How I miss the 'Truth' of my youth....

gingerbread

My family moved from the city to the country.

Part of the reason for the relocation was to move 'to where the need was greater'. I loved our new home - I was free to roam the woods and fields, enjoy the wildlife, work in our garden and feed the chickens. I had new friends in our new congregation. These kids were transplants to this 'paradise' for the same reasons. We were a tight bunch. Our families associated together inside and outside of the hall. We all stuck together at school. We all had romantic crushes on each other. Field service was an honest attempt to teach the people in our territory about the Bible. Service had a light side with lots of laughing and picnic lunches under a roadside shade tree. It wasn't just about 'getting in our time'.

The first summer we build a new Kingdom Hall - by ourselves. I was happy (and proud) to be part of this group. Everything we believed was based on the Bible. We weren't like the religions of Christendom. We had real love among us - regardless of race, income, education or background. We were one big happy family. Being a Jehovah's Witness meant being free of man made religious traditions, free from religion's 'fleecing of the flock' and the 'collection plate'.

Our contributions took care of the basic necessities of the hall - the bills and maintainence. We knew that religion was "a snare and a racket". We didn't have big church buildings. We didn't have paid ministers or a clergy that demanded recongnition and obedience.

We were just a group of honest hearted people doing our best. We weren't suspicious of each other. We didn't have 'arrangements' for anything - we took care of each other because we wanted to.

Looking back after 40 years, I realize that we were all naive. And BOY how things have changed !

ginger

Phizzy

Dear ginger, I was born-in during the early fifties, and I remember the Esprit de Corps we all had, the mutual respect, and the many christian works that many JW's did in those days, my own parents encouraged me to help "worldly" neighbours etc.

I was associated with two Congregations that built their own K.Hall, both long before the advent of quick builds and Regional Rip Off, sorry I mean Building Committees. It wasn't a terrible time, or a terrible religion to belong to, a bit strange, but not too bad.

As kids we had to stand out as different, no Christmas or Birthdays etc, but as you say, we accepted that because we believed in what we and our parents stood for.

That religion, and those times, are long gone.

It always was somewhat controlling and cult like, but nothing like today.

Living under WT Rule today is indistiguishable from living in North Korea.

konceptual99

I can understand the view. This is the "truth" of my parents and my wife's parents.

It would have been a bitch however if you would have needed a transplant. No chance of any fractions of blood. No anti RhD injections. Vaccinations to help you not get smallpox or any other number of potentially life-changing conditions - out of the question.

Many people of your era were lucky and got through it to point where they can have a sense of nostalgia about those halcyon days of comradeship.

Not everyone did.

Separation of Powers

Ginger,

I concur...things are simply not the same. I knew things were different when "gatherings" were discouraged starting in the '80's. Then, more and more comments were made related to how "some" in the congregation "may not be good association" and "just because someone is here at the hall, doesn't mean they are good association" started a maelstrom of suspicion that could never be rectified. I saw it happening before my eyes...the marginalization of dozens of young people who, although on the fringe, still felt like they were part of the congregation. Now, they simply check out.

SOP

gingerbread

We were naive.

Those of us who where born into or came into the 'Truth' believed it to be the gods honest truth. We didn't have the internet. We never had access to 'apostate' reading material.

The phrase 'it's a conscience matter' was used freely about anything that didn't break 'Jehovah's laws'.

We saw baptisms at conventions that lasted into the afternoon session - hundreds standing in line to get baptized.

Most of the kids that I grew up with 'left the truth', were disfellowshipped or turned out to be disfunctional at best. Many of us have been shunned on one level or another. Or, unfortunately, we created disfunctional & divorced families of our own.

Our parents have now died or grown old - a delightful group of optimistic 1960's non-conformists looking for a faith outside of the organized religions they grew up in. They saw the peace and love they desired in Jehovah's Witnesses.

We didn't know the facts.

It was a delusional reality we all constructed.

ginger

tornapart

Sounds rather like my childhhod/teenage years. Happy times. Many of my childhood friends are still around, some are more like family than my extended family are. It's what makes it so hard for me to leave... :(

jambon1

I've went through a strange time in the last year, sort of looking back all glassy eyed at my JW past.

I recall the feeling of being in a unique group of people seperate from other religions. Doing ministry for the love of it, really believing I had something special.

No, I wasn't brought up in 1950's WT. This was the 90's/00's.

Those emotions were a result of a late teen coming to accurate knowledge.

But the truth is, as the years past, I saw so much that was wrong & so much hypocrisy. I saw corrupt elders, bitchy old cows that were elders wives & a political system that people 'played'. This wasn't the accurate knowledge that I learned.

The halcion days of loving the ministry turned around full circle & the day I opted to 'work on my own' so that I could pretend to knock people's doors was the tipping point. I had to leave. I despised my life.

The organisation is just like any other religion & then some. Nice people & bad people all mixed together. And a very, very untrustworthy & checkered leadership.

NewYork44M

I grew up in the "truth," So, any memories positive or negative were derived from my experience as growing up a jw.

And, there were some fond memories. Of course there were many other memories not so fond.

The organization has transitioned into far more legalistic than what it was decades ago. So many of my memories will not ever be repeated.

But in any event, my life is what it is based upon everything that has happened, the good, bad, and ugly. I do not place too much importance on some of these earlier experiences. I try to focus on the now and the future. And I want no connection to the watchtower now and forever.

Ucantnome

I think there was a difference in the truth when my parents became Witnesses. Halls where we attended meetings were sometimes rented places.

However i don't really think i can name much if anything i liked. The Watchtower study at the hall instead of Stingray.

Found Sheep

I do think the congregation I was in during the 80's was "family" like.... A few moved, they doubled the "bethelites" and it went down hill

How I miss the 'Truth' of my youth....

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