why do so many "non witness " jws not bother to find out the "truth" (page 2)

freeme

@bigwilly

for me its incredible hard to understand that some ppl dont feel the urge to look behind the curtain. it feels for me like being ignorant and even somehow "dumb". dont get me wrong... its just that i couldnt leave the JWs when i would be unsure whether its right or not. i wouldnt feel honest to myself. what if its right and i go away without checking it? what about staying knowing its wrong (thats what im doing actually because of fear but i feel horrible with it when i think about it)?

before i began doubting i thought nearly all real jws are like me. wanting to know the truth wanting to know it in detail and all of them are JWs because they did not like the fuzzy way some other religions do it. not accurate not studying over and over again to prove it again and again. i thought that until i realized that noone proves and studys for real. they're reading one source and proving itself is forbidden. its only swallowing stuff other humans think is right. dont ask.

in the end its normal that most ex-jws are not interested in studying whether the jws are right or wrong... they never learned it at all. simple like that.

lesterd

Its a BIG void, left behind, when leaving the borg, and it is not easily filled and the process for indoctrination is the m echanism that is in place, and to try and learn something new, so it feels counter productive to talk about the "truth" or another religion. "Religion" is your own personal beliefs, I found using this approach in my learning expierences opens a lot of doors that were closed by borg brainwashing.

bigwilly

Freeme, I see your thought process and can understand where you are coming from. I didn't leave based on doctinal issues which may be part of the difference of approach as well. My issues were based on hypocracy and family issues instead. Since I left, I have taken the time to do some research, but generally don't really care. When asked about my personal religious or spiritual beliefs, my response is generally "I'm an Apathetic". My lack of interest in studying the in's and out's of the JW belief structure is not due to subpar intelligence, it's due to subpar motivation

drew sagan

I think a lot of it comes from a deeply hidden feeling that they never actually could prove it wrong, so why bother. They reason that they should just move on with life and act like that phases of it never happened.

I would make the guess that most people who take this position have no opinion whatsoever on religion at all, pro or con. They simply avoid it.

Tyrone van leyen

I might add that before there was this board all there was was COC. I studied with a few christians who lent me the book and I had some amazing arguments but I was asked to return the book, which I have not been able to get a copy of ever since. I have seached book stores such as chapters, and even other places to see if could be ordered. No such luck.

My family loved these arguments and prided themselves on trying to tear them all to shreds on me. This absolutely infuriated me time and time again. It also made them sharper and more astute at doing it to others while ruining my credibility.

One day I simply decided that I would never again open a bible or discuss religion with them on there grounds. This has been by far the most peaceful way of maintaining my sanity.

maxwell

While I am not freaked out by or totally disinterested in discussing the JW religion or religion in general, I can identify with those that are not interested. As I left, I looked at the research others had done. I came to some of my own conclusions. I read Crisis of Conscience by Raymond Franz and maybe a couple of other books and I was done. Enough holes got poked into that world view. And while I spend some time here, I'm not really interested in spending hours doing research about mankind's belief in some all powerful invisible being.

JW doctrines for disfellowshipping and blood do make them a little more dangerous than other religions. But the courts can overrule them when children are involved. Otherwise, I am sort of a live and let live person. People have to live with their chosen delusions and JW are not much more delusional than most of the other people on the earth. So I'm not worried about trying to pull people out of the religion. People will only question things and do the proper research when they are ready. There is plenty of available information ready to be accessed when someone is ready.

One of the few truths that I know is that people are born and they die. Civilizations progress and regress. Some things get better and some things get worse. I want to enjoy my life and I want to use my life for progress and helping things get a little better. Spending hours researching people's irrational beliefs is an interesting field of study but not interesting enough to me to spend a significant amount of time doing it. I'd rather spend my time doing other things.

Gayle

Some never gave their heart & soul to JWdom anyway, or just a little, like dating someone but mutually broke off, wasn't working. But some of us gave our heart & soul, love, youth, much time, commitment, finances, like commitment of marriage. But later found that we were manipulated, used, lied to, & then this one damaged our reputation to a group called our friends. I have moved on from this WTS liar years ago and gained a good life but when we see it still going on,,abuse of more people, children, financial gain, isn't it right to speak out about the WTS reality to possibly spare at least some.

sacrebleu

Maxwell, you say you didn't do much research but you DID read a couple of books. That is more than some people do. I think the people who avoid researching are afraid they will find out the JWs are right and they don't want to know that.

When I first started fading I avoided the whole thing for a while because I still thought they had the truth, but I compared it to a patient who figures out that they would rather die of an incurable disease than put up with the treatment that causes a prolonged, painful death anyway.

I sincerely still believed that they had the only way, but I was so miserable I didn't care. So I went out and acted any way I wanted to. Finally I realized I could have belief in God without being a JW. It was an awesome, cheering discovery! So freeing!!!!!!!!! I have been much happier ever since.

I just feel bad for the people who don't realize that the JWs are not the only way to God like they claim. It's like they have been given a gift and they just take it and never open it.

sacrebleu

LongHairGal

All these posts are excellent. This topic about 'believing walkaways' is something I never thought much about but I have met a few. I also know of a 'believing unbaptized person' who is the daughter of a person I know. She never made the 'Truth' her 'own' but she still feels positively towards it. Go figure. I guess I could be categorized as a non-believing fader.

I think BigWilly, Maxwell and Gayle sum up my thoughts. I was never much of a witness. I was on the fringes and worked full time. I could never keep up with all the endless reading and didn't bother with much except a little bible reading, some consideration of the WT article and maybe I read the bookstudy chapter (only if it interested me). I felt that all that reading was not necessary and wasn't even possible for people who worked full time. I got low hours in field service and saw the apathy at the doors. Couldn't stand it. All in all, I sucked as a JW. I didn't feel much guilt because I felt I made enough concessions morality-wise just to be in the damn religion.

Like BigWilly I lacked motivation and interest. Like Maxwell I was never interested in doing hours of research - even when I was a 'believer' and am always astounded at the depth of knowledge and research that some posters put into their posts. They sure put me to shame! Like Gayle, I never gave my heart and soul (thank god) because I thought it was impossible to do so and wasn't entirely convinced about all their beliefs but kept my doubts to myself.

I am just trying to move on.

LHG

sosad

it was years before I looked at any of the doctinal arguments against the jws- their history, the flip flops, the hypocracy, the stupidity, and the mean spiritedness was easy to see- but to actually do the reasearch and see they were not the Truth was difficult

why do so many "non witness " jws not bother to find out the "truth"

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