What do you have now? (page 2)

Seeker4

Freedom to live life as I want to.

Freedom to think and act.

Freedom to explore and experience without guilt.

Freedom from rules that never made any sense to me.

Freedom from mingling, interference and an attempt to control my life by people who had no skill or intelligence at it, but who felt thay had the right to meddle because of their appointments by the WTS.

Freedom from having to accept ideas that had no rational or scientific basis in reality simply because we were told we had to accept them or risk Jehovah's and the WTS's disapproval.

Freedom from a false concept about life and an afterlife.

I can now live this life to the fullest, knowing that this is all I'll be getting.

S4

Nathan Natas

Imagine that some unscrupulous group of individuals were perpetrating an investment scam and defrauding people of their life savings by falsely claiming that a future payoff of undreamed of wealth could be theirs.

This sort of thing is called a "Ponzi scheme" after a crook who used it extensively.

Now imagine if this guy had deceived YOU, and you had already given him a good deal of your personal wealth.

Then one day you realize what has been going on. Do you continue to allow yourself to be victimized out of denial and shame, or do you get out of the scheme, cutting your losses ans letting your friends know what you have discovered so that they also can get free?

Not everyone has the intestinal fortitude to admit their mistake and take a loss now so that they can avoid continuing losses; the stock market proves this every day.

I have the peace of mind and self respect that comes from knowing that I recognized a scam and cut my losses, and that I share in warning others about the spiritual Ponzi scheme of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.

I can stop "investing" in dreams of unimaginable riches (everlasting life) and get busy with making the remainder of the life I have one of purpose - MY purpose - and happiness - MY happiness.

That is what counts. In death, all are equally zero.

ferret

Freedom

Dr Jekyll

The question was: What do you people have now that you're out? What has leaving given you?

Real Friends !

I was stuck in a congregation full of people a whole generation older and older than me. I wasn't allowed to associate with worldly types and the rest of my congregation saw me as a "youth" All of my friends had moved away or fallen away. It was me (24) a couple of 10 - 12 year olds and the rest were middle aged and elderly married couples. I became so lonely and depressed I almost became suicidal. When I left no one came knocking to see why I wasn't attending, no one cared.

No I can choose my own friends. I don't care what religion they are, I don't care if they're living in sin I don't care if they are not even heterosexual. I can be mates with whoever I bloody Like!

Ah yeah, I can even be mates with someone that's Df' d

bocephus

Life is what you make of it , I have what I have worked toward . That is to say I have learned to be a glass is half full type of person . Doing so wasnt easy dwelling on the Fact that I no longer have the love and support of my family was difficult , but I now have a family and realize what real love is . Like many former JWs I have taken many lumps on the way to learning just how good I have it and what is really important Good luck to you

deeskis

The truth, as opposed to the lie.

AudeSapere

I now have whatever I choose to have.

If I choose to have a sparse, quiet life - that is my choice.

If I choose to indulge myself - I can do that too.

I can do what I choose each and every day. Of course, there are consequences to my actions - good and bad - but I get to choose.

The down side (if you can call it that) - is that I can't blame anyone else for how my life is going. Some people need to play the blame/victim game. The WTS is good for that.

-Aude.

EAGLE-1

Europe is free!!!!!!!!!!!!!Oh wait thats the nazis.FREEDOM

Frannie Banannie

Peace of mind and a lower blood pressure.

No worries that someone's going to spy on me and/or find something wrong with what I've said, read or done. No feeling that I'm under constant guard about everything I say, read or do. (I like crime and chiller novels.)

I can choose who I want to associate with and don't have to shun someone, even a family member, just because of someone else's judgment without really knowing why.

I have real leisure time to engage in hobbies and other interesting activities, to visit with family, friends and associates when, where and how I choose, rather than feeling pressured to read the same prescribed and boring religious cow cud every day of my life. I also don't feel compelled to attend lengthy boring meetings about the same detritus.

I don't hafta go out making an ass of myself while trying to make an ass out of strangers for their right to choose how they spend their time.

Frannie

DanTheMan

I have the peace of mind and self respect that comes from knowing that I recognized a scam and cut my losses

Excellent! The 10 years I lost to JWism is something that I still am flagellating myself quite a bit over, but that's a great attitude to have.

What do you have now?

I am much closer to my family, none of whom were ever JW's. I don't have to engage in the Orwellian doublethink that I did when I was a Watchtower drone - the doublethink of respecting and loving my family but at the same time adhering to a religious worldview that that condemns them to a violent death real soon now for not joining our fruity little club.

What do you have now?

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