Are you embarrassed?

by desib77 50 Replies latest jw friends

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  IW

  No, I'm not embarrassed to tell people I was a JW. Most of time it never comes up but if it does I don't feel any shame about it. It was my faith, I believed it and I loved it. Period. If someone is small minded enough to think I was stupid to be a JW they're not really the kind of person I care about anyway, so bug off! would be my attitude.

  What religion, political party, organization, business entity, or club does not have some degree of liars, thieves and law breakers? Which political party does not stoop to deceiving the voters to some extent in order to get votes? Which religion does not preach it is approved by God or teach their members to follow the lead of their ministers or priests? What large business has not at some time failed to be totally honest and true both to its customers and employees and the government? Yet, all of these have faithful members who will continue to dedicate their lives to the cause no matter how inane or faulty it may turn out to be.

  I don't think my JW affiliation is something to be ashamed of just as being a Catholic/Baptist or Republican/Democrat is anything to be ashamed of....I stand on my own and I fall on my own not on my religious, political or organizational affiliations.

  Never let anyone make you fell ashamed about having been a JW. It's our past nothing more. I learned from it and from leaving it and the lessons learned have helped me to see things many non-JWs have problems seeing in their own religion or in life in general.
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  Virgochik

  I'm very embar-assed! The only time I mention it is when the Dubs at work act all flaky and people are complaining about them. I can pretty much explain their behavior by saying I was raised in that religion, and this iswhy they say or do wacko things. But I could crawl under the sidewalk when people stare and say, "Ew, YOU were in that? Aren't you smarter than to fall for that crap?" It makes people think you aren't too smart, and that's embarassing.

  We "born-ins" have the good excuse that we had no choice, lol!
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  melmoth

  I'm not embarrassed now, but I certainly was for quite a while.
  If I'd become a JW as an adult - rather than being born to it and leaving pretty much as soon as it was practical - I'd probably be more embarrassed about it still. (No offense intended to those who joined as adults.)
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  juni

  I can honestly say that I'm not embarrased for people to know that I was a JW. I did what I thought was right. And I feel that any REAL FRIEND would acknowledge that. And, you know what, they do. Most people know that JWs have strange beliefs. But also they know me and accept me. It's not an issue after the first explanation of my JW background.

  Juni
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  free2beme

  When I tell people that I used to be a Jehovah's Witness, I find that they still some times treat me like I still am, even asking dumb silly questions like "do you celebrate Christmas now?" I have often found it hard to explain my complete lack of connection to the Witness faith, without coming across as bitter. The reason being, that when I say things like "I am completely against all that the Witnesses stand for." They have sometimes come across with, "are you angry with them?" Which has me often just saying, "I used to be a Witness, but I found I disagreed with their teachings and went my own separate way." It does not work though, as just the other day a person from work asked me if I was okay with fireworks on the forth of July. ARGH!!!
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  parakeet

  I've been out of the org almost 30 years, and I still don't tell new friends or acquaintances about my JW past unless absolutely necessary. The few times I voluntarily mentioned it, people looked at me like I had two heads.
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  jwfacts

  I am totally ashamed, and particularly am struggling with coming to terms with how I should view my CO family. When I talk to people I try to tell them very matter of fact that it is a cult and it is incredible the power mind control has over reason.
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  DanTheMan

  I saw the WTS as being a rebel religion, and so it fit my own personality very well as I pretty much hated the whole world when I was 22, LOL. Now that I'm older and wiser, I look back at my enthusiastic conversion to JWism (and a laundry list of a lot of other dunderheaded things that I've done in my life that would make you feel embarrassed were I to tell you all of them), with rightful embarrassment, but OTOH I've had a pretty unique life and I'm happy with where I am today.

  "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" - Socrates

  If there's one thing I've learned and continue to learn from it all, it's that :)
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  Spectrum

  No, not embarrassed. In fact sometimes I go out of my way to tell people that I used to be just to see their reaction. What surprises me is that I hardly get a reaction. Which maybe means are as different as they think they are.
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  daniel-p

  Yes I am, and have always been. I won't bring it up unless I feel particularly safe with a person, and won't make light of the situation or spread it around to others. I know it sounds trite and immature, but if I explain to someone something personal and sensitive about my past (and what could be more personal than previous beliefs and way of life?) than I expect them to keep it to themselves. Some days I feel more confident than others I wouldn't much care - but those days I probably have succumbed to the fact of never having any real friends in the world due to my "weak" status in the bOrg and the fact that I still have to stay out of the "world" for family reasons. I've chosen to walk a line but I'm begining to think it's a line to no where. Anyway, off topic.
  I am a very personal, private person by nature and if I told someone about my past then it would present significant risk to me. I know people at school who I can tell right off the bat if they are in a specific religion or whatever. I always want to engage them in conversation to see if their beliefs are any more rational than mine were, but haven't yet. There is this one young woman (mid-twenties) who I know adheres to some Christian religion, has impecable behaviour with no visible faults, and everyone likes. Sometimes I like to refer to my "man-of-God" past in an oblique manner, or quote scripture to support an absurd and completely unrelated argument. I can see the wheels spinning in her head, trying to figure out who I used to be.