was (is) bogus. However, I never thought that the people involved were faking or malingering. I believed that they were suffering emotional repression and simply found an outlet for it.

  At one point, it seemed like every other Witness I knew was involved with some reframed, disguised shamanism! They would absolutely deny such a thought ............but often kept going to some 'healer' who offered unadmitted ritual dressed up with quasi- scientific jargon to make them feel better. A genuinely caring brotherhood and real friends who didn't qualify their affection on meeting attendance could have saved them a lot of suffering ... and often, money.

  metatron
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  Farkel

  Years ago, I read these words:

  "Your life isn't working if you are missing any one of these three things: health, happiness and full self-expression."

  Dubs are missing ALL THREE of these things. No wonder they often turn to wacko healers, quack cures and massive doses of prescription anti-depressants. The WTS killed them, but just in case, the quacks and pills will finish the job for good.

  Farkel
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  Hopscotch

  I believe 'the truth' played a major role in killing my mother. She put off going to the doctors for many months because she wanted nothing to interfere with getting to the December 2003 international convention in Sydney. After getting back from the convention she finally went to the doctors, was diagnosed with cancer and was dead a year later. Who knows what might have been if she had gone to the docs early.

  Hopscotch
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  alice.in.wonderland

  No. I've found stress to be a problem elsewhere.

  http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/Workplace-Issues/Stress-the-Positive/article.aspx

  Stress the Positive

  Stress. Pressure. Anxiety. Tension. Whatever you call it, there is no shortage of it in today's fast-paced, technologically advanced workplace. Consider these statistics:

  Stress-related disorders are fast becoming the most prevalent reason for worker disability, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

  Job stress and related problems cost American companies an estimated $200 billion or more annually through absenteeism, turnover, accidents, etc.

  The World Health Organization calls job stress a "worldwide epidemic."

  You give bad advice. God counters stress, he doesn't contribute to it.

  Always rejoice in [the] Lord. Once more I will say, Rejoice! Let your reasonableness become known to all men. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
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  minimus

  "God" isn't the source of stress. The Organization is, though.
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  Meeting Junkie No More

  AIW - appreciate your input. Great scripture. Now, if only those were the scriptures focussed on to give real peace and refreshment at the meetings. I bet if you did a search on the CD rom to see how often that scripture is used in the literature or the KM or from the platform in talks (if that is at all possible), as compared to the WOE to you, It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God; exert yourself vigorously, cut off your right hand if it makes you stumble, etc. - the IMBALANCE would be glaring. Just my 2c.

  Oh yeah and one more thing. The Org isn't reasonable. With one side of their mouth they say give your mite, whatever it is, it is pleasing to Jehovah; quickly followed up with "If you are not doing ALL you can and are not doing it WHOLE-SOULED, it is of no value, etc. etc."; focusing mostly on the negative. Oh, how I wish it had been otherwise; might still be there...