@ Vidiot:
I have asked this. All she states is, "I know this is the truth..." and ends with something that sounds lame enough for me to not remember, so we are at a stalemate.
Ayola
JoinedPosts by Ayola
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38
Who can you trust to admit you have doubts?
by MrMonroe in(that is, doubts).
in margaret atwood's "the handmaid's tale", a futuristic story of life inside a repressive, abusive big brother-style society tightly controlled by religious fundamentalists, there's a passage in which the protagonist is alone with another woman at a state-controlled centre where prayers are generated -- then printed out and read out -- by a machine.
the other woman asks, in barely more than a whisper, "do you think god listens to these machines?
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38
Who can you trust to admit you have doubts?
by MrMonroe in(that is, doubts).
in margaret atwood's "the handmaid's tale", a futuristic story of life inside a repressive, abusive big brother-style society tightly controlled by religious fundamentalists, there's a passage in which the protagonist is alone with another woman at a state-controlled centre where prayers are generated -- then printed out and read out -- by a machine.
the other woman asks, in barely more than a whisper, "do you think god listens to these machines?
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Ayola
Outside the Org/"worldly" people? I admitted my doubts to them, and they could not wait until I left for good (some had been waiting for years, including my siblings).
In the Org/congregation that I was in? No one. The few people I did tell (my mother & aunt, the only JWs in my family, as well as an unbaptized publisher), have had varying reactions:
*Mother (inactive due to sickness): she can't believe I "betrayed" Jehovah and my dedication. Because we live in the same household, we do get into arguments on what I know of TTATT, periodically. She can counter me with anything that has been brought up ("every religion has their issues, JWs are no different," has been the summation of most arguments), except for the Australian Royal Commission. She remains close lipped about it, even when presented with evidence from YouTube. "Presumptuous" indeed. She still phones in for the meetings because I no longer drive her there. No one from the congregation calls her or comes by to see how she's doing...nothing (it's not a secret that I take care of her as well, so that's another reason why they're not coming by). It isn't lost on either of us, we see it, but she still "believes."
*Aunt (good standing in her congregation, but has very few, if any, "friends"): I remember her completely understanding where I was coming from when I explained TTATT, and the ARC; she even voiced her doubts to me. The cognitive dissonance came in full force when she shunned me, even before I disassociated. She told my mother that if I were at (my parent's house), I'd be better off in my room when she came to visit. I told my mother that she should not come at all until I move out; she was not going to make me feel uncomfortable in a house where I am paying the bills. Once my father got wind of it, he banned her (and her family) from even coming around any of us. That sordid tale will be told another day...
*My Unbaptized Publisher Friend (single mother, apparently "marked" for hanging with me): She doesn't care if I left, just as long as I'm happy (she does know about TTATT from her siblings too). I think she's in it due to family obligations for her ailing JW mother (as a live-in caretaker) and relatives. I remain respectful of her wishes, and keep our friendship toned down. I only contact her every once in a while, just to let her know that I'm living (and no longer depressed). She is the only person that was, and has, kept my doubts a secret.