Is it all downhill after leaving JW's?

by lynnmelo 70 Replies latest jw friends

  • Mysterious
    Mysterious

    I think perhaps your comment that people somehow need JW spiritual food to be true to god is untrue. There are certainly a number of very devout Christians on this board and others who remain unreligious but profess a strong personal relationship with God. However, quite a few of them do not feel they need to go around making a showy display of their faith the way many JWs do. Since a lot of the non believers are a more vocal majority here I can see where you might get the impression that no one here still believes in God. I would also submit that were you to go to another message board on the internet (save one dedicated to christianity) you would find essentially the same thing, this is not a feature unique to ex-JW boards by far. However, religion is often discussed here in more detail since we hold it as a common background.

    I think what you are also not giving credit to in the time you have been here are the people who have genuine concern for others. Unlike how JWs painted apostates to me as uncaring, uncompassionate individuals. And yes I agree there are extremes on both sides, but to say everyone is one extreme or another is also unreasonable.

    As for the thread of what is the most important thing in their life. I found that a lot of JWs would SAY that god was the most important thing but their actions revealed their true motivations. Again not saying this is true for every JW but it was certainly true for some. You have to remember also that boards like this do tend to draw more of the skeptic audience and can't be seen as a representative demographic of all JWs.

    As for the thread attempting to debunk the bible I see no real harm in that. If the bible is in fact true it should stand up to scrutiny. And if your faith is indeed strong it should withstand trials, right? What does it hurt to let someone else have their viewpoint as well? The problem I find is that these threads on the part of the christian boils down to you must have faith, faith by definition is unprovable and I therefore find it has no purpose in a scholarly debate. If scholarship is disturbing to you then perhaps you would be happier not reading those threads.

    I also think that a differentiation needs to be made between religion and god. One can have faith and belief and a personal relationship with god without embracing organized religion. And is it so hard to believe that those hurt and wronged by a religion would be cautious about jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire?

    So while I will grant you that some people are indeed bitter and resentful of the organization, not everyone deserves to be tarred with the same brush. And indeed some have a good reason for being the way they are given all the things that were cruelly done to them in the name of god and religion. Since this has apparently not been your experiences with the religion I can see how this might be somewhat hard to understand. I was told when I left the organization that that is where my true friends were. The true friends that since have not spoken to me. Whereas those horribly wordly people have been there to support me when my friends have all abandoned me. My worldy friends have given me emotional support and offered me their homes, my JW friends I am dead to. "Lord when did we see you hungry..naked..and imprisoned"

  • MerryMagdalene
    MerryMagdalene

    It's nice to see you are still here asking questions and offering your observations, lynnmelo, and haven't too quickly dismissed us. But I hope you are not missing the immense diversity found amongst the posters here, in regard to both our past experiences and our present outlook.

    For me, being raised a JW was a rather static experience, way too close to a state of spiritual "flatlining" for my comfort. I found their circular reasoning and argumentation disturbing, and their pre-programmed witnessing to be misguided and misguiding. It is my belief that "witnessing" should be inspired by genuine personal experience of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, not something manufactured and controlled by men.

    Oh, the short answer? No, it isn't all downhill...it's real life...ups and downs and plateaus...that we are free to share with each other without censorship.

    ~Merry

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5
    What gives? It seems as if what the JW's say is true, whether we want to admit it or not.

    Geez you say you're educated but you seem to spout alot of ignorant drivel. We have a very diverse crowd here. Some believe in God, some do not - it's all good. Personally I believe in God but I'm not hook on the bible being the absolute truth.

    Do some research for God's sake.

    Josie

  • outoftheorg
    outoftheorg


    No it is not all down hill. For most it is a travel into new and exciting experiences of freedom and TRUE love. However for many of the people who leave the jw's it is due to heart rending loss of family-marriage-relatives and friends. These losses were due to the cult attitude of excomunicating those who may only disagree with a teaching or those who were molested or had children who were molested and found the watchtower bible and tract society wanted these things concealed and hidden instead of taking positive action to protect their members. The rules regarding a persons sexual relations with their spouse, their rules about not using whole blood for transfusions and the loss of children and family. Then the myriad of new changes in these policies. AFTER the loss had occured, without so much as a ( I am sorrry ) from the headquaters or the elders, let alone a solid explanation of the new changes. I lost my marriage, my siblings, my friends and some of my children due to their insane rules. I was excomunicated because I was angry about my daughters molestation and the molesting elder was left in good standing. I was excomunicated due to " fits of anger ". is the "label" they put on me. By the time they had finished I was disgusted with religion and religious organizations. Yet some how you see me as being wrong and the jw's as an acceptable religious organization. You see my anger and distrust of religious ORGANIZATIONS as a reason to trust the very organization that did this to me? It took years to get over what they did to me and move on. If you wish to immerse your self in a group like that and turn your life over to them, may God help you. Outoftheorg

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    What's so bad about going downhill?

  • seven006
    seven006

    The JW’s are right if you choose to see it from their perspective. So are the Muslims, Jews, Mormons and the KKK. They all believe in god in their own way, just like the JW’s do. Which one is “more wrong? Is not believing in god the way the JW’s do less or more wrong than someone who does not believe in any kind of god at all? The JW’s think that anyone who does not believe in god the way they do is evil and wrong…or haven’t you got that far yet?


    So, are the Mormons, Muslims, Jews and the KKK less wrong or is it the total non-believer that is? Do you have an opinion about this on your own or do you need to ask the person studying with you? Do you still have some of your own opinions? If you do, hold on to them. They are frowned on in the religion you are trying to adjust your perspective to align with. It’s good to see you question things here. You won’t be able to do that much longer where you are headed. But that is entirely up to you. No one here will get angry if you choose to do what ever you choose to do. It’s still your choice right now.


    It’s all about interpretation and perspective.


    Take care,


    Dave

  • tetrapod.sapien
    tetrapod.sapien
    Is it all downhill after leaving JW's?

    downhill is way funner and easier than uphill. i take the chairlift up and have a drink from my wine skin, while the JWs walk to the top without any ski's.

    ya, it's all downhill. and it's really keen of you to be hip to that, dig? so many people on this freaking board just don't get it. you're a good girl. now run along back to your holy mountain of jah, and leave us alone down here in babylon, partying with the gates wide open.

  • freedomlover
    freedomlover
    you're a good girl. now run along back to your holy mountain of jah, and leave us alone down here in babylon, partying with the gates wide open.

    Oh BE-have Tetrapod! you don't want to scare any of your future recruits off now, do you? you never know, she could be the best party girl ever down in babylon!

  • SWALKER
    SWALKER

    Yes, it is straight downhill to finding out that 5 generations of JW's have been lied to in my case. If you don't want to find out the real truth, this is not the place for you. Everything is dissected into tiny particles and so your Truth better be just that or it won't hold up in the lab. After hearing all the arguments on God and faith, and you decide to still retain your beliefs, that is certainly your perrogative. Isn't that nice and so different from the WTS that forces you to believe the current teaching, even if it's not correct? I hope you take some time to look around and educate yourself, then choose what's best for you.

    Swalker

  • Bryan
    Bryan

    I agree with mrs.jones. Coasting down hill is quite fun!

    Why do you think we should all need a religion to be close to God?

    I do not believe in organized religion, but I am a very spiritual person. I believe in God and have a relationship with him/her.

    I really don't understand why you are judging us like this. Do you really know who any of us are and where we truly stand?

    Take care,

    Bryan

    Have You Seen My Mother

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