Do you have any 'holdover' beliefs? (page 2)

mrsjones5

I've come to believe that the jw religion is a very spiritless religion. No joy, all doom and gloom, very self-centered, us vs them, arrogent, haughtly, showing a lack of love for their fellow man, just down right evil.

Josie

Hellrider

You couldn`t eat pork or shellfish? Oh my God, what`s the point of being scared of God, then. No bacon, no hot dogs, no lobster, no shrimp, that`s hell right there, as far as I`m concerned. Left-over beliefs, not when I think about it logically, but emotionally, there`s a little Armageddon-troll deep down inside, and there always will be, for those of us that grew up in that crap. The childs mind is like a sponge, it sucks up everything it`s being told. When you`re told as a child again and again and again and again that God is going to massacre everyone on the earth that are not JWs, and also some JWs that haven`t behaved (so behave, son), that stuff never goes completely away. And for that reason, neither will my hatred and anger towards that fu##ing sect, either.

wanderlustguy

I still feel apprehensive about birthdays, etc. First Christmas will be this year...

GetBusyLiving

I don't believe any of it at all.. I go out of my way to engage in activities forbidden to Witnesses, even if I'm not all that interested in it. I'm dressed in a Santa Claus outfit right now. I kind of view it the same as getting over a phobia, like facing your fears.

GBL

DannyBloem

I consider myself a atheist but still:

Won't eat blood.

Won't salute a flag or anything like it. (well not too extreme in it)

Don't smoke sigarettes.

Still feel uneasy when I hear the name Jehovah

dorayakii

I've still not voted and i'm sure that i'd feel slightly uncomfortable doing it, because i don't trust politicians and it really disturbs me that my vote may bring them into power and allow them to go to war, as Blair did in Iraq... for the same reason i will never join the army of my free will and in my present conscience...

The thought of eating blood, for example in a sausage, still freaks me out, as i'm on the verge of becoming a vegetarien. So does the thought of having someone's ~~life force~~ blood injected into my veins... but then again so does having an immunisatory injection, its not necessarily the fear of the actual blood... visiting my dentist and having my tonsils taken out produce the same reaction in me.

I don't smoke because i hate the smell and can't stand the breath of people who do...

I still feel uneasy about seeing the Cross or any other christian symbols anywhere, as its still associated with the evil "whore of Babylon the Great" in my subconscious... but then again, as i lean more towards atheism, my distain for all organised religion causes me to class all religions and sects in this subconscious category.

I never have believed in demons even when i was mentally captive to the WT, and so seeing a film that features wizardry or spiritism never bothers me... although i'm a pacifist in real life, blood, gore and violence on screen doesn't bother me. However i am conscious that children may copy things seen on TV or in films, so i feel uneasy when i'm at the cinema watching such a film in an audience of young people.

I've celebrated a couple birthdays, eaten easter eggs, given money to trick-or-treaters on hallowe'en, and burnt a Guy on the 5th of November. I've also opened my door to carrol singers and listened to their beautiful voices (which i never even NOTICED as a dub). I've eaten a christmas meal, had an xmas party and done some xmas shopping all without any pangs of the old ~~bible-trained~~ WT-indoctrinated conscience.

I think i've come a long way and have a long way to go, but i think most of my "aversions" will remain with me not as lingering beliefs but for personal pacifistic and atheistic reasons (as well as being a uncommmited vegetarian in the case of eating blood and a downright scaredy-cat in the case of giving blood).

Purza

It has taken awhile to get past some of the hang ups I had as a JW. After I left I was petrified of demons and being bothered. (I was never both ered).

The first year I said no to a christmas tree, but yes to the lights on the outside of my house. The second year we had the tree and no guilt.

I have registered to vote and that was empowering.

I do birthdays, but I cannot sing Happy B-Day OR any patriotic songs. . . yet. I know one day I will move past that hang up too.

As time passes things are getting easier, but the brainwashing/cult mentality is very strong.

Purza

9thWonder

I have been df'd for over 4 years now, and I haven't celebrated a birthday yet (well, not really), but this year I am going to force myself to celebrate my son's 8th birthday with a big party that will cost me a lot of money. I give gifts on Xmas to my significant other, but I don't think I'll really get into that unless I get married and have more children and my husband insists. I can't see myself going to the polls to vote (for reasons other than what was taught as a JW). Doubt that I'll ever celebrate Easter or Halloween, but I do want to celebrate Mother's Day and if I ever get married and have another child, I'll celebrate Father's Day as well. I started attending church with my boyfriend, but the first time I went I thought I was going to vomit because I had the creepy feeling that everyone in that building was evil and ignorant. I haven't been searching very long...probably just about a month now, but I really want to feel comfortable and I want my son to feel comfortable about celebrating his birthday this year. So I'm kicking my research into high gear. Thank goodness for the internet because I would have never gone to the library or the bookstore to find any of this information.

Lilycurly

Like someone already said, I'm trying to eliminate each and everyone of these beleives, one by one. Like one would do with phobias.

I have great fun preparing and celebrating every Holiday, even researching and giving special emphasis on the pagan roots of most of them. What fun!

I also love wearing "pagan" jewellery, be it crosses, anke, pentagrams, moon, godesses, angels. I collect them, and love to wear them around to show that I am completly dissociated from this group. This also goes for decoration around the house. I have many statues of different beleives. Like a Bastet cat-goddess statue and Chiromancy hand with all the lines written on it. I love when my JW father comes to visit...lol

I tried smoking pot just for the hell of it, but I just don't like getting smoke in me, so it's my choice, not just something imposed.

I love reading everything and learning anything I choose to. I have absolutely no regret about it.

Heck, I can even watch porn without feeling guilty.

The ONE thing that clung with me, like many of us said...is of course "Harmageddon". I'm working on getting rid of this one, but it's the hardest. At least, I figured that if it ever was going to happen, I'd rather be dead anyway then live on forever with those freaking Jws...What a horrible prospect.

Honesty

I also was raised in the WWCoG and all of my brothers except one, my mom and my only sister are slaves to the memory of HW Armstrong. I became a JW at 36 and for 15 years was a slave to the WatchTower Society. When I found out the truth of the WT lie I exited the organisation in a dramatic manner (Little Toe is the title-holder of the most dramatic dub exit and unless a CO or DO tops it at a JW assembly he will remain the champion). When I realised that most of their doctrines are satanic inspired I decided to research the early church. I now celebrate Christmas several times a year, participate in the Lord's Supper/Seder Supper celebration, vote, donate to charities and other activities frowned upon by the JW cult.

Another example of this was that the WCG actually lead to me being atheist, they taught that christmas was wrong and pagan just as JWs do, so once I was kicked out, there were very few religions I felt I could turn to.

You don't have to turn to a religion. Turn to Christ and let Him into your heart (another WT lie that He doesn't enter people's hearts). There you will find joy no matter what your circumstances. Peace no matter what trials you are enduring. And realisation of Jesus' parousia in your every day life.
The WWCoG and the WTBTS/JW cults deny people the love of Christ and if a person becomes an athiest the cults win because they have accomplished their satanic purpose of keeping you from knowing Him and His father.

Do you have any 'holdover' beliefs?

Share this