Ok, one of my annoyances are ex-jw's (or reinstated ones) that left purely to be "bad" (none of these things I label as bad, but maybe destructive behavior, for example: irresponsible promescuity, drugs, etc.). They engaged in destructive behaviors and basically, made ones who left for what I think to be <i>real</i> reasons, like finally understanding the hipocrazy of the org, etc. Before I get flamed, I will try to explain, because I think some of you might agree.
On my livejournal, I get a couple types of people that post replies to me. Those that support me, (yay), JW's who flame me, etc. But one type is the ex-jw or reformed jw who goes on a rant about how "leaving the truth ruined their lives" because they became addicted to drugs, had a billion sex partners, went to clubs and almost always ended up in the hospital. Just justifying the horrid religion in their eyes, how it "protected" them. There are also a couple ex-jw's in my area who left because they "just wanted to have fun", the latter bothers me less, because even though I find it sad they just don't have convictions, the fact that they are out is great, and maybe they will mature. It just makes ex-jw's who are responsable, educated, etc, look bad. It frustrates me that my parents and any other JW's think that I will turn into a disease ridden prostitute just because I "don't have God", etc. and "look what happened to Jamie, now shes back and realised the error of her ways" or "that John kid is dead now because he left". It mirrors high school students, finally out of the house, and going to college who GO WILD because, all of a sudden, their parents are not around. I see that happens to some ex-jw's, that all of a suddent, they can do those "bad things". ooo
Now, before you guys think I am all self-rightious, I am not. Thats why I put quotation marks around the word "bad" because morality, ethics, etc, are all relative. We all have our own sets of morals. I am bi, I get told I am immoral a lot. Anyway, I feel that if your actions do not affect others in a negative way, thenits your choice. Obviously, OD'ing on Crack is not a great thing to do. Problem is, if 1 ex-jw does that, then we are all condenmed before we even do anything.
My question is: Does that behavior happen more often than normal, like how a newly independant teenager would act? Does the society just blow the "Ann left the religion and took drugs and got raped and then new the error of her ways and has repented and doesn't satan make things look so nice" bull crap? I certainly get a lot of it on my livejournal...*sigh* Do any of you run into an ex-jw that acts like that and does it piss you off?
Sometimes I just feel that they left the religion for the "wrong" reason if that is possible. Like, they should have left because maybe they didnt like women getting treated crappy, or that they feel the bible was getting translated all wrong, or that an elder molests girls and doesnt get in trouble, ANYTHING but "Oh I just wanted to watch rated R movies and bang billy on the football team and have fun". It just sounds irresponsible.
Whats everyones thoughts on this? I am not exactly decided myself, so most everything I said is not my hard-and-fast conclusions on the matter. Thanks.