Perspective.......Example: my in laws look at the "truth" as a wonderful thing that changed their lives. Mother in law was married at 14 to an abusive drinker she was a child having children . She studied and was abused by him more because of his possesiveness. Then she got a divorce met a nice man that respected her .He studied and was baptized, then they married . His story was he had been married to a woman that abandonned him and thier two kids. He drank way to much, and was having a hard time raising the kids on his own . Met this fun family based woman that was recently baptized and was telling him all this new stuff about paradise . For them becoming a JW help them in their personal lives . My perspective is so different I had no choice was raised in this religion . In a divided household we learned to walk on egg shells as a child my loyalty to my father was divided by what my mother taught me . Fear of armageddeon, fear of making God unhappy and huge guilt for just about anything molded my character . What made their lives better made mine a living hell .
It is all how you look at it isn't it
by troubled mind 3 Replies latest jw friends
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trevor
As they say - One man's meat is another man's poison - and all that....
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Sailor Ripley
Troubled Mind,
Are you my sibling? This sounds oddly familiar except for the booze, my Y-donor was certifiably insane. Horrible bi-polar wacko. Wouldn’t take his medicine for the 6 Down months so that he could really fly in the Up months.
I love how the Elders counseled my mom that divorce was not an option… since, I mean, the new system would be here any day and we would all be well.
What a load of horse hockey.
I don’t know if it helps or not but I look back and think that I learned a lot about the way to NOT do things. I am raising my kids to think critically, question everything; believe only ½ of what they see and nothing of what they hear until they can prove it for themselves; also, follow the money trail. If someone is making money then they are likely driving the story or plan. Oh yeah, and I’m not a lazy, manipulative bum in a sea of apocalyptic nut-jobs, which is quite nice. See I did learn something. -
parakeet
troubled mind,
***What made their lives better made mine a living hell.***
I totally agree. It all depends on your perspective. Compared to the childhood and young adulthood my mother had (abusive father, WWII [she is European], terrible treatment by in-laws, illness), the JWs seemed like a calm port in the storm. For me, being a JW from my early teens to my early 20s was a searing experience.