New Mentality

by EmptyInside 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  EmptyInside

  No,I am not talking about being "mentally diseased",lol. It's just wonderful to allow myself to have my own thoughts and opinions.

  I'm still around family and some acquaintances who are Witnesses. And I cringe every time I hear a phrase or belief ,that now I realize is totally wacky.

  For example: Relatives talking about a newly reinstated man's unbelieving wife. She doesn't want him to take the children to meetings. But,family uses the phrase,"But,there is not much she can do,since he is the head." OMG.

  Another example: A family friend was inquiring if my sister-in-law really has to work,as if it's any of her business,but yeah! Her response,"Isn't this system awful." Yeah,terrible,women sharing the work force,lol. Her 1950's view,wives should only work if absolutely necessary or if not,pioneering.

  There is so many more,but I realize there was a time when this thinking made perfect sense to me. Now,it just makes me sad a little that people I still care about are blinded by this religion.

  But,I'm glad to be mentally free,and putting on my own,unique personality.
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  jamiebowers

  I hope the wife of that newly reinstated man shows him and his jw buddies where he can stick his headship!
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  talesin

  The most cringe-worthy thing I heard in a long time was "Well, the company is owned by a brother, so at least we know we can trust him."

  NOOOOOOO!!!!

  tal

  * slothful, untrustworthy, worldling klass *
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  bnybyt

  Thanks for your post, EI, it is obvious now for me as I look back on the time spent in "Bible study" as "preparation for baptism" that all it really was accomplishing was the development of a mindset that encouraged submission to the will of a corporate religious publishing company controlled now by a small group of fanatic hollier-than-thou men with a love for money and power.

  Whew! That was one long sentence.

  Peace
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  soft+gentle

  as a witness I never got out of the habit of referring to the december break as the christmas holidays and every time a JW would correct me. well now as an exiting jw I still say christmas holidays or christmas break but laugh when I am corrected and it is nice to see Jehovahs witneses joining in the laughter.

  yes emptyinside it is great to be carefree
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  ambersun

  I'm still around family and some acquaintances who are Witnesses. And I cringe every time I hear a phrase or belief ,that now I realize is totally wacky.

  EmptyInside, I know exactly what you mean. At family gatherings with JW and non JW relatives, it is funny how JWs can often forget they are talking to 'worldly' people when they are relaxed in comfortable surroundings and are totally oblivious to how wacky they sound.

  Out come their ridiculous stock JW phrases and, if the TV is on, passing hate filled comments about gay presenters, expressing disapproval of women in 'mens jobs', or making disgusted scoffing noises if a narator of a documentary mentions evolution or carbon dating, or anything at all which contradicts what the WTS has indictrinated them to believe.

  Recently we were watching a fascinating and well informed documentary on how the ice age transformed the landscape over thousands of years and one JW relative huffed and puffed and said loudly "why won't they just admit that it was all due to Noah's flood instead of all this nonsense?!!"

  They just presume that everyone in the room will automatically agree with their biased views, and I just watch the stunned expressions on the 'worldly' relatives faces as they usually just ignore it to avoid any conflict which they have already learned from experience is utterly pointless.
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  looloo

  my dad recently sent a list of 1950s good wife quotes for a joke (hes not a jw ) things like "when your husband returns after a hard days work , dont be annoying him with your feeble mumblings about your day but make sure you look presentable and have his meal on the table "! my ex jw hubby asked if he had got the info from a watchtower !
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  LongHairGal

  EMPTY INSIDE: Yes, it is a wonderful thing to have your own mind back. I am an 11 year "fader" and I cannot tolerate the mentality of my few "friends" I have left in the religion. The new mentality is not a bad mentality, it is just free from the unhealthy mindset that JWs have. They may THINK that how they feel is bible based, but mostly it is fear of men and conformity. And we are not in the 1950s. Glad I am done with it !!