by minimus 81 Replies latest jw friends
Honestly,
It was the constant negativity of the people, the endless barf coming from the platform, and the idiots. And there were a lot of idiots. Tons! How long can anyone listen to that drivel? Life keeps going around in this circle, and you just get tired of it.
No wonder JW's have the most people out of any religion on anti-depressants.
They agree we are free moral agents, so why don't they agree that we are independent?
Aren't the two kind of together?
My own reasons were similar to those of Awen and Hortensia.
After a ten year limbo, I started returning to the bOrg. I too was surrounded with JW's who wanted to go out to eat, hang out, etc, before my baptism at 28. After I got baptized, the friendliness in the congregation towards me started to fade ever so slowly... but I didn't really notice at the time. I admit that with my ADHD I was (and still am) prone to making mistakes and pissing people off... but was that an excuse for them to withdraw from me and start treating me like a piece-of-shit criminal? I think not. A few years and a major romantic disappointment later, I started becoming depressed as hell and it was then that I started realizing some things.
I started to see what a cold, loveless, elitist, superficial bunch most of the people in my congregation truly were. I started to realize that people whom I though were true friends really weren't that way at all. I realized that if you weren't a pioneer, MS, Elder or at least a very close associate of one, you were regarded as a useless slacker. I realized that if you hadn't gotten yourself married off by the time you were in your mid twenties, you're regarded as damaged goods, especially if you weren't a pioneer, MS, etc. The clique-i-ness in the congregation was especially strong and a lot of 'lesser ones' (including me) were left on the outside looking in. And this wasn't just in my local congregation... this kind of crap was what I was seeing in every other congregation that I was visiting too. When I was just a hair's breadth from dropping meetings altogether, I learned that there was at least one rumour about me that was going around behind my back. That made me especially paranoid. It all made me sick and tired in the end. I couldn't take it anymore...
V665
minimus: Lol, I just reread my post and realized that almost all of my reasons had to do with sex! There are a few others though, including blood transfusions.
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer 50 years ago, the social worker asked me if my religion had nursing homes for their members. Realizing there was no help from the organization or relatives in the organization, that I was alone except for kindness of strangers, turned my back and took care of my mother myself.
vampiredclxv :
I know exactly what you mean. I don't know how long you have been out but what you say is very true in my hall. Most are very old now, and NOTHING ever happens. No parties, no fun, no anything. Only elders hang around with other elders; and that dosen't happen much anymore; they are so afraid of any accusation that they avoid being with people other than at the hall. Then they have the nerve to get up on the platform and talk about "following the course of hospitality". The elders and others who wanted to do something all had to move away to other congs since this one is just a funeral home.
I also agree with you about if you are not a pio, elder, or ms, or the spouse of one then you are nothing. On a separate note my sister in law told me that at her DC this year a member of the gb was there who told the audience the reason the book study is not a separate meeting anymore is that the 'brothers' in other countries....not mentioned which of course; were not able to afford to travel to get to them anymore. Gimme a break. They cancelled it because for years no one was going!! It was the number one meeting that was not attended to their standard. What joke!
I appreciate your comments!
Vampire, you are right on! They are cold, loveless, elitist and superficial.
I left the organization 45 years ago when there was no forum such as this one, and those that faded/left were guarded and reluctant
to share their thoughts. It is healing and helpful to read everyone’s comments, that the reasons haven’t changed and the conclusions
and evaluations are alike.
They never told me WHY I was disassociated.
No charges, no accusations, no nothing.
I was just history.
Shech--
Point of clarification. I'm still learning the Watchtower vernacular. I was under the impression that an individual disassociates but the society disfellowships. Does the society also disassociate?
