Are we victims of abuse? Should we even think of ourselves that way?

by nicolaou 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  nicolaou

  Abuse is such a serious word and I'd hate to use it lightly so if anyone reading this has suffered physical or sexual abuse please know that I absolutely do not equate religious abuse with your suffering.

  That being said, many of us were lied to and manipulated for decades. This cultic 'abuse' has borne fruit in shattered relationships, broken families and estranged children.

  How many of us were mindfucked to the point where we actually believed we'd live forever - or throw our children's lives away for a unit of plasma or a syringe full of platelets?

  Even our finances have been affected if we took decisions based on a fast approaching 'end of the system'. How are your retirement plans looking?

  I don't know. Abuse? What do you think?
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  flipper

  Hell yes we were all abused as JW's. Those who don't want to admit that- are sticking their heads in the sand and lying to themselves - farting in denial.

  We were coerced to believe we would " live forever " which is a lie ( check obituaries and Ancestry.com - no one has EVER lived forever- everybody dies. )

  So emotionally we were lied to as " eternal life " was held as a carrot in front of us to manipulate us to believe the OTHER BS doctrines the WT Society taught. And if we disagreed or doubted we were to be looked down upon, cut off from associating with other JW's who believed the lies. That's mental and emotional abuse.

  If THAT wasn't enough a good number of us were either physically abused by being murdered by the WT Society for not taking life saving blood transfusions because we followed their orders , being sexually molested by elders yet it wasn't reported to police authorities, or in the case of JW's in Malawi being murdered for not buying a 25 cent political party card following orders from WT Society leaders. Not to mention thousands of suicides due to the shunning policy of the WT Society. So physical abuse is rampant in the WT Society.

  WT Society is a criminal organization which is guilty of crimes against mankind in a mental, emotional, and physical manner in which they've duped millions of JW's into trusting them to deliver them peace and life eternal. WT Society has delivered nothing but pain, shattered dreams, illusions, divided families, and death all for the sake of keeping a money grubbing organization alive that masquerades as a religion. Clear enough picture ? Peace out, Mr. Flipper
  
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  freemindfade

  It is an abusive organization, once we wake up though, I prefer to see myself as survivor instead of victim.
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  Dagney

  When you are not free to make your own choices for your own life, it is abuse IMHO. When you can't to college, play a sport, pursue a talent...that's abuse. When you are threatened with losing all you have ever known because you have questions, it's abuse.

  Like fmf says, I know we are survivors.

  And to be very honest, I could have left earlier. It would have been hard...but I could have done it. The thing is, I didn't think I could have done it so there I wasted 30+ more years. I had fear of losing what I now have lost. But you survive and I would have survived...and had a college education. LOL.
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  flipper

  FREEMINDFADE- Exactly, we are all survivors. Very true. JW life gave us lemons- so after exiting we make kick -ass lemonade ! LOL
  
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  OUTLAW

  many of us were lied to and manipulated for decades. This cultic 'abuse' has borne fruit in shattered relationships, broken families and estranged children.

  How many of us were mindfucked to the point where we actually believed we'd live forever - or throw our children's lives away for a unit of plasma or a syringe full of platelets?

  I don't know. Abuse? What do you think?.....nicolaou

  It Absolutely was Abuse..

  ..........................................
  

  ..
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  Tallon

  It is an abusive organization, once we wake up though, I prefer to see myself as survivor instead of victim .... freemindfade

  
  

  Couldn't agree more ^^^^ We are survivors.
  
  
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  rebelfighter

  Never a JW.

  Freemindfade, survivor is a much better term. I am a survivor of both child abuse (physical and emotional ) and spouse abuse.

  Flipper has covered a huge amount of the abuse in the organization but there is still the emotional abuse of the children. Those Caleb and Sofia videos and the children books that pale.emperor was discussing on another thread with those horrible graphics along with meeting agendas with no concept of age appropriate material.

  Then you get into a JC with 3 men and 1 woman or a child asking totally inappropriate questions.

  YES, all of this is outright abuse. If it wasn't a religion it would be criminal abuse.
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  Xanthippe

  There were times I felt I was being tortured. I read about a type of torture where you are forced to say something that you don't believe is true, then when you have given in and agree to say it they slam you against the wall and say no that's wrong.

  Whatever I did, pioneered, supported my husband as a MS than an elder, helped people in our book study group, it was never enough. I would go to the meeting, listen to the talks and feel that I was crap, useless. Do more, then when you do, you're not doing enough, you're doing it for the wrong motive, you're not humble enough, you are acting as if you are a good person but you don't really love God........

  But acknowledging we were victims doesn't mean letting it ruin our lives. It should be the beginning of healing not something we wallow in for the rest of our lives.
  
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  StarTrekAngel

  I believed you had already answered your own question. Survivor, victim... I personally don't believe you can choose. You have to be a victim in order to be a survivor.