Is just how deep the witlings manage to get their carp into the minds of people. Let me clarify that. With my active relatives I understand the brainwashing, because they continuously feed on the pap from the book publishing company. What I truly don't understand is the wife's relative that has been out for years and in no way lives the lifestyle of a witling. Smokes, drinks, celebrates holidays blah, blah, blah.
On Saturday my 7 yr old had her first gymnastics meet (three blue ribbons and a red, thanks for asking) and we talk the relative into goin along with us. This is a typical 'worldly' event made even worse by the fact that it's run by religious folks. So the event starts with a prayer followed by the national anthem. This bothers the former jw enough that he separates from us and goes to sit in another spot, in between leaving the building to go outside and smoke. I focus on my daughter and let it, and him, go (sort of, he's held hostage because I drove).
The event somes to a close and it's time to hand out ribbons. The gym has it set up so Santa Claus is the one handing out the ribbons to the girls. Very cute, lots of great photos and memories.
We go to lunch afterwards and listen to our daughter tell us all the 'cool' stuff that went on even though we were right there, because nothing beats a childs excitement. Mr ex-jw says nothing all during lunch, so after I paid I followed him outside to watch him smoke. I asked what was bothering him and he starts reading me the riot act about all the things he saw that in his opinion ***inhale marlboro*** were wrong and 'against what we were taught about jehovah' ***exhale***. So I started pointing out some of the obvious garbage that the WTS has been doing in the years since we left, pedophilia scandals, UN involvement and on and on. After I get so far he actually pointed in my face using the two fingers holding his smoke and told me, 'I don't care about any of that apostate crap xxx tells me you read about. If I ever make the decision to quit these things and get my life straightened out, I'll go back to the witnesses. They are the only ones with the truth, and you know it!"
With that ringing endorsement, how could I ever have left?