This forum...Is it really healthy........??

by ScoobySnax 38 Replies latest jw friends

  • ScoobySnax
    ScoobySnax

    ....I mean is it really healthy to be posting on this forum if you still hold pro-jw views? Is it really healthy to keep posting even though you may be anti-jw? ..... when does the crunch come to think enough is enough, I need to get a grip and move on with my life as a JW or exJW? , when do you think the time is ripe to move on with your life?

    I mean no disrespect in my question, its a genuine enquiry. There are some fantastic people here, I've felt their love, as I have from so many Witnesses.......there are also some stinkers here too (lol) IMHO. When does the healing begin, when does the return or rebuilding begin? When do you make the jump to be or not to be, and how do you know when that is?

    A very pensive-Scoob

  • ScoobySnax
    ScoobySnax

    In a quick turn around retrospect, I should have entitled this thread "Indecision...Is it really healthy"..?? No disrespect to Simon and his efforts intended. I realise this forum serves a purpose for so many people who may be hurting. My original question remains however.

  • talesin
    talesin

    Scooby

    I think it's very healthy to take one's time when making a life-altering decision.

    This forum seems to be a good place to explore issues and get a dose of the 'real' world whilst making up one's mind. It's also good to know that one is not alone in the process, and JWD provides lotsa support in that way.

    ... imho

    tal

  • gypsywildone
    gypsywildone

    I have been acquainted with people on the web that use it to avoid real life. Some people cling to their phobias, as if it's part of their persona or something. Having a board of support 24/7 that will tell a person "there, there" every time they have a fear or bad experience is no substitute for real life. I think everyone should figure out who they really are & what they are interested in, & pursue it. Take classes, get a job, join a gym, volenteer, get some hobbies, read some books, learn how to navigate in the "real world". This cyber world is not the real world. It can get like a security blanket, a comfort zone. I believe there comes a time when it is holding some of us back.

    Then there are just lazy, terminal time wasters that communicate thorough nothing but forwards, tired old jokes we have all seen a hundred times, rediculous urban legends, sappy poems about non-existant dead kids, and the like. Do they really think we haven't seen this crap a million times? They sit there, letting life go by. They miss all the weather, changes of seasons, fresh air & beauty there is to enjoy. They miss the ocean in their face & the roller coaster rides & the beauty of the moonlit night.

    Not to mention the "isms" Christians, anti-governmentists, athiests, anyone obsessing about a certain belief or topic & repeatedly firing off SPAM trying to convert others to their dogma. What a bore!

    Everyone, get out & enjoy life to the fullest!

  • Dawn
    Dawn

    Hey Scooby. Very good question - I struggled with the same indecision a few years back. I think talesin is correct in that this place is good for exploring ideas and for research. But as with anything in life, too much is not good for you. This forum is a tool - but don't forget about the other tools that are available to help you make a decision. I found that I made more progress when I stopped trying to decide of the JW's were wrong or right and just started to read the bible.

    Also - it's important that you just let it ALL go sometimes and enjoy your life. Get away from it for a few days - go golfing, or to a movie, out with friends, etc. God gave us life with the intention that we LIVE it and ENJOY it - Jesus said he came so that they might have life and have it IN ABUNDANCE. If you're not feeling life in abundance then the pressure that is holding you back is not from God. So pray to him and ask him to reveal to you where that pressure is coming from.

    Scooby - I dont' personally believe that you must be a JW to be saved - I also don't believe that you can't be saved if you are a JW - I believe that Jesus meant exactly what he said - noone comes to the father except through me. People can accept Jesus as their savior and mediator regardless of what religious denomination they are in. Religious denominations are man made - and the problem with many of them is that they can hold a person to a rigid set of rules that sucks life out of them rather than filling them with abundant life. Some denominations are fairly harmless, others can cause a lot of harm. But religious denomination will not save you. I know a lot of Catholics, Mormons, and JW's will argue that issue - but until they can prove it using the bible I stand by what I have read from God's word.

    So Scooby - take your time, don't let anyone push you in or out of the organization - it is your own choice. Just remember that God is separate from religion - you can toss your religion without tossing God.

  • WildHorses
    WildHorses

    Scooby, I believe the forum is something different for each individual. It depends on where a person is in his/her life as a jw or having been one.

    When I first came to the internet, the forums were a place of learning. After that, it became a place of comfort, knowing that I wasn't alone. Now, it is a place I come for the occasional laugh at something funny that a fellow poster has posted.

    As for it being healthy. I think learning the truth about something we were decieved about is very healthy. At least it has helped me. I always felt bad about myself as a jw. Like I was worthless. Now I know I am normal.

    And besides, we aren't forcing it upon the people who visit the forum. It is just made available for them if they wish to know the truth.

    Now, getting off the topic. I read that you may not be around much longer. If that happens, I want you to know that I will miss you alot. You have mellowed a bit since you first came here and I've come to like you. So, if you do go, please keep in touch. You can always pm me for my e-mail addy.

    Shari

  • Joker10
    Joker10

    NO

  • talesin
    talesin

    Dawn

    Not to go off-topic, but what a great post.

    I particularly liked your last paragraph, and I think it bears repeating ...

    So Scooby - take your time, don't let anyone push you in or out of the organization - it is your own choice. Just remember that God is separate from religion - you can toss your religion without tossing God.

    I'm not Christian myself, but your words hit home.

    thanks

    t

  • Dawn
    Dawn

    aw.......thanks

  • Undecided
    Undecided

    Hi Scooby,

    when do you think the time is ripe to move on with your life?

    I think that is a personal question we each will have to answer according to our circumstances and mental and emotional developement. I don't know whether I will ever feel comfortable with my understanding of life and spiritual developement. I have decided on some things in life but there are many things that I question and wonder about. I have about come to the conclusion that the bible is just a collection of tales from delusional men, that God hasn't revealed anything of his nature directly to mankind and we are left with our own ideas which are unprovable. I would like to have a relationship with the creator but I don't think he is interested in me whatsoever.

    Ken P.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit