by juni 46 Replies latest jw friends
For most all of us here we have had association with the Jehovah's Witnesses in some way or another. There are many man-made "rules" within the organization. That fact we all agree on. But now that you are "out" or on the way "out" how do you feel?
My question to all of you is this:
How do you feel about maintaining a standard of moral integrity even though not a JW any longer?
Juni
Absolutely!
Moral integrity is my foundation/touchtone in life.
I have left off the judgmentalism that permeates Jw thinking - what others do is fine with me. But in my own case, my standards are basically what they were when I was a witness. Honesty, morality, integrity. With a few nicks for imperfection of course.
Jeff
Thats one of the things that would insult me so much about the jw's. Their assumption that you would have no morals if you weren't part of a religious org.
I always had a very honest relationship with my husband. During a conversation with my study conductor and her husband, I had bought up something that I had told him.
My SO turned round to her husband and said, "yes, see I've always told her to be honest with him".
I'm so gutted I let it go and let her bask in the glory of being a good teacher. She knew me a couple of months and I had been with hubby for years and we have always been honest and open. It was like she was implying that if it weren't for her I would have been lying and keeping secrets.
So yes, I do have my morals that I stick to just because I want to and not because some idiot told me to.
juni:
Isn't the question the wrong way round? I think it would be better to ask if dubs themselves have personal integrity? Surely their morality is the result, not of personal integrity, but of an enforced code and their complying is out of fear of penalty i.e. DF and all that goes with it.
The WTS is fond of proclaiming that only dubs are the "true christians™" yet sin for them is something that only bad people do, the R&F apparently do not sin.
Compare this with mainstream christians who recognise that all humankind are born in sin i.e. there's no difference between anyone, noone is any better than the other.
Let me put it this way, why is it that the dubs' elders' manual identifies "Gross sins™" as if any one sin were any different to another?
This gets to part of the 'problem' with judicial committees sitting in judgment, the elders there don't recognise that they are sinners.
Anyway, I digress, I think the point has been made by Jeff (post above) that the big difference post-borg is to remove the judgmental attitude and recognise the worth of all humankind, whether they be a 'member' or not.
Integrity is EVERYTHING!
Ian
I think my standards are higher now I'm not a jw. I admit I used to falsify my fs reports at times, especially in the last couple of years, which is dishonest, and. I used to make excuses that weren't true for not attending meetings as I was starting to drift away from the org. I don't do either of those things nowadays.
Yes, I'm still the same old me....honest, and kind, and giving...loyal....I just don't subscribe to the JW bullshite anymore....that's the only thing that has changed.
Morning All.
Who's standard? The WTS? My standards are much higher! I don't promote deception and lies on a regular basis. ( only occasionally )...LOL Peace AcadianHow do you feel about maintaining a standard of moral integrity even though not a JW any longer?
Juni
To me the notions of "personal integrity" and "morality" are very different -- even opposite. So often "morality" results in self-mutilation (metaphorically at least) which is the diametrical opposite of "integrity".
Nietzsche ironically remarked how former Christians were all the more keen to show how "moral" they remained -- still trying to justify themselves by Christian moral standards instead of questioning them.
This reminded me of an older thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/86772/1.ashx (which may give JWD newcomers the opportunity to get acquainted with very interesting former posters).
Yes as has been said Integrity is everything. My morals I believe are better now as I can live my life free of fear
