I'm an equal-opportunity hater. I hate everyone equally.
Do you love people more now that you're out?
by writerpen 30 Replies latest jw friends
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Swan
I have to agree with Joannadandy. I think I still feel the same love and compassion I always had for humanity, only now I am a lot less judgmental of people. I just think of them as humans, like I am, with faults, like mine.
Before I would think, "those poor people, if only they would follow Jehovah's word they wouldn't be in such dire straights! I'll just have to be patient and wait for the New World to end such misery." (Of course, I was thinking that the misery would end when all the miserable people would be destroyed!) I would judge people on their lifestyle, their religious practices, and other things. I always saw it as their own fault. So my love was there, but it was also conditional. It created a lot of conflict in me. I loved humanity and felt such compassion for them, yet I felt that they were being stubborn because they wouldn't accept the truth. They were followers of Satan. It became hard to differentiate between loving the sinner and hating the sin.
Now I think, "those poor people, what small way can I help to make things better for them, to make this world a better place for them." And I find that I can often help out in small charitable ways whenever I can. It is never a lot, but it is always given freely. No conflict now. That's the difference.
Tammy :)
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joannadandy
I guess they did a crappy job of indoctrinating me(obviously if I am here now) cuz I never felt any of that stuff...interesting to read tho, thanks for all your insights everyone...
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ozziepost
YES, YES, YES!!!!!
No filters....oh, it's so much better.
And the sun shines brighter, too.
Ozzie
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Zechariah
Most definitely. As a JW I have been conditioned to have little regard for people of the world and its governments. No matter how philanthropic and humanitarian a worldly person may be they regard their accomplishments as of no value to God.
Men like JFK, Ghandi, MartinL. King, and Nelson Mandela are regarded as having accomplished nothing as compared against the most inactive minister of Jehovah.They soon become extremely pessimistic and mistrustful of any worldly man acting out of love.
I greatly upset my still loyal JW family by proudly wearing on my jacket a American flag button given me at Mc Donalds. My mother told me "You've really left Jehovah now."
I vote now. I voted in the last presidential election although my man didn't win
I have enormous optimism for the world and its governments.
For many years now I have been sponsoring a Afican child which make me more charitable than anytime in the WTS.
The unity of love for all humankind is what the Bible prophecies for our day.
Zechariah
THIS IS THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS
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thewiz
no. just being honest.
'ceptin' for my kids (and maybe my wife )
pale recluse
i am with you. but i'm not jesting.
someone please show me how to love.
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Sabine
Very good thread, I have been thinking about this for some time. I have to agree with you writerpen, I do feel much more compassionate towards people as a whole. When I watch the news and see the terrible tragedies, my heart beaks like it never did before.
But, on the other hand, I don't allow myself to get close to individuals very often. I know on an intellectual level all the many people that have disappointed me (that's putting it lightly!!) were all JWs, but emotionally, I just can't open myself up completely like I used to with "god's people". I am left in a void where I don't trust people's motives.
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Skeptic
Well, leaving the JWs made me more loving, simply because I am less judgemental now and dont have to filter everything into the JW viewpoint. But the biggest factor in me becoming more loving is by far Windrider.
I used to be a harsh, demanding man. Now, with the shackles and pressures of a bad religion and a bad marriage gone, I am able to be more loving and easygoing. But that still does not explain it by any means. Almost all the credit must go to my precious Windrider.
What Windrider has done for my ability to love is nothing less than astounding. She brought out such tender feelings in me it actually physically hurt...like my heart was being forced to be larger to contain it all. I know that sounds silly, but that is exactly what it felt like, including the physical pain.
Eventually, I took the love and tender feelings Robin brought out and showed them to my kids and friends. It took a while for my kids to adjust...at first they accused me of being a hypocrite..."Oh, yeah you are nice when Robin is here."...then after I started openly expressing my love and affection for them, they wree suspicious, "What are you up to?"...now, they know the great love I have for them is real and they accept it, as much as they are able to.
Giving the love that Windrider taught me how to give to other people has had amazing results.....more than I can comment on here.
Windrider, sweetheart, you are the most amazing woman and I shall love you always. You have no idea how amazing your love is, and how much love you show every day....and how much good you have done in this world. With me alone, you have shown me that my life has made a real difference, and you have touched not only my life but the lives of those I touch...and so on....not to mention the effect you have on those you touched directly....and so on...
Richard
Edited by - Skeptic on 30 July 2002 0:43:15
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Matty
Larry's quote sums me up, although I'm using it in the present tense, as I'm still "in":
"My love for people outgrew the love that I was taught."
I think that there are a lot of loving people in the Jehovah's Witness religion, but they are bullied into keeping it under wraps. I've always worked hard to be an unselfish person, but have found it increasingly difficult as my conscience increasingly has contradicted my faith. For instance, the amount of times that I have seen a disfellowshipped person and looked away just to be obedient, but just fighting back the tears, wanting to give them a hug, it was just oh, so wrong! I just feel now that I cannot let fallible, incompetent men, with delusions of consecration, force me to behave against my nature.
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Xander
Everyones seen 'The Matrix', right?
Cause, if you TOTALLY tow the party line, that's exactly how you, as a dub, viewed every single person in the world (IE., you were 'out of the world' - and everyone else was a potential 'Agent' of Satan!)
The only 'help' you could offer them was to take them out of the world - because, until they WERE out, they were 'the enemy'. You don't want to get emotionally attached for them, because you might feel some remorse or something when the big A comes and they are having their eyes pecked out by falcons.
Edited by - Xander on 30 July 2002 10:37:57