what did you "sacrifice" when you came in the Truth?

skyclad

I'm a newbie, bin lurking for days and bin doing so much research from your informative threads that my family think I'm possibly "comin back in the Truth" =not!! This is my 1st post so forgive if already done before, but just wondered what you had to "sacrifice to come in the Truth?" In my case, I was baptised in early 80's, my study conductor and all the dubs heavily drilled into us young-uns to sacrifice whatever it takes to please the org. After every study and at meetings, especially after baptism, was practically forced to "packup your jobs, pioneer for the end/finishing line is (not round the bend) but right infront of us!!" I , stupidly gave up a good medical career, failed my higher uni.exams, gave up a very good job (as whats the point as medicine wont be needed in the new system)then started pioneering. This lasted all of 6 months as 1-by-1 the help I was promised dropped off, ended up doing all the ministry "efforts", slaving for the elders, with very few studies, and left all alone to get-on-with-it. Now 25 yrs later have got back into medicine but have never quite felt as though I've acheived my full potential. Anyone had similar regrets?

nvrgnbk

what did you "sacrifice" when you came in the Truth?

The same chance for a successful life that unbrainwashed, cult-free people have.

This recent thread may also be of interest to you:Stuck in a dead-end job because of obeying anti-higher education policy?

Forgive my lack of manners.

Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of JWD.

Nvr

Zico

I was brought up in the Truth, but I still sacrificed things. The biggest for me is not going to Uni, but I intend to make up for this one within the next few years. :)

Welcome to the board!

Threestars

I didn't have a choice in the matter since my parents converted to it when I was 5, but I basically was forced to sacrifice the chance to have a normal life, an education, a sound mental state, individuality,I could go on and on...

I was lucky to have been able to finish High School since that was the pre-1975 era when all the dubs were yanking their teens out of school. My younger siblings were all pulled out of school and put to work in the gardening business. Sound familiar? I went to college in my later years after a divorce and children but we all know how difficult that is. I was never able to finish.

TheOldHippie

My final exam after 7 years at the University, the Master degree that is, and a political career. I've made well without it, but at times find it a bit stupid that I did not complete the MA.

Hannah

Being raised in the borg I feel that I was forced to sacrifice most things that "normal" people experience and miss out on opportunies presented to them by their parents and families.

I was raised to believe that I would never finish high school and therefore will not need to have the necessary life skills to succeed as an adult i.e. money management, household management, education, etc.

StillGroggy

I called all of my "worldly" friends and told them I couldn't hang out with them anymore. So right there I lost 2 of my oldest, best friends.

Now If i leave the org, I'll also lose all the JW friends.

FUCT

-SG

alotlikemay

first of all, i dropped out of uni after a year because I wanted to pioneer (and I did, for 20 years). I also stopped all my musical activity even though music had been a really important part of my life. I gradually dropped friends who weren't in the 'truth'. Most of all, I took it seriously when they said don't get married but pioneer because the time's so short. So, I'd be embarrassed when some brother took a liking to me and I wouldn't 'date' because that wasn't encouraged unless you intended to marry that person.

So, when I left at the age of 37, I had no career or career-type experience (I'd done lots of cleaning jobs and so on, because pioneering was the most important thing), and no money. Of course, all my JW friends abandoned me.

But the odd thing is that I've got most of it back - I went back to uni at the age of 37 and went through the whole academic system; I made lots of new friends gradually etc etc

However, it's now too late for me to have children. I'm too old for that. I'm not married and I have difficulties with relationships (because of my background, I think). I cry every day for the children I didn't have, that I gave up because I chose to pioneer because the 'time was short'

Cindi_67

I guess most of all here have sacrificed basically the same thing. Education. Like one member said, back in the '80's the Org. got very strict about higher education. Most of us had to give up the opportunity to go to college and at least get an Associate's Degree. It was said that College was Satan's field and that, for a JW, that meant spiritual death. Now we have to struggle with low paying jobs because of our lack of education, but we still have to be able to find a Monday-Friday 8-5 job in order not to miss a meeting or sacrifice our time in field service.

tan

REAL friends! Fortuanately, two of my best friends are faders too and all are still very close.

what did you "sacrifice" when you came in the Truth?

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