In lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet

by youngbro 50 Replies latest members adult

• 

  Scully

  youngbro

  You have much to learn. Things such as "the Elders™ are never wrong, even when they are".

  Search through the Publications™. Find examples of doctrines/teachings that had the potential to do incredible harm to individuals should they follow the WTS's advice. Do they ever issue apologies to the people who were actually harmed by following that advice? Do they ever print retractions or acknowledgement of errors? (Hint: the answer is 2 letters, not 3.)

  What will happen if you write to the Branch™ is that you will be singled out for ostracism. Sometimes it will be subtle, sometimes it will be overt. There will be no efforts to Encourage™ you, or help you in any way, shape or form, except for the psychological torture of ostracism. What they are looking for is that you will become so broken in spirit that you will grovel for their forgiveness (which they do not have authority to grant, in any case, yet they still dangle it like a carrot before you) and become submissive to their whims.

  Youngbro, would you mind cleaning the lavatories after the Meeting™ today?
  Youngbro, would you mind taking this car-group full of "slow" people out in Service™ today, while we drop the magazines off at the retirement home?
  Youngbro, can you drive 96 yr old Sister So-and-so to the proctologist today? (omitting a warning that a plastic sheet on your car's seat will be a good thing)

  etc. etc.

  What treatment (aka humiliation) are you prepared to accept? If you're fuming now, it's only going to get worse, honey. Do you want to go down with the ship, or bail while you still have a reasonable chance of creating a good, decent life outside the Organization™?
• 

  youngbro

  I will need people to help supprot me as I forge tthat new life tho...
• 

  Scully

  Moral support is plentiful here.

  But definitely you'll need to start networking with people IRL too, and maybe some will be from here, but my suggestion would be to try to make nonJW friends in your area too.

  Ever thought about going to college/university? Taking some night classes? Taking up a sport or other interest that had nothing to do with JWs?
• 

  youngbro

  Scully, I cannot seem to be able to read your PM to me...it says:

  Sorry, an error occurred while processing your request.

  Anyway, I just dont know...this life Is all i have ever known...
• 

  talesin

  youngbro,,, hi, and welcome to JWN :)

  I'm wondering, is your whole family JW? Are you 'born in'? Do you have a wife/child?

  All these factors make a difference in how you can see your future without the bOrg ... and I understand.

  I would recommend doing some doctrinal research ,,, lots of folks here can recommend reading lists.

  Not me,,, I left at 18 because of the hypocrisy, double lives, etc... and because my friend suicided --- can't be gay, 17 and JW,,, and he just couldn't face what was to come. I wanted to live a life of truth and freedom,,, and wanted to figure it out on my own.

  I know someone who died because he couldn't have a kidney transplant ,,, and several years later "NEW LIGHT",, it's no longer cannibalism and transplants are now A-OK with J*h. Can you really believe that this is a spirit-led group?

  wowzers! you have a lot of thinking to do,,, but I can tell, you're smart,,, you'll get it!

  We will support you in whatever decision you make,,, I would urge you to listen to Scully's advice --- that is one smart womyn who knows a lot about these things.

  take care,

  talesin
• 

  talesin

  PS,,, to retrieve a PM,,, you may have to click on it several times -- the ERROR you encountered happens to every PM the first time it's clicked on ... just a glitch in software.

  tal
• 

  youngbro

  I am one year short of two decades, I live at home , all fam is wit. Grew up in it. Single.
• 

  NewChapter

  Youngbro, why are you trying to protect your MS ship? Do you see how you are being treated? Do YOU wish to treat someone that way one day? I'm glad you're here. What are your goals? Ultimately what are you looking for? Are you thinking of leaving? Do you wish to stay undercover for the sake of your family?

  Tell us a little about that.

  NC
• 

  talesin

  So, if you decide not to stay JW, you are facing what I went through. No wife & kids, that is good, because at this point you will only be making a decision for YOU, and not having to consider your life-partner. Me, too, I was single.

  When I dropped out of the KH (was a pioneer, went to serve where the need was greater TM , got very ill,,, came home, and as soon as I recovered, wanted OUT!).

  I stopped going to meetings and in FS. Several years later, they convened a JC, invited me to atttend, and tried to pressure me back to the hall. I had committed a 'sin', and got reported (went to 2nd base w/ my best friend, an unbaptized publisher who felt guilty and confessed to the elders) 2 years before,,, but they FINALLY had something on me. As I was never going back, and told them about all the things I had seen (my best friend sleeping with her worldly boyfriend, elders drinking themselves into oblivion, the list goes on an on), they decided I was unrepentant and DFd me quicker than you can say "Jack Robinson".

  If your family is 'well-respected',,, or your dad is a 'prominent elder',,, they may come after you with a vengeance --- that was my only mistake,,, being born into the wrong family. Lots of the kids I grew up with faded, but I was just too good a little witness growing up, and my family was too 'well-respected', for them to leave me alone.

  Yes, the whole family shunned me (well, my parents still occasionally talked on the phone, but I was forbidden to visit). All my friends shunned me (even the ones having premarital sex and partying like rock stars ---- hypocrites!).

  It's a long, rough road,,, but I am now in my 50s,,, and stand FIRM in my decision to leave ,,, it's the best choice I ever made.

  Like I said, your choice is your own. I just encourage you to educate, educate, educate yourself. And THINK of the education (I mean schooling) you can have as a worldly person .... you are 19 ---- the world is your oyster!

  All the best ,

  tal
• 

  Scully

  A lot of JWs will consider you Fortunate™ for having been Raised In The Truth™ from infancy.

  However, there's little difference between a JW who was born into the JWs and a Catholic who was born into Catholicism. Each is sheltered to other belief systems, and each believes their own religion to be the right one, without having had an authentic opportunity to examine other beliefs independently of what they have been told of them by their overlords. (Okay, "overlords" is a little dramatic, but it's the word that came to mind at 0130 h.)

  For you to be the first to step outside the JW world will be an earth shattering event for you and your entire family.

  However, like Saul of Tarsus, when truth is revealed to you - whatever form it takes - you have a choice to act on it, or not. Choosing not to act "now" and wait for the right time is a valid option too.

  You are very young to have been appointed MS. That's a lot of responsibility. Perhaps the Elders™ are reconsidering their recommendation to appoint you based partly on your age and overall lack of life experience, in addition to the non-judicial matter you spoke of earlier. Just a thought.

  Do you feel that your future - your ability to provide for a family should you have one - will be well served by your career opportunities within the JW circles? Or do you feel that you need to fulfill a longing for exploration of art / science / justice etc and make a career based on a good education? One that will serve you within and/or without the JWs?

  What are your thoughts on getting an education beyond high school?