by heff 25 Replies latest jw friends
((((((((((((((heff))))))))))))))Hi and welcome! Tina
Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny...."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense,you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."
Welcome to Heff and all the others on this thread that I have missed. I too was raised a witness and knew no other way of life. Amazing how much joy you can find when you get out!!! Everybody, whatever stage you are in, keep your chin up!
TW
Hi again Heff and everyone:
I've already said my welcome but wanted to add one more thought.
One of the biggest helps I've experienced here is realizing how many others grew up feeling the same as I did. It still amazes me every day I read peoples thoughts and memories here.
So many of us have grown up thinking we were different from other "good" JWs, were unworthy for our less-than-perfect spirituality or for our doubts. We felt forced to "enjoy" service, to "feel the maturity" of baptism, and to "want" to go to all the meetings and study.
We were supposed to feel sorry for the poor unbelievers who were angering God by celebrating all those pagan holidays and not feel left out and there's still so much more we were supposed to do or feel. Most of us felt the guilt of not living up to those expectations that we thought everyone else did, or we saw the hypocrisy of so many that showed in their "do as I say, not as I do" policy.
I carried my feelings of unworthiness for my doubts and imperfections for so many years until recently when I first read Ray Franz's first book 'Crisis of Conscience'. They effect that had was shock to say the least and I had to read it in spurts between getting up and pacing and crying. My whole picture-perfect world of the WTS was suddenly dirty.
Here we find many others who experienced similar eye-openers and what a help it is to be able to discuss it and contribute.
Just wanted to add my appreciation for all the growing I've been helped to do just in the last 2 months.
Had Enough
Welcome, Heff.
I am sorry for your suffering and am glad you found this board. It is truly a place where one can let down one's hair and FREELY speak about the hurts and doubts and regrets and present JOYS!
Your point about the presents struck a chord here, too. I WAS the JW Mom and although I gave my kids one or two psuedo-birthday parties (on carefully chosen dates, NOT near anyone's birthday), hosted get-togethers in our home when my husband was away golfing, and bought them gifts from time to time, rarely did I bother to wrap them and make the gifts something truly special with a card or a note. (Thank heavens my kids did have the joy of Christmas and birthdays because my unbelieving husband insisted on celebrating those.... otherwise the guilt would be very hard to take now.)
I wish you freedom from doubt and fear and healing.
outnfree
Hi heff and welcome...
You'll find it a generally nice place to pop in and out of at your pleasure.
Yours dig
Ordinary people just like you and me...
We're the keepers of our destiny...
I said my welcome too but I forgot to tell you about the donuts and the coffee. Krispy Kremes too!
My name is Slipnslideius Masterus: commander of the armies of the North, general of the Felix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius...
