Never a JW, what makes you post here?

by Mrs Smith 37 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  LongHairGal

  Who Are You:

  I like your post. I especially agree with the part about how the JWs are against higher education, the government and voting. You are right about how this board has an anti-US bias which I tend to think is in large part because of the Iraq war which I am against, by the way. I would like to see it end today.

  The JW religion foolishly bites the hand that feeds them, namely the US. They love the fact there are so many freedoms but they won't lift their hand to do anything. They just sit back and relish the benefits while "cursing" the government. I was never patriotic, even before I became a JW, but I could see the hypocrisy of these morons. The US is everybody's whipping boy, it seems. Even for some stupid people here. It is "politically correct" to denounce it and its citizens. They are too "loud", "arrogant", etc. What I would love to see is if every US citizen stopped traveling overseas, even for a short time. Just stop spending all that $$ green money that everybody wants so badly. And stay away from all those "charming" little dirt hole places that hate us but want all them there dollar bills.

  LHG
• 

  Guest with Questions

  Thankfully I never became a witness. Both my parents became witnesses back around 1970 and what was already a difficult family life became even more difficult. I moved out. My oldest brother had already moved out. My youngest brothers, at the time 6 and 3 were raised to be witnesses but in the end didn't embrace it. My mother, who recently married an Elder,is the only family member that it is a witness.

  I couldn't understand how my dad came accept this belief system. He had very strange ideas, communism, numerology etc. I guess he liked communism because he hated working; wasn't a good provider and everyone would be provided for even if it wasn't much. He hated being told what to do yet he became a witness where they tell you how to think, how to behave. Like my brother said, they're own views on life fit in with the JW way of life. Them (though more so my dad) against the world, no birthday acknowledgement, no real sense of family etc. He was very stubborn in a passive way -passive aggressive? My mother was more passive and I can understand why she so easily accepted it though. It really had nothing to do with the belief system, but a sense of belonging. I think that's the reason she will never let go, even if she sensed something was wrong. For the life of me I can't understand how us kids came out of it fairly unscathed. Maybe because we were strong enough not to accept this belief system, we were strong enough to put our lives back together. Who knows. Going a bit off track.
• 

  Amber Rose

  this board has an anti-US bias which I tend to think is in large part because of the Iraq war

  I always thought it was because of the Canadians!
• 

  blondie

  Technically, you have not been a JW until you have been officially baptized as one. So many children of JWs grow up never getting baptized and drift away and stop partcipating after they leave home.

  Some have studied off and on with JWs but never made that final commitment.

  Some are married to people who were JWs when they married them or who became JWs after the marriage or sometimes even after the divorce and they still have minor children to raise.

  Some have parents, grandparents, siblings, etc., who have become JWs as adults who feel obligated to try and convert them since only baptized JWs will survive the coming destruction of the wicked, all non-JWs. How to answer them or get them to leave you alone.

  Some are active in a Christian ministry and feel that they could help some JWs they know wake up and smell the coffee so to speak.

  I am sure there are more ex-JWs than they are or were ever JWs.

  Blondie
• 

  neverin

  Dad and two older brothers in for over 35 years. Unusually in our house Mom is the one who didn't join and she wouldn't let Dad take me to the meetings.
  
  Dad had bible studies with me as a kid but when I reached my teens I told him I was not interested and didn't want to hear about it. He respected my decision and knows I wont listen to any 'preaching'. For years I thought they were just a bunch of harmless if somewhat misguided people until 6 years ago I finally admitted to myself and my family that I had been abused by a witness as a child. It was only after I saw the way it was covered up by the CO,DO and body of elders that I started searching the net to see if mine was an isolated case. What a revelation!!! The stories I found and the doctrinal issues I discovered shocked me to the core. My Dad is one of the most intelligent people I know and I still can't beleive he fell for this crock of s**t.
  
  I try to drop the odd question into the conversation to make him think, but to be honest I know I can't argue against his years of indoctrinated arguments so I've come to the conclusion that at 70 years old it would be more cruel to try and lure him out now, especially as he would face shunning by my brothers and their families. Whereas at the moment he gets to have a relationship with all of his kids and grandkids.
  
  Although I do beleive that all of my life it is me and Mom that have had to make allowances for his beliefs from simple things such as having to hide christmas cards and harvest festival contributions as a kid to not having my Dad give me away when I got married.
  
  Anyway I still love him (even though I've written my brothers off as a lost cause)but I know that I could not go into a kingdom hall knowing what I do so I hope he chooses a non religeous funeral for when the dreaded time comes.
• 

  Good Girl or Bad Girl?

  One memorable thread was from an enlightened teacher who wanted to accommodate a Witness student. Many of you pulled from deep and painful experiences in your own school experience to advise the teacher how to make it more comfortable for the child.

  Not a single one of you tried to advise the teacher to sabotage the child's beliefs. You all know from painful experience that religious battles must stay out of the playground. Don't use children as pawns.

  I love the 'net when we help each other like that.

  What a nice post, jgnat. THANK YOU.
• 

  Highlander

  Here is the link to one of my favorite non-jdub posters that have been on this site. He only posted for a brief time, but I really liked the guy.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/member/22850.ashx
• 

  NotaNess

  My ID name "NotaNess". Never been, but work with about 7 of them 5 days a week, 8 hour days, every year. They are half of my life pretty much. My goal is better understanding, more insight, compiling info for counter-witnessing, and I just plain love the "e-fellowship" here, although some people will never relate or accept me as they do others here, cause I can't "possibly relate" to being an ex-witness", but I understand that. I will be writing a book in the future of my experiences with them. Should be interesting.

  I just bring a different perspective to the table. And I'm a Christian "false religion follower"

  LOL
• 

  cathyk

  I'm just interested in the history and theology from an outsider standpoint. I don't have any family or friends who are JWs. I became interested in it during the run-up to 1975, when I was in high school. They were all over the place, knocking at our doors practically every other Saturday. I started to collect the books and magazines, etc.

  I found discussion sites like this in the early days of the Internet, and found the stories of life inside the movement fascinating.

  Cathy

  www.oldlighthousebooks.com
• 

  Mrs Smith

  Thank you for all the input. People that have never been in the borg and have no family attached to it and yet still take the time to be here and find out more! You guys rock!!! It's people like you that will make a difference to those poor brainwashed JWs that will not listen to their "apostate" family members.