Just finished talking to an old JW friend....

by R.F. 21 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  R.F.

  ....and it was all that I expected.

  She and I were extremely close at one time, but we sort of lost touch with each other over a year or go or so, not getting to talk to each other much within that time frame. She's a very hardcore Pioneer as I once was. I think that's why we got along so great. All of a sudden tonight, she sent an IM to me out of no where.

  Well I told her about how I don't believe in the JW beliefs anymore. Of course, she tried to "convince" to return to the flock, but her responses had "Reasoning Book" written all over them, plus she avoided some heavy questions that I put to her. She begged me to not become an apostate and she said she definitely doesn't see me the same way anymore. She said that i'm not a bad person, but that in order to be a good person I must preach, go to meetings, and have faith....in the JW beliefs of course.

  She kept asking me what did I do. I HAD to have done something wrong, or talk to someone to cause me to lose faith. She said she viewed me with the utmost respect, until I dropped the bombshell on her a little while ago, plus she said that I upset her so much with this news. She just kept saying that Satan is screwing around with my head right now.

  To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she never talks to me again. The way the conversation ended didn't sound too promising, but hopefully I gave her some things to think about.

  It's so sad how they're taught to lump everyone that doesn't practice their religion into one pile of bird food.

  R.F.
• 

  purplesofa

  Kudos for being straight up with her. I know it's difficult to realize everything is so conditional.

  We peel off layers as we come away from the JW experiance

  I called it unravelling.........

  and also picking up rocks, big rocks, hard to manage, almost too big to pick up. Thats how it is in the beginning. Then the rocks get smaller and easier to manage, you move right along, picking each one up, fits right in your hand, boy I got this aced now............then comes the fine tuning, and its like sifting through sand.....we pick up alot of sand to find an irritating little pebble every so often.

  purps
• 

  changeling

  So much for acceptance, tolerance and unconditional love...
• 

  R.F.

  and also picking up rocks, big rocks, hard to manage, almost too big to pick up. Thats how it is in the beginning. Then the rocks get smaller and easier to manage, you move right along, picking each one up, fits right in your hand, boy I got this aced now............then comes the fine tuning, and its like sifting through sand.....we pick up alot of sand to find an irritating little pebble every so often.

  Thanks for that Purps. That is so true.

  R.F.
• 

  AWAKE&WATCHING

  RF -It amazes me how we can be so close to someone and yet it is totally conditional. When I told my best friend of 17 years why I didn't believe anymore I was shocked at what she said. I told her I would be her best friend forever if she didn't shun me and she looked at me dead in my eye and said, "But Robin, what would we have in common?"

  Of course she was right. The thought of being around that garbage just sickens me now.

  Purps - very insightful and I love your new avatar.
• 

  R.F.

  AWAKE&WATCHING, experiences like that are so sad to hear.

  An individuals good qualities mean nothing to them unless you're a cog in the JW system just as they are. They are missing out on so much in life.

  R.F.
• 

  R.F.

  I'll also mention that since i'm not an active JW anymore, it was automatically assumed by her that life has to be just miserable for me. She doesn't think it's possible for someone to have a happy life without being a JW automaton. Brainwashing really runs deep.

  R.F.
• 

  truthsearcher

  I wondered if there is any chance of this conversation getting back to the elders and causing trouble for you?
• 

  Honesty

  When I broke the news to one of my best friends (Service Overbearer in my first congregation here in Tennessee) he admitted to having some doubts about the Faceless Diseased Slave put soon put them to rest by asking me who had I been fornicating with.

  "No one leaves Jehovah's organization unless they have been fornicating or smoking."

  "I know you wouldn't go back to smoking. Are you having immoral sexual relations with a sister?"

  So much for trusting the sisters, huh.

  Dumb shits can't get it through their thick skulls that people do leave because it just ain't the truth.
• 

  brunnhilde

  All the old friends that I've spoken to, except for one, have all said the same thing - "I'm always here if you want to talk" but what they really mean, and what was born out by the conversation, is that they're always here if I want to listen to THEM talk and explain to me why I'm so wrong and sadly misguided! The last thing they intend to do is to openly and honestly LISTEN to why I left.

  brunn