how many of you are parents of adult children who still follow the wt and think you are misled?

by sowhatnow 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  sowhatnow

  what have you done so far as to convince them they are misled? what has worked for you.
  

  it is inconceivable to me, that if my mother or father showed me proof of why the wt org is false, that i wouldn't take them seriously, after all they are older and should know better, but it seems there are some of you who have the opposite outcome, where your children think you are misled and senile, and grandparents are surely labeled as senile.
  

  one would reason then, if this were truly the case, that you are 'senile' or demented, then wouldn't that be taken into consideration when having loving contact with your parents? were to respect our parents, right?

  comment?
  
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  DesirousOfChange

  Our kids knew TTATT before we accepted it.

  Smart kids.

  Doc
  
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  millie210

  Im in the same boat. My adult son is showing me the way.

  Seeing the abominable way he was treated by elders has helped a lot too.
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  Simon

  I think children leaving first is the more common scenario but I can imagine it would be incredibly painful to wake up to the truth about the Watchtower and leave as a parent but see your children still following the religion that you brought them up in.
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  StarTrekAngel

  Very true Simon. Just as painful or even more so, is to watch your children being indoctrinated in front of your very eyes and not be able to do as much as you wish you could. This has many times brought me to the question... is it ok for one respect your relatives wish, specially your wife, to continue on this belief and think its her choice? If you truly love her, isn't it your duty to keep her from what you perceive as harm?
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  Bungi Bill

  I suspect that my two daughters still regard me as misled - but not quite as misled as they once thought I was. The elder one never did adhere to the WTS's more extreme demands about shunning, while in more recent times, the younger of my two daughters has also shown herself to no longer be bound by such extremism. Both my wife and I still entertain hopes that the penny will finally drop!

  Bill.
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  Heidsieck

  My son, 35 is an elder in a congo about 30mil away. I have not seen or talked with him in almost 3yrs. My husband calls him every few months just to check in. He will chat, small talk for about 10mins and then he has to go. He always says "tell mom I love her" but never asks to speak.

  When we first left we had a handful of intense talks on TTAT but he always referred back to his love for Jah, faith and love among the brotherhood. He also brings up "but you taught this to me" and it does hurt. His wife never liked me so this is good excuse not to see me. He is on the RBC so very involved in the "exciting" building work. They travel to the International conventions and very social Jdub life.

  I believe many if not most Jdub are in it only for the social connections. It is just too hard to leave those relationships.
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  flipper

  SOWHATNOW- I have two JW daughters who are aged 28 and 26 respectively who are regular pioneers and have shunned me for 11 years now after I left the JW cult. I have tried talking with them = carefully - about certain things, i.e. WT child abuse, generation changes, but they are SOOO mind controlled and indoctrinated it's like you are talking to a JW Zombie member from the show " Walking Dead ". Nothing gets through. Like talking to a brick wall due to the power of WT mind control indoctrination in their brain. And there's a VERY fine line that you have to walk or you'll piss them off and it becomes one step forward- three steps back trying to talk about TTATT to them.

  So I just try to call them on the phone and leave messages about how me and my wife are doing, tell them I love them, and I'd love to chat with them sometime. My daughters also shun my son who is 30, their older brother as he exited about 12 years ago as well. So my son and me keep hoping that something will happen with them, perhaps they'll suffer some injustice from elders in the cult or something else will trip their hardwired brains. It's all you can hope for. A JW has to be able to see TTATT themselves. Until they do- their brains are hardwired to reject and put down any information that's negative concerning the WT Society. Even child abuse scandals. So we patiently wait and keep showing unconditional love to them. When their JW view of the REAL world collapses, me. my wife, and my son will be there for them. nd deep down, I know my daughters realize that. So that's it in a nutshell
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  KillerJones

  When I was about to leave, my good friend(elder) warned me about telling my wife. He said the elders would give her a scriptural divorce if I was DF for apostasy.

  Unbelievable mind games. Thankful my wife saw the TATT. I wish all couples could have this joy of leaving with your best friend. Here's to the next 35 years! 🍷
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  Simon

  Sorry to hear what you guys are going through with your families. I can only imagine how painful that is. If it's any consolation, I've been the jackass son doing the shunning ... but I changed - don't give up.

  We left as a family when our kids were very small (having them was one of the reasons it made me start seriously thinking about "the truth"). They are now getting to the "leaving school and going to uni" stage but are our best friends and it would kill me if they ever cut us off.

  I hope your situations improve. Never give up - people change and you never know when they will need you to 'be there'.