Were you harmed by WTS policy? (page 2)

moanzy

YES YES YES!!!! For starters my parents would never have divorced if my dad was not disfellowshipped for apostacy. Mom remarried to a very volitile man which made our upbringing a living HELL. I had so little self-esteem to the point I became a self-harmer and was hospitalized for an eating disorder. I never went to college which I really wish I could have. My oldest sister is missing because of this pathetic religion and what it has contributed in creating what my parents and siblings are as people. Every single person in our family is a mess. I have no family!!!!

The positive: I have a wonderful non-JW husband who stuck through it all for 15yrs, 3 beautiful little girls, I've had extensive councelling, I will be going to college next fall and materially I've been blessed. I probably would have had non of this if I wouldn't have lived through my witness childhood. Pehaps I would have been better adjusted as an individual, but I've made better choices in life because of living through those experiences.

Moanzy

jaguarbass

I always wished I had gone to college but education was frowned upon by the time I realised the truth about the troof it was too late. Hindsite is 20/20 so I could say knowing what I know now I would have had a much better more comfortable life. I would say the society had a very negative impact on my life.

lurker

Yes I feel totally harmed. I was married in the 70s,because the Big A was right around the cormer why have children!!!!! Many articles in the magazines were written to discourage us from having children or buying a house or or or. We never did and now here I am at nearly retirement age and I have no family of my own. One of my parents is dead and the other is very old. Am I resentful YOU BET I AM. I did go to college against everyones will even if only for two years. But I devoted most of my life to this religion and now that I know what a waste it was I am bitter. But I am determined not to let it destroy me. Now that I know I will use the rest of my life to be happy and enjoy the time I have left.

lurker

I was just thinking about my last post and realized that it sounds selfish. I want all to know that my heart goes out to all of you and your families that have likewise been harmed by Watchtower policy. I am sure that there are many thousands that are in the same situation as my wife and I. However I beleive that there is a God and that he is as the bible says a God of love. And that all the good you have done in the past will not be overlooked. Jus because you did it as a jehovah's Witness. Good deeds towards your fellowman is what God looks at.

lfcviking

Yes i had several opportunities to have relationships with 'worldly' women, but because of the WTS policy on 'only marry in the lord' i had to resist the natural urge on every occasion. This i thoroughly regret because i didn't meet a woman in the truth either. Yes they DID cost me.

LFCV

avidbiblereader

Not me per say, I was 18 and an adult when I joined even though I have a lot of regrets for a lot of stupid time wasted and not living up to my full ability in a career, but my biggest gripe with this thread is allowing the WT teaching of children getting baptized and following through with that and my daughter getting baptized at 11, she left and now cannot have a relationship with her mother and all her aunts,uncles, cousins and grandparents because of this False Teaching to hook people in to staying,

abr

JH

Yes, they took away my liberty and personality for starters.

OnTheWayOut

I have more than enough evidence to convince myself that WTS is
a mind-control cult that destroys families, and has been proven by
it's own standards and doctrines to be a false prophet worthy of
destruction. All that, and I continue to obsess with discovering more.
All my evidence, I will not even use, because I don't want to be
disfellowshipped.

You tell me if I should seek professional help.

Otherwise, I say everyone involved (JW, family and friends) is harmed
by WTS policy and recruiting.

JH

The WTS is like a timebomb, just waiting to blow in your face, the moment you make a wrong move, or the moment your health or situation can't keep up with their expectations.

betterdaze

Yes, all of the above except #3 about losing a loved one... because my mom actually survived bloodless surgery.

I would add that without holidays, birthdays, etc. my aunts, uncles and cousins are virtual strangers, and my brother and sister and I are awkward at best. There's very little shared experience together, and much of it is painful. Our JW childhood was one of abject misery, and it did not stop at the Kingdom Hall... it permeated our home and oozed into schooltime in the form of persecution as well as social isolation.

Also, my unbelieving father has had his marriage undermined for over 40 years by his conniving JW wife. He knows he's #2 to the Tower, but she has him convinced to go along with her crap because spouses of JWs should be spared at the Big A. She has him convinced he will die if he leaves her (same with my brother, but that emotional incest is another topic entirely).

My current angle with dad is the financial drain: Watch mom like a hawk, count the money in her purse before and after meetings, and watch her checkbook. Sounds awful, but if my father would exercise his "headship" maybe he'll have a little to enjoy in retirement. My mother is "spiritually weak" and flagrantly breaks all the WT rules, but I think the elders leave her alone because of her donations... Money my worldly father broke his ass to earn, money that could have been put toward our nonexistent college educations.

Oh, I know I'm ranting now, but when opportunities came knocking, I was inculcated to view them through the "wisdom" of the WT lens and did not take advantage. Everything was suspicious, Satan's snares. Regretfully, some great jobs and great people slipped through my fingers this way.

So, aside from the family mess, personally it would be "ignored opportunities" that harmed me the most because I have no one but myself to blame in the end.

~Sue

Were you harmed by WTS policy?

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