Something I realised today......

by ozziepost 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  ozziepost

  Mrs Ozzie and I were at Koorong bookshop today; we hadn't been in a while and Mrs Ozzie wanted to get a particular book as a birthday gift for a friend.

  Koorong bookshops are religious bookstores here downunder and supply heaps of good theological books, bibles, recordings and the like. When we were making our first steps along the road to freedom out of the borg, we were regular visitors to Koorong and built up quite a library from the books we bought there.

  Like I said, we haven't been in perhaps a year and we mooched around a bit. I made my way to the books on cults and other religions. In times past I'd pored over books in the section on the dubs. I picked up some volumes this visit, glanced through them, read some pages of books that we didn't have in our library and Mrs Ozzie joined me with the question, "Buying that one?"

  "No," I replied, "I just can't get enthused enough to want to spend the time reading it."

  It's then that I realised that after seven long and arduous at times years away from the KH, it really has nothing to offer, not even concerning myself with what they're up to these days. I determined long ago that it's an evil empire, sacreligious in the extreme, Christ defaming, as well as abusers of people and little children.

  Quite often we're asked to visit groups and churches to give workshops on handling the dub at the door and we're happy to do that but really our lives now are so fulfilled both spiritually and otherwise that proving or disproving the WT's teachings has lost its lustre.

  As they say, we've "moved on".
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  LittleToe

  I came to that stark realisation about two months ago.

  I was busy with work and preparing for exams and struggling to find time to post here. It dawned on me that while I enjoy the social banter, especially with a number of posters whom I have become quite fond of, the only real reason that I post is in the vain hope that it might help a newbie or lurker.

  Yesterday I was posting about the "seven gentile times" with a fellow Scot, but frankly found it so boring that I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to argue through the minutea. Perhaps it's just post-exam blues
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  carla

  Good for you & the Mrs.! But if you still can find time once and awhile to inform others it would be so helpful to the non jw world. I could hardly find any ministers that knew anything about the doctrines of jw. It was so frustrating them telling me all I needed to know was in the Bible. I still needed someone who knew both. The Bible and jw doctrine and way of life. The churches are so unprepared for this cult. So thanks for taking the time to inform others.
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  ozziepost

  It dawned on me that while I enjoy the social banter, especially with a number of posters whom I have become quite fond of

  Yep, i know what you mean, Ross! I really enjoy seeing your name and old Grumbles on the graveyard shift (well, it's the early hours here!)
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  Lady Lee

  I posted something similar to this yesterday.

  The doctrines of the WTS are far less important now than they were in the past. I believe it is important to look at those beliefs because they form a root of how we have identified ourselves.

  But I think that more people are leaving the WTS now due to how they treat people, the strong control they have over the R&F. People are tired of being told they are the most lovable people on earth. Especially when they see the enormous lack of love and concern in the congregations. The chains on their ankles are dragging them down. People are no longer getting their needs met within the organization. This might possibly explain why so many young ones are leaving.

  When I look at those who are posting here, elders, Bethelites, etc people who have a slightly different perspective on the WTS than the average JW, they seem disillusuioned with the whole thing. I suspect many are just burnt out from all the "do more, do more" speeches.

  Now I've never been into the whole doctrine stuff so maybe my perspective is totally off. But looking at the newbies on the board makes me think I might at least be on the right track.

  Another thought. - it is
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  mrsjones5

  As they say, we've "moved on".

  Don't it feel good!
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  misanthropic

  That's wonderful Ozzie! I went in the other direction dealing with not being a witness any longer. Instead of wanting to read out of interest or to help others get out, I find it hard to have anything to do with any of it or even to talk about it. Although I have been pretty much "out" for 10 years, I don't care about debating it with anyone or even discussing it. Instead any and all publications from the WTBTS and even talking about their teachings makes me feel physically sick. I know it's odd, but I think maybe it's just because of having it all shoved down my throat growing up. I know I will have moved on, when I get to the point where I'm indifferent to it all and it doesn't bother me so much.
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  AlmostAtheist

  As they say, we've "moved on".

  Congrats! I can't say I'm really there. It's still on my mind, I still want to write things and expose things. I thought I was over it, but I'm not.

  So I'll contribute my fire while I have it, and when it settles down, I'll move on too. Undoubtedly there will be legions coming behind me, as they did you, and more after them, to take up the banner, "You're not alone! Come on out, the water's fine!"

  Dave
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  MsMcDucket

  Ozzie, it would be interesting to know what your first post (#1) was about. You're over 11000, now. That's a lot of sharing and caring. It must have been a humongous (Sp?) struggle to get from here to there. I wish that I had researched the dubs when I left 18 years ago. I could have prevented a lot of bad things from happening in my life.
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  Country Girl

  As did you Ozzie and Little Toe, I've come to the realization that it's a false religion, and nothing I can say or do is going to change it. I've also given up on "realzing" it. Nothing I say or do is going to change the past, and it just gets old to me to constantly try to change it. I am a Christian now, which means that I have given over my life to Christ, and all the past is the past. I have become a new person, and am building on that. I come here alot to read the new people's posts, and if I can help them, I will, and can, but most of allI don't come here very much any more.

  CG