Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses is NOT the same as the doctrines leaving you

by Terry 52 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  King Solomon

  Iam, you awoke: that's a beautiful thing! Some never do...

  I was fortunate in that my parents divorced before my mom got involved with the JWs. My Dad didnt really know much about the religion, and i think he figured it was that we had something to ground us. My sibs are still in, and I often think, "there but for the grace of God go I...."

  I cannot imagine being born in, with both parents as JWs. My nephews were that, and home-schooled: they never stood a chance, the poor kids. The biggest challenge they face is the very fact that they've never faced any challenges, as they were home-schooled! I remember kids taunting me over tr flag salute, but learned to side-step and come right back at them (makes you tougher). But since they never had to deal with such challenges, they're handicapped emotionally, and trapped in the slow-lane of life...
• 

  okage

  the analogy of moving and learning spanish is powerful and accurate. there are those who still choose not to learn the language despite years of living among the new culture. and there are those who feel they have learned enough by just learning the basics.

  the watchtower doctrines are blood that just wont wash off the shirt no matter how hard you scrub. i think its a tremendous effort to remove them and as illustrated its not enough to say you are done with them. many are reluctant to admit they have a ways to go but they shouldnt be reluctant. they should be proud of what they have achieved so far and be hungry to achieve more.

  and it is an awful aspect that the society tells you youre never done working for salvation and when you look for salvation from watchtower tyranny you never know when youre done working for it.

  the organization puts such a stranglehold on every facet of your life that its harder to operate at a capacity considered comfortable by others.

  personally i hope anonymous follows through on their promise to take down the society by purging files and publishing secrets. no organization should have that much of a hold on the lives of free men and women like the society does.
• 

  Terry

  Once you accept this controlling group of brainwashers as your MOTHER you are adopted into a bizarre dysfunctional family.

  You turn over your eyes, ears and brain for anesthetics and fondling. (Some even have their body tampered!)

  The inbreeding with Adventism, Pyramidology, bogus date-setting and self-martyrdom makes for strange bedfellows.

  The way out is the same as the way in: little by little. Instead of gradual immersion in doctrines it is gradual emerging.

  Don't come up too fast or the nitrogen-narcosis will explode your insides into fragments!

  Follow your doubts by examining "why" you started to doubt. What was "it"...THE thing that let a little light peep in?

  Start THERE.

  Each JW has those fleeting moments when the narcotized brain starts to flutter awake---if only for a scintilla of light to reach their rational mind.

  Use that!

  It is the fulcrum moment!!

  If you see it or hear about it from others seize that moment to state your OWN RATIONAL THOUGHTS ALOUD.

  The end is really the beginning.
• 

  dgp

  Bookmarked.
• 

  PaintedToeNail

  A really, really good topic and thoughts, thanks Terry and everyone else1
• 

  Finkelstein

  There's no question that the WTS. is very crafty and deliberate in attacking a person's intellect with false and corrupt doctrines,

  with the staid intension to turn people into their own devout supporting slaves.

  The purposeful reason behind this endeavorer gets so conscientiously blurred so much by people who get involved in this cult,

  they have a very time eradicating it all when they do decide its time to leave.

  The quest of the WTS. is to lure people into their organization and keep them there for money and labor.

  It can take people years to completely drain the thought control processes that they have been inundated with.

  The real Truth can eventually come to these people but it takes diligence and perseverance on their part, but a better person

  is the most likely outcome.
• 

  WTWizard

  I prefer reading from multiple sources. Especially when it comes to religion--I have read different Christian and Muslim descriptions, from a variety of sources. Including pro-Christian sources--like the Law of St Benedict. I have also read the basics of Islam--the core being "doing good works in the name of Allah". Within both of those, I have read what the core doctrine is, enough to realize that both (and especially Christi-SCAM-ity) fail to come true to the core. And Judaism--what's this about not being able to turn on a light switch on the Sabbath or having to disable the light bulb in the refrigerator so it doesn't come on when you open the door? Or about using separate pots and pans for dairy and meat? Both are serious "offenses". And I found those things on a PRO-Judaism site.

