6 months out and at times doubtful

by Leander 25 Replies latest jw friends

  • metatron
    metatron

    Your best defense is love and compassion - for your wife and others. Make yourself
    an example of kindness and charity that will confound their simplistic 'demonizing'
    of anyone who disagrees with them.

    If you must offer points against the organization in dealing with your wife
    or others, always emphasize those points that are concerned with the lack of
    love and justice in this organization.

    If they are dismissive about the lack of love and justice in this cult, then there's
    nothing more I can do. Those are the fundamentals of simple morality - and life.

    Points made about the false prophecy and dishonesty usually are only appreciated
    by Witnesses who already on their way out - not those who are willing to believe
    anything they're told.

    Good Luck

    metatron

  • roybatty
    roybatty
    Yesterday morning my wife was feeling somewhat depressed (this usually happens on a meeting day) that I no longer attend the Kingdom Hall with her. When this happens I usually try to explain to her why I could no longer put my ;faith and trust in a organization with an established history of false prophecies and doctrinal changes almost every other month. The more I tried to reason with my wife she became more unresponsive and unwilling to listen to reason. ;I guess basically I'm posting this experience today is because I'm just curious how often other people go through this type of thing. You attempt to show someone the facts about this religion and despite the evidence that the WTS is'nt what they claim to be people still ignore the truth.

    "Been there, done that." My wife and I got divorced about 2-1/2 years ago because of me becoming an "apostate." If I could go back I would have left the whole religious argument alone. It split us apart and looking back, it wasn't even that important. Yeah, the JWs are full of crap but just about every religion has some stupid beliefs. As you distance yourself from the JWs, you might be surprised just how unimportant it is to prove them wrong to your wife.

    Good luck!

  • out4good3
    out4good3

    I was following your story with great interest. I hope some of the advice you're getting here is helping you.

    Yesterday morning my wife was feeling somewhat depressed (this usually happens on a meeting day) that I no longer attend the Kingdom Hall with her. When this happens I usually try to explain to her why I could no longer put my ;faith and trust in a organization with an established history of false prophecies and doctrinal changes almost every other month.

    Your words are like deja vu' all over again for me. The mental conditioning imposed upon my wife by the borg made meeting nights a living hell in our house when I initially broke free. Every meeting night I was chided for her having to go to meetings alone and that "I know" I should be taking the lead in this matter. What made it more excrutiating was that she intensified her efforts in trying to force our then teen son to more meetings even though he was making his way out with no prodding at all from myself.

    And while I DID honestly feel badly, I would exaggerate just HOW badly I felt -- trying to "guilt" them into accompanying me. It worked sometimes, but it was a hollow victory. I knew they were coming out of love and/or respect for me, rather than because they wanted to be there to honor Jehovah

    That's exactly what it was all about with my wife and most likely with yours too. There lay exposed for all her JW peers to see that little chink in the perfect image JW try to portray themselves to be to each other. Anything used to get you back to the meetings is justified, not because it may get you closer to Jah, but more to repair that little imperfection laid bare for all to see.

    My wife drug me through hell and back trying to get me back into the meetings. And on the occasion that I did acquiesce and go with her I was raked over the coals for going in scowling and with an attitude and for not projecting the image of "happy to be here". I finally found a way to turn her negative attitude of me not going back on herself by reminding her that Jah would not be happy with coerced or half-hearted service to him...would he? What would be accomplished by going back to meeting and pretending to listen to and take heart in something I no longer believed in. Isn't that in itself being hypocritical, putting on a front, faking trying to be someone I'm not?

    Like I said before, it took a lot of arguments, a lot of yelling, a lot of crying, of me telling my wife that I was not abandoning her, had no intention of abandoning her, but that I could no longer follow the spiritual leadership of the WT organization and that there was no way I would be coerced to do so. Right or wrong I have to live my life as I want to and not as it would be defined by the WT org.

    You may find that you'll have to exercise the most extreme patience you've ever had to do in your life to get her in the position that she's accepted your decision. In all, I'd say it took me about three years for my wife to accept the fact that I'll never be an active JW again.

    Hopefully, it won't take you that long......

  • mouthy
    mouthy

    So sorry to hear of the attitude of wife...But my advice is NOT to tell her what you have learned. They are under such mind control that she MUST defend the BORG,,,If you "knock it" the elders will suggest she leave you... They say your demonized -You know that if you were MS.

    I too! say show her love as you have never shown her before. You will feel like loving her now you have time to think for yourself, & not be told by"mother" what to think, feel, say, etc.

    But dont get "ticked" when she defends it... Let it go. !!!! She is blind -would you hold a book up to a blind man???No . But LOVE never fails.....

