by Fernando 16 Replies latest watchtower bible
Well, we don't call it "drinking the kool aid" for no reason.
When we stop taking in the toxic message (the drug, the opiate known as religion) the effects wear off.......eventually.
As with any drug expect some withdrawals. Even though this is a totally psychological addiction.
As another born-in, I also don't feel I was addicted to the WT religion - it was imposed upon me; it was the only worldview I had. In fact, as an adult, there were occasional (legitimate) circumstances in my life that meant I could not attend meetings for weeks - one period of absence lasted months! I did just fine, enjoyed the time away and on my return picked up where I left off no problem.
One time (back when there were three meeting days a week) was when the hall was being refurbished and the congo met in groups at their assigned book study venues once a week to catch up on the 'spiritual food.' "Oh ..." some would say, almost as if it was a kind of withdrawal, "we're so glad the hall's finished. We've really missed not being at the meetings. Have you missed it?" Of course, Watchtower does treat meeting attendance like everyone is a spiritual diabetic and needs their regular shot of spiritual insulin, and if people miss a meeting they'll become spiritually sick and die. I'd give them the un-'theocratically correct' answer and say no, that it was nice to be back but the change of routine was great. I'd get puzzled looks.
It all makes sense when you realize that you're not actually 'diabetic' and their unique 'insulin' concoction they are giving you is, in reality, making you sick ... which realization I only caught on to years later.
Hmm, that reminds me of a P!nk song ...
The other day Mom was over and I asked her if she ever looked into the WT prior to accepting membership (baptized) and dragging us right into the WT along with her. Her answer was a very sad and disillusioned no. She's also having difficulty understanding how the WT with so many false prophecies, the hypocritical nature of most congregations, how this could be Jehovah's chosen people much less organization.
To me personally, although I was raised in the organization, I've always had a difficult time reconciling some teachings with actual scripture. While I did ascertain many privileges over the years, I never allowed myself to be fully immersed and be led blindly by just the interpretations/teachings of the slave. I always maintained a simple philosophy. Always look at every WT study from a common sense perspective. Some JW's are so blind that they in effect would go home and jump in the river if the WT printed it in the magazine.
It hasn't been easy to make sense of the reality of trying to build your life independent of WT teachings. I still believe in God but don't believe the WT is being led by him.
The sad reality is 95% of the time the WT takes advantage of people when they are at their weakest morally speaking. In weekly meetings we call this as "circumstances changing."
The hypocritical nature of the organization is incredible. Take for example how they recently played the WT video on how to make true friends. Members that are looking at the video subjectively will agree wholeheartedly with the presentation. The video is a good presentation except on some points it is a fallacious view of life almost fantasy like. The video says that a true friend would respect our beliefs. This is an accurate statement, except that when looking at it objectively the statement falls apart. For example, if we were to befriend someone and that person respected us as a witness and starts studying with us. After a few months, this study/friend now starts to question some past WT teachings. After we explain to our new true friend the 'new light, old light' teaching, our friend looks at us with a perplexed look, dumbfounded by our unrealistic statement. So in time, they stop studying altogether yet they want to remain our true friend, he just simply does not agree with our teachings yet will respect our religious belief. Now, instead of remaining true to the teachings of the video, the WT advises us to avoid them altogether as a worldly/bad influence. Hence, we were never a true friend after all because we now avoid such person based on his religious point of view. Therefore, the "true friendship" was conditional and not sincere.
This is a tough one for me. I'm a born-in, all my family are in and my closest friends (thankfully they know how I feel and about my doubts and love me anyway). So although I'd be happy to give it all up, it's impossible. This is their life and makes them who they are. Does that make me addicted? I don't think so.... but I need THEM. It's a crazy place to be and as it's a part of their life, the ones I love, it has to stay a part of mine. I hate the doctrines, the control, the influence and can see right through the BS but these are people I love and it's important to them. So where does that leave me?
Well, more power to you on this line of inquiry.
I never felt addiction to the social and financial and creature comforts, being a child or young adult, that came with remaining in good stead with family and in-cult friends. that was not addiction. That was just meeting a mammalian need within the constraints of the compulsive prison.
So this argument goes as, you're addicted to Oxygen, how did you get over it. You're addicted to liquid water and iron and minerals and nutrients and how did you break the habit. You're addicted to Maslow's needs of maintaining body temperature and skin safety through use of clothing and shelter and how did you finally put a stop to this destructive disorder.
More power to you in this line of inquiry. You MAY uncover something insightful about cult science, cult engineering, cult formation, cult propagation in general.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs fits the devoted JW profile really good. That is a sad assessment.
I agree with Phizzy
smiddy
