In a recent Watchtower study, it was brought out in a comment that "we" the congregation are just one big family and that we should be teaching our children to love the brothers and sisters in the congregation. I told my child when we got home that, that comment was BS., all you have to do is realizee that any love in the congregation is strictly conditional, it's conditioned on whether you are active in service, go to all the meetings,make the "politically (watchtower accepted) comments," and turn your brain off they don't want to hear anything about common sense and just how unloving the organization really is. I also told my child that you have to be constantly on guard against saying anything that will shine a negative spotlight upon you. Your are not free there to make comments that you really feel or even disagree with whats in the mags. So beware, I also told my child that whatever religion you are in their are drawbacks but this org teaches commands of men as commands of God. So buyer beware and wait and follow Jesus' example and be 30 yrs. old before making any serious committments.
Did you feel like this toward the end? Brothers/Sisters & worldly people
by jambon1 24 Replies latest jw friends
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TweetieBird
CONDITIONAL LOVE - that is what the organization is made up of. I have seen it with my own family. They love you as long as you are attending every meeting, going in service, blah, blah, blah. The minute you slack off, you are treated like you have a plague. Jaguarbass, you left when it was still more like a real brotherhood, at least for me anyway. I have fond memories of growing up in the organization, non JWs were not regarded as filth like they are now. And yes, I always got tired of hearing the bashing of non-jw's as the "worldly" people I knew seemed to have more morals than a lot of the witnesses I knew.
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jovisys
My story is little different. I was born in Jehovah's Witness family and I loved Jehovah with no doubt and question. Growing up, unlike the United States children, in the third world country is much difficult and strict. They tend to add their own twist to the believe. My mom I love her to death and worked so hard to raise us with my Dad of course but was way to fanatic about the religion. I hated to go to congregations, only because I felt I was discriminated by other kids at the congregation and some of their moms who thinks they are above me or better than me b/s I was too dark skinned and they saw me as this little crazy kid who always laugh in the middle of the meeting for no reason (I was just entertaining myself to stay awake). If I start telling the whole story it will take days. My older sister, who abused me physically and mentally always pinched me, slapped me, bit me brutally and poked me with any kind of object she can find every time I fall as sleep during the meetings. Not to mention some of the witnesses telling my parents I put on lipstick while I was going to school at 15years old and called me a prostitute and got me in trouble with my mom, which resulted, on my house imprisonment for weeks. I hated! Going to the meetings, I hated the daily text meeting with my parents, because my Mom this was the best time she has to put us down and abuses us mentally in every way she can by quoting the bible. When I came to the US, I went to meetings for a few times and bailed out soon. Went to my worldly habit getting boyfriends, smoked cigarette, partying like crazy just to piss off my Mom. My Dad is a true JW (kind, considerate, always positive and loves me and all of his kids unconditionally) I never heard him say any negative or bad word out of his mouth about us or anyone else around him. My Dad is a true Christian! So to make a long story short, I now realized the witnesses are humans who are sinners like everybody else and I stop focusing on human behavior but on my own relationship with Jehovah and his son Jesus Christ only! Who are our saviors and comfort and by doing my prayers daily and doing good things as much as I can in my daily life helps me live happy. I always say, it's not Jehovah that makes a mistake it's the people. So many years later, now I plan in going back to the congregation and become spiritual again for me!
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flipper
I can relate to what you are saying. There were too many people expecting perfection in the org. They were looking for a reason to judge one another. I felt much more at ease being away from them
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mentalclearness
As a teenager I had a really good non jw friend who my parents hated because of her not being a witness..Well, I got in trouble smoking weed and of course they assumed I had done it with her....Actually it was my witness double lifing friends who I used to do all the bad stuff with. My worldly friend was more moral than the lot of them.....
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Warlock
As a teenager I had a really good non jw friend who my parents hated because of her not being a witness..Well, I got in trouble smoking weed and of course they assumed I had done it with her....Actually it was my witness double lifing friends who I used to do all the bad stuff with. My worldly friend was more moral than the lot of them.....
That's one of the reasons my kid is out. Worldy people SHOW who they are. Many witnesses HIDE who they are. Warlock
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llbh
Hi Jovisys, Welcome hang around, there are lots of lovley people here and me.
I left about 10 years ago. My wife & daughter still go. I would never ever go back. Read a few threada here on almost any topic and you will see why.
Keep posting llbh
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new boy
Wow....what do they call it when people say one thing but do something else....
Yes I'm more comfortable around nonjudgemental, nonselfrightious people, who don't like to gossip to make themselfs look better in their judgmental God's eyes.
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sass_my_frass
Yeah I did often think 'and this is as good as it gets?' My childhood congregation was quite warm but when I started moving around I found that it was different everywhere. It slowly wore me down and made me very depressed - I could only choose my friends from within this very small circle and we just didn't have anything real in common.
Beer mate?
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shopaholic
Many witnesses HIDE who they are.
Warlock, this is very true. With a witness, you never know who you are dealing with unless folks allow you into their clique. They need to figure out what you can "handle" before they share things with you. Anyway, witnesses have a warped way of thinking. While reading this thread I am reminded of a friend that got dumped shortly before her wedding. Her ex-fiance quickly became engaged to another sister who lived out-of-state. Anyway, the dumped sister befriended a guy she worked with, I will admit he was very nice and very nice-looking. The brothers told her that she should quickly end the relationship because "the worst brother is better than the best wordly man any day". Is that a crazy statement or what? In the past few months, I've met some really nice non-witnesses and I enjoy my time with them more than I did the JWs. With the JWs I always had to be on guard and couldn't share simple things, like that I was taking a dance class or a cooking class because I might stumble someone. Yeah, being a JW totally sucked.