HOW MANY THOUGHT THEY WOULD SURVIVE

by beezknees 27 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  beezknees

  I'm sure this will have been discussed before..but i am new here, so I was wondering how many of you when you where active jw's actually beleived you were going to survive armageddon

  I personally being brought up in the 'truth' used to lie in bed frightened of it coming or world events always thinking i was too bad a person to survive, and even as an adult i always felt i was never doing enough or good enough to be 'chosen' for survival when the end came u were always made to feel like you should be doing more as though you could earn your salvation. I have talked to someone else who i know has left and they felt the same, I was wondering how many of you guys actually beleived you would make it through Armageddon
• 

  daystar

  I was certain, for a very long time, that I would survive.
• 

  jambon1

  even as an adult i always felt i was never doing enough or good enough to be 'chosen' for survival when the end came u were always made to feel like you should be doing more as though you could earn your salvation. I have talked to someone else who i know has left and they felt the same...........

  ...........stay on here and you will hear from MANY who feel the same as you and you`re friend.

  It is a common feeling to have experienced the 'do more, do more' attitude that permeates the org. It is soul-destroying. Miss a meeting (feel bad), go out on a Friday night, miss f/s Sat morning (feel bad), cant keep up with reading the reams of literature?? (FEEL BAD).

  I was worn out with having 2 young kids and a heavy workload & detested meeting nights. It all just wore me out Im afraid.

  So, the answer is no. I dont think many felt like they were 'approved for survival'.
• 

  EAGLE-1

  By the end of 1975 I discarded that feeling.Did not think it would happen.Started studying porn.
• 

  Nosferatu

  This is a very good question!

  There was a point in my early teens where I pretty much knew I would survive. When I got to my mid to late teens, I knew I was royally screwed. After I left, I knew I was screwed but didn't care. Now I don't believe Armageddon is coming.
• 

  GoingGoingGone

  I never thought I would survive. Even when I did absolutely everything 'right'... Pioneered, studied for all the meetings, etc.

  No matter what you do as a JW, you can always do more. You're never good enough. I never felt good enough anyway, and having it drilled into your head that there is more you should be doing didn't help.

  GGG
• 

  unclebruce

  I was one of the "pioneered in my youth™ brigade. 1972 - 75.

  I was openly critical of those fixed on 1975™. We wiser ones thought 1984 (ironically) was a more likely target. The reasoning™ was that if “the big A” was to be proceeded by a great tribulation™ and the collapse of nations .. kings of north and south head butting etc.. at least 3 years or so would be needed. That said, it was all very weird. The mind control / brainwashing had us such a space mentally and emotionally that we believed Armageddon may come any assembly soon.

  I guess the ideal place to be during the slaughter of the vast majority of mankind would be at a convention™ thinking impure thoughts in clean underpants.

  unclebruce
• 

  New Worldly Translation

  I thought I had a good chance of surviving armageddon cos I was a bit of a goody2shoes JW. I always had doubts though cos I was never sure what the benchmark was or if I was doing enough, like you mentioned.

  Funnily enough I always hated the artists impression of the new world in the WTS publications. I never thought I'd like to be in a place like that with your wooden house in 2 acres of land living like a country hick, ignorant of science, philosophy, art etc. I knew a few bros who thought cars, telephones, tv etc might make it through armageddon. While they were clinging to the new world hope they didn't want to let go of 6000 years of civilisation and learning.
• 

  SickofLies

  I never felt like I was good enough when I believed everything the FDS (Flacid Degenrate Spies) was telling me. I suffered from depression for years because of it, always believeing that I needed to read all the magazines, all the books, plus study for the meetings, do personal research, personal bible study, prepare for service, go out in service, keep up with work, school and try and have some kind of life.

  Now that I'm out I feel like a huge wieght had been lifted off my chest.
• 

  IP_SEC

  I always thought I was dead meat. I meditated, got involved in porniea, was fascinated with spiritualism. I always just thought maybe if I could help some get life in the new system my life would not have been a complete waste.

  Its nice to have no guilt now.