A survey

deneranys

Hello! I just joined this forum, for two main reasons. 1-I've been feeling the need to talk to some Ex-JW's out there. I feel like I've only been alive for 2 years, and it's hard to feel normal around the public. The second reason is that I have a survey that I would like those of you who were JW's as adolescents to fill out. A little bit about me first: I skipped 8th grade because of some high test scores, but like many JW's in my area, I ended up taking correspondence high school. Unlike most of them, I did my work and I graduated when I was 14. Oh but the pressure to pioneer was ON me then. I went to community college for awhile, and I did excellently...I loved school so much...but it was disheartening in the end. I looked and looked at the degrees that a community college offers you...and I didn't want to BE any of those things. I wanted to be a Psychologist. But I wasn't allowed, of course. Eventually I gave up on the whole idea of college--it was too depressing. I remained a Witness because of my mother and because of my guilt. I never expected to survive armageddon because I didn't feel I was good enough. I attended all the meetings as an adult, I studied, I read my Bible, I even pioneered there at the end...but I never felt worthy. I wore every sin inside my soul and since I was terrified of elders and would never confess to anything even if that meant my death, I continued to have my sins weigh against me. The worst year of my life ended with me leaving "the truth." I was married at 18, and that came to a crashing end when I was 20. I didn't have any grounds, though. My mother told me it was my duty to Jehovah to stay married, and if I was miserable, that just proved my integrity. This was my TEST. I tried my best to stay with a man I no longer loved...but it was killing me inside, and I really started to question the religion. (It's not like I didn't know about tons and tons of corruption...child molesting elders and the whole bit, but I put my faith in Jehovah to judge like a good little Witness.) I left my husband, left the religion, and I did the things that I wanted to do most. I had a baby (he's two months old) and I went back to college. I am planning on staying in college until I have a doctorate in Psychology, too. Now, on to my survey. In Developmental Psychology, there isn't a Final, only a final paper. I want to write mine on the development of identity in adolescence, specifically the similarities and differences between the development of a JW teen and a nonJW. The more people I can get to take my survey, the more data I can collect, and the better my paper will be. Any takers? Since the survey does have a question or two about sex and drugs, I will simply give you my email and those of you interested can email me for the survey. [email protected] I love to write so ask questions if you'd like!

Tez

Hello and Welcome to the board!!!!

What a load of rubbish saying it is a test of your integrity to stay in your unhappy marriage!!! Mmmm... I stuck with mine for 30 years, 22 of them as a JW, thought it would help me, I prayed and prayed to love my husband the way a wife should, it just didn't happen! He was always like a nice older brother to me. So good on you for getting out earlier, in the long run its kinder to admit it, and I am glad you are happier now. I wasn't brought up as a JW, but will pm you my email address and you can send me the questionnaire, I will see if two of my kids (grown up now) will complete it for you. On reflection I would say one of the major differences between kids growing up in the organisation is the fear they are brought up with, not feeling comfortable with expressing their inner most feelings and ideas. One of mine in particular bottled a lot up, I didn't realise for years this was what they were doing... I always thought they could talk to me about anything, but it was the 'elders' they were afraid of.

Look forward to seeing more of you on the board, and be interesting to see some feedback from your research.

Tez

lisavegas420

alt and Hello. I look forward to your posts.

Congradulations on moving forward with your life.

I sent you a email for the survey questions.

lisa

deeskis

Glad you posted, and good to see you achieving your goals.

I sent you an email

D

unclebruce

....I am planning on staying in college until I have a doctorate in Psychology, too. Now, on to my survey. In Developmental Psychology, there isn't a Final, only a final paper. I want to write mine on the development of identity in adolescence, specifically the similarities and differences between the development of a JW teen and a nonJW. The more people I can get to take my survey, the more data I can collect, and the better my paper will be. Any takers? Since the survey does have a question or two about sex and drugs, I will simply give you my email and those of you interested can email me for the survey. [email protected] I love to write so ask questions if you'd like!

Hi deneranys,

Welcome to JWD. It's wonderful that you're at college and working toward your doctorate. This promises to be a very good paper. Few here would object to survey questions about sex and drugs (or just about anything else) and you'd get a much bigger response if you posted ity here but I respect your decision not to.

Would you be willing to publish the final draft/results here on JWD?

It really is a very important issue you're exploring, I wish you well with it and your journey into the big bad world

OK everyone let's email: [email protected] EDIT: Would you please use some paragraph breaks in future

slugga

Few here would object to survey questions about sex and drugs

The fact that its in an open forum would skewer the results though as some questions may involve tabboo subjects which some people might not want to 100% honest in public with their answers.

Legolas

Welcome to the board!

Yes guilt is a powerful thing and the JW's sure know how to use it!

I went in as an adult.

unclebruce

Hey slugga, you say'n folks in the virgin thread are skewering their results?

I'm sure deneranys is smart enough to take the GIGO effect into account (in any case it'd be interesting to see the results and ~~argue it to pulp~~ ..um ..come to our own conclusions).

cheers, unc

slugga

Yes threads like that often have a farmyard stench about them

Finally-Free

Welcome to the board.

I sent you an email.

W

A survey

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