Were you able to fulfill or remove that need in some way?
Did fulfilling that need make it possible or easier for you to exit the wt?
"Joined-As-Adult" JW's: What need did the WT fulfill for you?
by Check_Your_Premises 25 Replies latest jw friends
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Check_Your_Premises
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Crumpet
Hey CYP! Long time no see!
I can see where possibly you would be coming from with this question - as your wife joined JWs as an adult. I have wondered why my Dad joined as he was an adult. For me I was raised that way and knew no differently - and it didn;t fulfill any needs at all for me - it only created needs, misery and desperation - not to mention intense feelings of worthlessness which still hit me from time to time now.
I think some people join because they are lonely and many others because they've lost loved ones and the answers provided by the dubs cheer them up and give them a hope. Others, like my Dad, perhaps simply find they are lacking sonme greater purpose - some meaning - a feeling every human being must encounter at some point. And if that point happens to be when your friendly dub preachers come to the door then you're vulnerable more likely to be snared.
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EAGLE-1
I have never had a need for religion and my exit was as easy as walking out of a bad restaurant serving bad food.The only thing left is my venomous hatred for that org. and most of my thoughts on that are illegal.
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Check_Your_Premises
You understand my motivation Crumpy.
Much time and talk are spent here discussing certain facts about jw's to bring to light. There is also the school of thought that you have to approach it as a cult/mind control problem. But I think it goes even deeper, and is specific to the individual. I think absolutely NOTHING you can do or say will make a difference to the person if they NEED to believe in the jw.
If you are able to remove the need, or fulfill it in some way, I think then the other approaches become possible.
Before that, no dice.
So as my dear, sweet, and absolutely lovely sister Crumpy pointed out, the question is more aimed at jw's.
CYP
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jwfacts
There was no hook, I was just unfortunate enough to have been born into it.
What kept me from leaving was the fear of being lonely. How would I find friends without going to meetings? And fear of Armageddon. So I needed to research to realise I won't be killed at Armageddon. Research led to realising how corrupt the WTS is and then I thought I'd rather be lonely than associate with such ignorant fools. Turns out there is no shortage of friends to be had, and I am certainly not lonely.
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Lapuce
The hook, well I was very lonely at this time in 1992-93, just lost my girlfriend, and got hooked by a workcolege which was a witness which I ended marrying, then divorceing and remarrying... She is still a witness, me I faded away...
Lapuce
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Honesty
When I found out that I could be just as stupid out of the WATCHTOWER organization without all the extra baggage being 'declared righteous' entails, I escaped.
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Billygoat
I grew up in it, so like Crumpy, I didn't really know better. But I remember asking my father a similar question as he got baptized when he was about 30. His answer to me was "They knew the bible so well and had an answer for ANYTHING I asked." I remember being satisfied with that answer, but then again, I was a teenager pioneering at the time too.
Today when I reflect on what he said, I think, "Where's the need for faith when someone has all the answers?" But then I remember this religion isn't about faith, it's about works.
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DanTheMan
What need did the WT fulfill for you?
Belonging, sense of purpose, security
Were you able to fulfill or remove that need in some way?
Belonging & sense of purpose: Now I get it somewhat from my job, but it doesn't give me that colossal feeling of purpose that JWism gave me when I first learned da troof.
Security: Not really. I am still as end-of-the-world paranoid as I've ever been.
Dan, having-a-blue-morning :(
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Billygoat
((((((Dan)))))))
It gets better. I promise.