Liberal Equals Ex-JW

by patio34 51 Replies latest jw friends

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  Rabbit

  In the 70s, many converts to JW-dom were influenced by the anti-establishment philosophy and anti-Viet Nam war. Because the JWs said all governments are wicked, etc. Had I been a conservative type, that wouldn't have appealed to a patriotic, right-wing type.

  I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I think many of your ideas hold water with myself and others here. My Dad is ultra-conservative, racist views and was x-Navy. I was turned off to all those things and gravitated towards my Mom's JW religion. To ME, they seemed liberal in those views. The other was I was very much concerned about the rape of our environment. I began studying about the "Paradise Earth," and I was hooked.

  Now... I see I had gotten into an Org. that was in reality very conservative in some ways, especially social issues. I now look at things, i.e. sexual, gay or lesbian marriages and relations, political issues and such, I am very liberal in what I think are personal choices and none of my business.

  On Religion: I still believe in a God named Jehovah, but not the way the JW's do and not necessarily think the Bible is literal. However, organized religion of any kind (to me) constitutes the greatest threat to mankind. In THAT I am totally disgusted.

  Independent Attitude among JW's: I think that may be true, too (outside of WTS). We DID have to literally stand up against the world. I wonder if a large percentage of X-JW's are even MORE independent I was always told THAT was one of my problems -- that I was not conforming well in the JW's .

  On Politics: Dispite George Bush's mistakes or questionable actions -- I believe in time of war, he is the one I would want leading this country...we have too much to lose. Bush won't back down from terrorism, I would be afraid if Gore was at the helm. However, if there was no war going on...I would resort back to my environmental roots...and vote for Ralph Nader !

  Suggestion: Perhaps you can think of a way to poll us on these various ideas? It would be interesting to see how that turns out. There may be clues in there as to why we were able to leave.

  Lee
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  Phantom Stranger

  It's interesting that the WTS appeals to those that would like the world to be better... and then the WTS tells them that they as individuals are powerless to effect a better world.

  I suspect that those who leave and beleive that they can make a positive impact tend to be liberal...and those that think that all we can do is foul things up are conservatie. Or maybe not...
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  czarofmischief

  I'm a right winger, which is a result of my political awakening on this board.

  I guess I've always viewed government with suspicion, so anything that tends to take power away from them and put it into my hands is a good thing. Like the end of the assault weapons ban. I admit, I'm a one-issue voter in times of peace: gun control and the removal thereof. And the Democrats, especially under Clinton, were big time gun seizers.

  But on other issues I am "liberal" like the drug war, which I oppose and view as a waste of time and money. I enjoy the occasional toke, etc, and view with resentment the social programs that attempt to modify a basic human activity: getting f'ed up.

  In terms of the Iraq thing, well, I guess we all know where I stand. And I still declare that the war accomplished something good - the interim charter is a massive step forward. So the actual reality of the situation is somewhere left of me and right of (others on this board). There, I just admitted I was ever so slightly wrong. Hack, cough, spit...

  But the libertarians are totally against ALL social welfare programs, which is just silly in my view.

  I dunno where I am. Definitely a swing voter - and am mad as a badger with a chili paste enema over the whole gay marriage amendment thing.

  CZAR
• 

  Phantom Stranger

  "a badger with a chili paste enema"?

  Is that a Pennsyvanian folk saying?

  ROFL!
• 

  Cognitive Dissonance

  I gotta say something in response to gitasatsangha's reply, since we both came out of the mess together and he sort of took the left road while I took the right ('And I'll be in Scotland before ye'). The notion that those who still think they can change the world go left while those who don't go right is born of an inherent (and almost universal) bias toward our own respective choice. I mean, if I had been the one to post it, I might have tried to say something exactly the opposite. We Americans tend to have trouble seeing across the lines, not because one group is good and the other evil (though we're inclined to believe it), but because our inherent presuppositions about good and evil differ. So it's deplorably easy for me, a card-carrying conservative, to fall into an assumption that liberals are nasty, evil people. But it's just not true. And for you on the other side of the fence, the opposite isn't true, either. In the end, the majority of us are trying to find our own path toward making the world a better place, or at least being able to look ourselves in the mirror at night. And step one is: we gotta stop despising the other team.

  And hey, I ain't Mother Theresa, but at least I don't fear the mirror anymore.
• 

  Badger

  mad as a badger
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  gitasatsangha

  No Cog, It's just my overwhelming belief that I'm better then everybody, it waxes and wanes
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  L_A_Big_Dawg

  Let me speak from personal experience. In the congregation that I grew-up in in northern New Mexico (this was also the early 70's) we had a great infusion of the "counter-cultural" types. There was a large hippie commune that produced four families that became JWs. Why I don't know the specific reasons why they became witnesses, I believe that the communal element (sharing, brotherhood, etc.) of the "Paradise" was something that they spoke about with my father (my father being the PO & WT study conductor in that cong.). IMO, I believe the real reason was a chance for these people to drop out of establishment by belonging to a fringe religion, yet still take on some cultural norms (home, business, family, etc.) All four of these families developed very succesful business (floor finishing, construction, recreation park, and the obligitory janitorial service).

  What is interesting, is that of those four families, none of their children are in the "truth", and the ones that I consider close friends hold "conservative" political values. Many of them feel that the idealism of their parents caused them to join. They (the children) believe that the "flower child" idealism of their parents had turned out to by an empty journey. They lost that idealism, and were searching for something else. However, having rejected "cultural Christianity" they wouldn't open themselves to the claims of Christianity.

  Just my musings. I would love to continue this thread.
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  Pork Chop

  Maybe it's an IQ thing, the preponderance of Witnesses aren't that bright, so percentage wise the preponderance of Xs ought to be liberals. Sounds logical to me.
• 

  L_A_Big_Dawg

  Pork Chop,

  That's a funny statement.