  But, rather than sticking with any one source, I look at both sides of these issues. Which makes more sense? Stupidity being the only sin, or having it being a sin to have your refrigerator light bulb come on when you open the refrigerator? Or having it being a sin to eat during daylight during Ramadan? Or the continual sacrifices added to "a perfect sacrifice, complete, to which nothing ever need be added"? And what about the political situation? I look at the major sources that say our economy is improving, then look at the "conspiracy theorists". Who has been right more? Which side actually makes more sense when compared to logic? If they are printing debt based money out of nothing, it's only a matter of time before everything will implode.

  The whole thing is a challenge. If your thinking is sound, you should be able to read the "fringe" and "conspiracy" side, along with the mainstream side, and decide for yourself where the truth is. Chances are good that it will be somewhere in between. If you are biased, you will automatically pick a side and believe that the truth is there without doing further research. The challenge is to cross-reference anything that bothers you or you feel you need more information on. Reference both sides. With religion, you need to research both the philo-and anti-sides of each of the three major right-hand path religions and decide for yourself. You look at the philo-Semitic sites and find things ridiculous, check them out. Same with the pro-Christian and pro-Muslim material. Both sides.

  If you do not research both sides, you are bound to find yourself on the wrong side. This is as true when leaving a country as a religion--one of the worst things you can do when moving to another country is knowing nothing about it. Whether it be a move to Canada or New Zealand, or one to Israel or Nigeria, to be successful you need to know what to expect before you even think of leaving. Learn the language if applicable, at least the basics. Learn what currency they use, what culture to expect, where the resources you need are. Learn the land, learn where the major cities are, the cost of living, the job market, and so on. Do that even before you are sure you are going, before you start the paperwork to actually move there. This is as true with religion--before joining, learn the doctrines and what is expected out of you. Learn what features they have. Learn what missionary work awaits you, learn the structure--even before you worry about joining. And learn several, trying to pick from sources on both sides. Otherwise, a miserable experience awaits you.
• 

  Phizzy

  I guess it depends on how much you believed the WT Bull***t when you were in. I was a born in, and in for decades, and yet had very little of the JW thinking actually ingrained in me, so most of it fell away in no time when I left.

  It took longer to identify the real damage than to get rid of JWthink, the real damage has come from a lifetime of Cognitive Dissonance, which has caused an underlying anger, the anger I do not like and cannot see a sensible way of giving it an outlet, so suppressing it has led to depression.

  Thanks Terry for the thread, so useful to those on the cusp of leaving, they don't have to look around wondering what to do when they leave, you have outlined a sensible and progressive plan of action, thanks too to the other posters on here.

  We do have to live in a new country, with a new language and culture, but that is exciting and fun ! and if we embrace our new land wholeheartedly the past soon becomes "another country".
• 

  King Solomon

  We do have to live in a new country, with a new language and culture, but that is exciting and fun ! and if we embrace our new land wholeheartedly the past soon becomes "another country".

  That comment triggered something to consider:

  I was in the military back in the 1980's, and was stationed in Europe (Germany) at the time. I remember that many of the guys who were stationed over there would sit around the barracks, griping about how much it sucked, never go off base, not eat any local food (they'd go to McDonalds on the base), how much they wanted to go back Stateside, etc. It seemed like such a waste to me, as here they had an opportunity to LIVE in a country that most people could only dream of going to visit on a vacation, and they didn't avail themselves of it, but looked at it like a prison sentence. What a shame...

  You've gotta grab life by the horns, because while you MAY have been conditioned to think that time doesn't matter (which is what happens when you believe you'll be given ETERNAL LIFE!), it DOES. It truly does.

  And while you may think you've wasted time up until now, you really didn't: all of your life's experiences got you to this point in the HERE and NOW, so it's time you take control: not of the past (too late: it's gone), but what's in the future, YOUR future.
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  rather be in hades

  bmp. i thoght this was nicely put and gives insight as to the ups and downs that come when you leave