My JW Experience

by BBOARD 13 Replies latest jw experiences

  • James Free
    James Free

    Great post. So many JW's suffer from depression. In the UK virtually every congregation has people claiming to have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or M.E. - Statisically it is impossible, the number of sufferers in relation to the total population is much smaller than the number of JW sufferers in relation to the number of Witnesses. But so many JW's do burn out, and have similar symptoms. Some give their depression a name just to reduce the pressure from the ever-demanding 'brothers and sisters'.

    After a short time, the attitude in the congregation changes from mild concern to general disbelief. The elders decide in private a person is shirking rather that ill very quickly and the sympathy dries up.

    Love, the thing that Jesus said would identify his genuine disciples, is missing in JW land. Many JW's think that the lack of understanding, lack of love, must be local to their congregation or circuit, especially when the publications paint such a rosy picture of caring elders and loving congregations. The reality is, however, that such congregations are very rare. Congregations without love are the norm. And depression and similar mental illnesses are all too common.

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    And the worst part is that Ted Jaracz doesn't give a fxxx. All he thinks about is getting ever more people's lives ruined like this. Those who came in are supposed to become like the above, and it is nearly impossible since they have memories from their worldly past. The ones that are born in are trapped in, and there is essentially nothing that can totally set them free. They don't know the true meaning of Christmas. They don't know what fun really is. And, the more the parents follow theh Watchtower Society, the worse the people become.

    Case in point: There was recently a couple of high profile incidents on this board, as well as a couple of troll incidents, that are likely caused by people that were born and raised in it (one I know for a fact was; I will not mention names for privacy sake). And there could well be many more. They learn to take so much before they snap, and then they do things that are out of line. The worst part is that it is often not a single isolated incident. And, there are times where children are beaten to death or severe injury for minor incidents that happen because of this.

    I ought to know: Even though I walked in, I have heard the counsel out of the Puketower magazines, from the a$$emblies, and in the Kingdumb Misery inserts for children to give up all pursuits. The first Kool-Aid Puketower has a study article that hounds children to give up their ambition and batten down for the Tower. This has been a common theme: Give up college, take a crap job, and spend all your time pioneering and you will be happy. Take up a worldly career, and you will be miserable. Children must not play with worldly children or participate in after-school events. No holidays. No nothing. These incidents are predictably the result.

    As for living the religion, I know it to be unlike the Catholic church (which is often criticized by the Tower). In the Catholic church, there are festivals. You have Sunday school for children. I can remember "game-outs" where service was pre-empted by a cookout with games for the children. There were holidays to celebrate: Christmas and Easter were the big ones. There was an actual structure to the time. Within the Witlesses, there is nothing. You have the drone of field circus all year, and going to church (by that name or not) three times a week. Special a$$emblies pre-empt regular vacations. If you by chance find yourself going out of town, you have to continue going to meetings and out in field circus. (I remember missing church altogether when we left town for that weekend.) And the Crapmorial is the only "holiday". What a dreadful life to live. Is it any wonder people snap and do things that are out of line? Is it any wonder that people get bitter about the whole thing, when they realize that Ted Jaracz and his henchmen could easily alter the program and put some structure in it beyond the droning on of field circus?

  • Quandry
    Quandry

    BBoard

    Welcome to the forum. Just saw your post today, and really appreciated your thoughtful analysis of the WTS. You are correct, of course.

    Above all, do not question. That is the theme, repeated over and over through literature, meetings, etc. No wonder the person who was out in service with you did not even wish to discuss the KM article and immediately cut you off. It might have led to wondering which might have led to questions, which might have led to doubts.........

  • cyber-sista
    cyber-sista

    Your experience sounds all to familiar. The last congo I was in was full of depresssed antidepressant taking, chronically ill JWs. There were several who claimed to have chronic fatigue and environmental sensitivities. Many thought our KH had a mold problem because there were several who didn't feel well when they were at the KH. Several there claimed to have environmental sensitivities. One young sister actually broke out in hives whenever she came into the KH. Looking back I believe they were all stressed out and just didn't want to be there. I think on a deeper level the majority know that something is wrong with the Org., but they are living in such fear of the Org that they feel helpless and paralyzed and so confused that they don't know which way is up. So glad to out of there.

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