by Room 215 43 Replies latest watchtower bible
jp1692: It's very, very sad. I keep trying to reach out, but get no response. One of my children had blocked my phone number. When I tried contacting him with an app that hid my number, he changed his phone number. That's the one that lives 2 blocks from me.
I welled-up inside with mixed emotions when I read the above. May God-Speed my friend...my fellow sufferer!
Thank you for that, JWGB.
People who have never been in a cult may try to understand the pain that results from the destruction of family bonds, but—try as they might—they just can't.
Your words of empathy are comforting.
Again, thanks!
jp
A persons mind, once expanded, cannot return to its original dimensions.
You can't un-ring a bell or unlearn ttatt?
I was an elder for 2+ decades also and really had to force myself to give meeting parts and public talks and go on sheep herding calls over the last 7-8 years. I still go occasionally on Sunday for the sake of my pimi wife so I guess I'm not considered a full blown 'inactive'. Haven't been in fs for about 7-8 years and not one sheep herding call from the "concerned, loving" elders!
just saying!
The Society needs followers to build themselves up.
I too truly feel for you jp1692 and I`m sure there are many more suffering just like you.Thankfully all my immediate family are all out with only one niece and her young family still in.
Take care my friend , as you say its a cult that destroys families.
A pox on them.
My totally committed wife and I saw some of the study on zoom last Sunday, and barfed at the sheer hypocrisy of the elders spouting words about shepherding and care for the inactive.
She has had zero interest from them during lockdown and they have never shown the slightest interest in me. ( suits me fine)
It is easier to bring back those who were once in. The cult gets it talons in deep. People go years after leaving wondering if they were wrong in leaving. Then you throw in the Whuan Virus and unrest and their mind goes immediately to the prophesy by the society about the end times unrest and disease. I remember when the wall came down in Germany and the USSR collapsed. People were running around in the organization saying in 5 years. That was 1992. 26 years ago. It always reminded me of the men in black movie where Agent J says there is always an end of the world situation going on. So its not hard to keep people on edge. But then prophesy fails with things like the generation. Ho long can you say from this point then move the field goal posts? Some will buy the sale even when they deep down know its false. Sad really
I can relate to the after care many were given after they left. I kind of puzzles me really, and to this day, I’m baffled as to weather I should take it as a blessing or an insult. I was in the org for 4 decades from birth. Never missed a month of FS or a meeting. After learning TTATT I just walked out the door, and wisely never stated my reasons for doing so. Never had one person bother to follow up where I had gone. Although I really didn’t want to see them as it saved all the drama. I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at their lack of concern.
I’ve also got an aged Aunt who lived and breathed the religion. Husband was a elder right up to the day he died. Pioneered for decades, and was at the heart of the cong. She now sits in a rest home largely forgotten. I queried the facility about who visits her and was told that it’s slim pickings.
What I find most puzzling is how they can spend hours, in a very unpleasant situation, knocking on random doors and yet give so little attention to existing membership. I can’t believe how easily it was for me to slip through the net, and in some ways I’m very thankful. I was at a marketing course, a while back, and I remember been told it takes 10 times the effort and money to find a new customer than what it takes to keep an existing one happy and returning. I think WT could learn from this.
