How do you feel about exJW's who resist our efforts to effect change?

by nicolaou 67 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  steve2

  I have to say I read some books about jws that seemed flawed compared to my knowledge of Bethel and WT history. Ray Franz' books hit me as truth though and moved me to contact him when I was yet going to meetings.

  This echoes my experience Blondie. I had always been an avid reader - even in my JW heyday - and an awful lot of the so-called "anti-JW literature" was either flawed in its reasoning or so venomous it put me off. "Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave" hit a receptive nerve but came across as overly bitter.

  The work by the Canadian ex-JW (Bill?) Penton was one of the first that was even-handed and calm in tone. And Ray Franz's Crisis of Conscience was the very antithesis of what the organization said ex-JWs were like. The respectful tone and evidence-based reasoning were - and are - powerful and very difficult for thinkers to minimize and ignore.

  We are all in different places as regards TTATT.
• 

  RichardHaley

  @Giordano Actually the word 'grooming' may even be more accurate
  

  Agreed, since they will screw you over at every opportunity!
• 

  James Mixon

  When old friends ask me what are you doing in your old age and since you have

  retired. I tell them besides golf and playing with a group of guitar players, I work with

  a group of ex-JW's maybe thousands around the world exposing the danger of

  that organization.
• 

  Giordano

  Thank you James now I finally know what I have been doing for the last number of years!!
• 

  Oubliette

  Ruby456: skepticism about everything is a great quality to have

  I doubt that.
  
• 

  rebel8

  To each his own.

  Some people do "activist" type stuff to heal themselves, not necessarily to reach others. I cannot take issue with that. This is a dangerous, deadly, harmful cult--so what if they get a little heat (as long as it's ethical/legal)?

  Other people do ineffective, potentially harmful things because they don't understand how to do something much more effective. If they put themselves out there on the forum stating they're going to do those things, I figure they must be open to discussion about it.

  Others have worse motives, such as for personal gain. If that's the case, they deserve ridicule.

  In the absence of poor motives, illegal/unethical activity, and acts that will make things worse, I say live and let live.
  
• 

  Twitch

  Good thread.

  I'm more of the "live and let live" class these days. I do have mixed feelings about it at times. There's a lot of color gradient to every situation and I've not walked far in that many shoes. Different people connect and process in different ways. I try to honour that.
• 

  Lieu

  No need for the internet, blogs, or other people's comments for me. Too many complete out of context scriptures, a WT study article which glaringly contradicted the prior weeks article (plus knowing the GB doesn't even review WT articles written by any male member), and the whole ignore Jesus thing was all I needed.

  I also already realized that "the other sheep" Jesus referred to were the Gentiles, not some lesser "hope" group.

  Now, if anyone is convinced to exit by something they've read on the net, I'm certainly not against it. It was likely something that's been gnawing at their spirit that they could not get a straight answer to from "the society".
• 

  James Mixon

  We have military personal coming back home suffering from their

  military experience , physical and mentally damaged. Some move on

  with life even though they experienced some horrible times in battle.

  I know guys who were wounded, shot twice, friend lost both legs. Their

  were guys that lived in the bush, every day was a struggle.

  My point, it's folks makeup. All the guys I have known are doing fine with life.

  They moved on, raised families, successful .Me on the other hand, a long struggle.

  I believe it is the same when leaving JW, some move on without any problems others

  have been hurt so deeply by those that is close to them that it takes some time.

  I really believe some suffer from PTSD,anxiety disorder when they leave. But

  in my case when I join it's like the story where the guy thought his problems was so bad

  until he mat a man with no legs, well by reading other folks experiences I realized my story

  is not that bad...It's healing being here. I have saved a lot of money from the head doctor.
• 

  Ruby456

  oubliette - I like your comment