  • ugg
    ugg

    LEANDER (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HUGS )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

  • Reborn2002
    Reborn2002

    Leander-

    As the one person I have had the pleasure of meeting on this discussion board, I can attest to the fact you are a nice guy with a sincere heart.

    Unfortunately you are now experiencing firsthand the horrible, damaging effects this cult has on families.

    Jehovah's Witnesses go door-to-door demanding that people respect their beliefs and listen to what they have to say. However they do not respect someone else's belief, and just because you think something different from them (even with evidence to substantiate your cause).. in their arrogance and wicked ways (practices of shunning, treatment of DF and DA and inactive), condemnation to destruction all who are now JW's) you are now suffering the consequences.

    So this raises an interesting scenario. Do you prefer to be right and subsequently persecuted and have marital problems because your wife is still indoctrinated by the Dubs? Or do you willingly return to their fold and live a lie?

    From our chats I believe you already know the answer to that question.

    Good luck man. Your going to need it. You have turbulent times ahead.

  • happyout
    happyout

    I totally understand,and in my opinion, it actually takes more love and patience on the part of the one who leaves than anyone else to maintain a good relationship with family members who are still "in". My mom and siblings are all still dedicated, and I am fortunate that we actually have a really good relationship. There are the occasions, however, when they feel free to make comments about my being a "heathen" or celebrating "pagan" holidays. They are always said in a joking manner, I will never fault them for the way they speak to me. I do sometimes wonder, though, if in a similar joking manner I was to respond with something like "yeah, you brainwashed people" or "it's easy to control someone who is not allowed to educate themselves" if they would accept it in a genial manner. I know how hard it will be, but as others have already said, the more you try to talk to someone who is not ready to hear it, the more likely you are to push them further into it. Your wife is afraid right now, so the best thing to do is concentrate on showing her love and alleviating her concern that you are now going to do something radical that will ruin your life and hers. If she wants to come out, seeing that you are happy and at peace without needing to force something on her might give her the confidence to approach the matter slowly. Then again, it might not. Your decision, while right for you, may have repercussions. All you can do is show as much love as you can without giving up on your beliefs. Good luck.

  • PopeOfEruke
    PopeOfEruke

    Leander

    I think its all about Dignity. You've got to respect her right to stay in the Borg, just as she should respect your decision to leave. There are no "rights" or "wrongs" involved really, its all relative (pun intended). Yes the JW's are whacko's but hey, which religion isn't?

    And even if she does NOT respect your right of disassociation, that does not negate your responsibilities in repecting he decision to stay a JW.

    And anyway, whenever I have seen a situation develop like this, when I was still "in", it didn't take too long for the congregations "magic" to start working. The marriage mate who still kept coming to meetings was soon subtlely treated like an outcast or a leper, somehow to blame for the other mate leaving. So normally the faithful one soon got the hint and they quit too!!!

    Only unfettered LOVE from your side will win this battle. Love is easy!

    Pope

  • out4good3
    out4good3

    I am in partial agreement with you Pope

    It's not about right or wrong, winning or losing, it's about respecting your mates rights to exercise the free will of their conscious.

    And even if she does NOT respect your right of disassociation, that does not negate your responsibilities in repecting he decision to stay a JW

    This is the statement I can't quite agree with. I believe respect has to be reciprocated or it wouldn't work. Although he may shower her with love, affection, understanding about her wishes this by no means should give her free reign to demean and constantly question the choice he made with respect to disassociation.

    The battles have to be chosen very carefully. The decision has to be made...do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy. If you want to be right, you'll destroy your marriage trying to impose your will on the other. If you want to be happy, you'll look for an equitable solution you both can live with.

    And anyway, whenever I have seen a situation develop like this, when I was still "in", it didn't take too long for the congregations "magic" to start working. The marriage mate who still kept coming to meetings was soon subtlely treated like an outcast or a leper, somehow to blame for the other mate leaving. So normally the faithful one soon got the hint and they quit too!!!

    That's the state I think my wife is in. Her attendance is very sporadic at best. Her very suspicious nature, fueled inpart by WT psychobably, has left her ill equipped to deal with nothing more than the surface level friendships JWs are known for. When she does go, she's in and out of the KH without speaking to anyone and she currently gets copies of KMs from other JW relatives.

    When the pedophile issue broke I actually got her to reluctantly admit that the WT is not the perfect organization they want everyone to think they are, which for us both is a milestone. All her relatives are drones, so, if she bails she has much to lose. If it weren't for them, it would only be a matter of time for her to see the org for what they truely are.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Leander, it's good to hear from you again. Your post about things that bother you about the organization is on my Favorites list on my computer. It was the first thing that I showed my wife from this site. I hope to hear from you more.

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