by raven 27 Replies latest jw experiences
I'm still occasionally sad/angry, usually about the many normal growing-up things I didn't get to experience (mostly of my own volition, because I was a dutiful "believer").
It actually makes me feel somewhat conflicted, since my parents met (and thusly I exist) as a result of doing JW missionary work.
Alcohol helps, though.
I realize many on this forum are born-in or raised-in and suffered and still suffering with family shunning and/or the bitter after-effects of no college or career.
I came in as a young adult and spent at least two decades of my best years in this stupid religion. I am a fifteen year "fader"....But, at least I held onto my job until retirement, so the damage from the religion was not as bad as it could have been.
I am pretty much content with my life and thought I got over most of the anger. That is, until I started looking at friends of friends lists on FB and saw profiles of some grown children of affluent JWs I knew. I got nauseous.
I realized why I was angry: these young people did not suffer in the JW religion and did not go through what I went through all those years ago. Do you think any of these spoiled kids could relate to a working single woman who was criticized and considered "not spiritual" for holding a full-time job?? Nope. None of them had this problem. Also, most of them were small or in infancy when the 1995 changed teaching on Generation came out. What would they know??
While I'm aware that everything is not always as it seems, the sad fact is that some Jehovah's Witnesses have a cushy life and are not aware of what is wrong with the religion. They have a great life there and are not going anywhere.
But, I'm glad I'm out at least. But, no more looking at JW Facebook profiles for me.
Sad and angry... "sangry"?
I felt happy and sad and angry.
I felt happy and saw some witnesses in service when I was leaving some twenty years ago and felt I wanted to stop and share with them the reason I was leaving but I knew they wouldn't get it so I didn't.
I felt sad that the end wasn't imminent and the fulfilment of Rev 21:4 wasn't soon.
I felt angry about the decisions I'd made based on false hope.
My moms pretty much the same...it's a pain that I don't think will ever go away cos it's just so unnatural. I feel ya pain.
To answer your question I am not sad or angry. Who should I blame the the G.B or the prisoners? Peoples excessive loyalty to an organisation? Who am I to judge anybody? So I try not blame or be angry, instead it's my life and the experience I realize made me who I am today. So it may sound absurd, but I try to be grateful for the experience, I hope making me better equipped to enjoy the rest of my life.
Are you sad or angry [at the WTS]?
I can get quite angry at the WTS from time to time, I must say.
The cult hasn't messed my life up as much as it has others, so I may not be as angry as others.
But, as Stanlivedeath said on another OP, what's the use staying angry?
If I stay angry at the WT for the rest of my life, it'll make me a sad person.
I am not sad and angry any more.
Juvenil ardor of discovery and jauntiness brought me to accept anything what the watchtower taught. However the bible studies and the family-like community in the sect matched my then interests.
Perhaps without influence of parallel society I would have studied at university, maybe, but after high school I didnt really have the interest to learn but began to work instead. It did not matter me that they talked about me when I began to change from full to parttime. This was rare for a man. Unfortunately I have not concentrated enough for my career but floated in pioneer phantasy. Nevertheless I accomplished to get later a new and more interesting fulltimejob in Customer Relations.
The people I met in the congreation and region were all civilized and courteous. Even when I travelled in other countries like e.g. Rome, Italy, I met fine families. So what relates the human side, I cant remember any bad experience for many years and I have good memories.
Except the sudden Gestapo like private visits at home after I began to miss the congregations and spying around in my room whether that I was ready to receive help or whether I was already to far away and perhaps on a wrong way. As well as the following phon calls for finding out my standpoint.
In the end everything turned out all right. Much water has flown down the Themes. I am free!!
