Do you detect an underlying sadness ? (page 2)

Finkelstein

Many JWS may know realize they've been mentally manipulated and lying to particularly the ones that have in for decades.

Sad but not surprising.

I don't know if they can't express sadness, I guess it wasn't our congregation's experience. Pioneers who suffered from depression were often interviewed. I'll be honest, it confused me since we were all supposed to have this wonderful hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth and the promise of a resurrection of our loved ones. I didn't understand the underlying sadness while i was in but i knew that it existed. Now that I'm out, i understand more where the sadness comes from.

bigmac

its sad to think god isnt going to kill everyone in my lifetime.

i just knew it was too good to be true.

snare&racket

Lol big mac, that is SOOOO true x

Vidiot

I once read a magazine article that - among other things - discussed rank-and-file JWs (not sure, but it might have been that MacLean's front-pager from a few years back about the Vancouver JW sextuplets), and it was mentioned at one point that many JWs who had anonymously supplied statements for the piece had confessed to a deeply-hidden fear that Watchtowerism was a "false religion" (paraphrasing, but that's the gist).

And these people - as far as I could tell - were not Conscious-classers or faders...

So, yeah, feeling compelled to stay In - possibly for years - while merely suspecting that the ideology you've been raised with or converted to was increasingly going off the rails is definately gonna produce an (overlapping) generation of anitidepressant users.

sammielee24

Personally I haven't run into any JW's that exhibit an aura of sadness. I've seen many that show signs of weariness and I've been around more that show a certain arrogance and pride in their beliefs and their distance from the world - but not sadness. Sometimes it's like they are tired of hanging on in this 'system of things' and being forced to deal with the world while they wait for eternal life - but sadness - no. Only a feigned sadness of not having brought enough people in. samsw

NeverKnew

As an outsider, it seems that many I talk to have some semblance of anger just beneath the surface.

Maybe they're just mad at all of my questions.

In private conversations with those I know well, there is a sadness about life challenges they can't seem tof handle.

whathappened

I used to sit up in the front at the Kingdom Hall and I would turn around a look at the faces of those in attenance. The sisters, in particular, had sad faces, the brothers all looked very serious. I don't think anyone is truly happy. They fake it until they make it, I guess.

braincleaned

I see sadness and many friends drift away. Oh yeah!

Simon

Their belief system is evolving from an 'imminent end soon, soon, soon' to more of a long term 'nothings gonna happen' outlook.

Its a tough change to pull off ... Even if the numbers hold up they will likely have a lot of churn.

There is no excitement or motivation now, like in days gone by. Its all just a slog and lots of miserable people.

Do you detect an underlying sadness ?