I have a theory. Please take my poll!

by changeling 140 Replies latest jw friends

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  compound complex

  Hi changeling:

  And I don't fancy this a scientific response!

  Though I thought I was making my own choice to serve Jehovah at 19-years old, I now realize that I was indoctrinated and, hence, recruited. I didn't have the luxury of clear-headedness as I've always been susceptible to outside influence sans the critical thinking. A people-pleaser.

  Now that we've come to our senses - out from under the influence - we have a veritable spiritual smorgasbord. Sure, according to the Society, that means Babylon the Great and food from the Devil. But for all their putative purity, the WTB&TS is a bloodguilty object of idolatry. Some of us are shell-shocked irreparably, some enraged, some numb and so forth.

  Whether we chose our our own volition or were born into Jehovah's Witnesses, we actually had no choice in the matter: THOUGHT CONTROL, BEHAVIOUR CONTROL, EMOTION CONTROL, INFORMATION CONTROL, LOVE BOMBING ................................

  CoCo
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  marsal
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  marsal

  1) No

  2) N/A

  3) Christian
• 

  BizzyBee

  1- Were you raised a witness or not? Yes, raised in it.

  2-If you were, was your family very "theocratic" or not so much? Immediate family - not so much. Extended family - yes

  3- Where do you stand on religion now? Christian, pagan, atheist/agnostic, undecided...Pastafarian
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  Cellist

  1. No
  
  2. No
  
  3. Undecided
  
  
  Cellist
• 

  mentalclearness

  Well while I think it's an interesting poll but you have to take into account that people that are in an exjw foum are probably not necessarily an actual representation of all ex jw's. I mean most people here have been royally screwed over which would probably make them even more apathetic towards religion IMO. Just thinking of some alternative explanations for the results.
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  Hortensia

  I agree anyone who was raised JW and got out has had enough religion for several lifetimes. I checked out a lot of religions after leaving the org., all of them nauseated me. Buddhism was interesting for a while, but in the long run, it's just another religion. Yuck. Mouthy, if you want to pray for people, go ahead. If we don't believe in god, it can hardly hurt us, eh? I go through spells of praying, don't believe it matters if there is anyone listening. In fact I'm sure no one is listening, but still prayer is a form of meditation.
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  serotonin_wraith

  Perhaps another criteria could have been added- Did you like being raised a witness?

  Plenty only left when they found out it was a lie, not because they minded God killing nearly everyone or the hope of a JW only paradise.

  It was those things which took away my want for God. Learning facts led me naturally to atheism.

  Raised in a nicer religion, I may have wanted there to be a god, and I'd have had two things to overcome before becoming atheist (my want for a god and my ignorance of facts). The JW religion just stripped one factor away for me.

  Though I'm not atheist because I don't want Yahweh to be real. That never stopped me believing when I was young.
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  VoidEater

  1- Were you raised a witness or not?

  Yes

  2-If you were, was your family very "theocratic" or not so much?

  Elder dad; field service every weekend (not happily on Dad's part); never miss a meeting; strict; but tolerant of others

  3- Where do you stand on religion now? Christian, pagan, atheist/agnostic, undecided...

  The jury is out; I balance profound experiences of the Divine against lack of verifiable evidence.
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  leftbelow

  1. Rasied

  2. Very very devout for 3 generations

  3. undecided about everything in my life right now