Confession time! I was raised in the troof and therefor never "chose" it. I find it really hard to get my head around why anyone would ever join this organization as an adult. When I read about people becoming a JW at 20/30/40 I can't help a little part of me going "WTF? What were you thinking?!" To this day I don't know how they get a single adult to baptism. I think it's one of those things my head just can't compute.
Can any who grew up JW relate to this?
by Mickey mouse 46 Replies latest jw friends
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Junction-Guy
Simple---They lie and are damn good at it.
Just like you I was born in and wondered why on earth my Dad would ever choose to join that cult. So I decided to have a study myself just to see what would draw a person into this religion. I was lied to several times. -
lurker
My experience has been that most that come in later in life have a lot of baggage. Many emotional problems or personal problems that WT somehow seems to help with. They see a paradise, with a presumed wonderful future compared with their bleak life. They get they think instant friends. As a past elder for many years I have seen most of the ones coming in like this. And I have seen most of them leave eventually once they get a feel for how it really is. Just my observation.
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dinah
MM,
From talking to others, I've noticed the Witnesses usually catch someone at a low point when they feel hopeless or helpless.
But I share your questions about that. Then again, we were trying to run away from da troof. Its almost like standing back and watching people run into a burning building or something.
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Tired of the Hypocrisy
I was not born into it, but rather my folks walked into it when I was around 5 or 6 years old. My life was a happy one until they got baptized, then it was a never-ending whirlwind of meetings, studying, assemblies, and all the other crap that goes with it. I know my folks were pentecostals before they went into the jw religion and they caught hell from all sides of the family for doing it. So there was more things to be unhappy about as a child. My folks had their doubts about a lot of the crap the wbts dished out and were pretty much inactive for much of their career on the wt sales team. In fact, during the inactive period from 1975-1980 my dad revealed his heavenly hope. They caught more crap for that because only pioneers and beth-HELLites get to be annointed....LOL There was so much complaining about how the assholes at the hall behaved that I have no idea why they stayed in so long, except that maybe they were scared to death to leave and kill us kids at armageddon. The couple that brought them in scared the living shit outta my folks, and my folks in turn scared the hell out of us kids. I suppose it boils down to believing the scare tactics and being too scared to get out.....Maybe like a deer caught in a car's headlights.....
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bigmouth
Lurker nailed it.
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joelbear69
there are a lot of lonely people in the world.
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Mickey mouse
Its almost like standing back and watching people run into a burning building or something.
Spot on Dinah! That's exactly what it's like!
Lurker, you made a good point. I'm sure they get many at a low point in their life. Or maybe shortly after having children when their perspective and concerns have shifted. I've noticed that often.
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Alpaca
Mick,
I am right there with ya' on this one...WTF!!!!
But, I also agree with the other posters (I was an elder) that the adults who join the Borg do it for reasons other than the fact that they have found a belief system that makes perfect sense.
Some get baptized so they can marry a Dub (saw that many times). Many, many others are vulnerable emotional wrecks when the Dubs contact them and they get sucked into with the love-bombing. And there are others who just, plain don't think it through.
All the best to everyone,
Alex
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brinjen
My experience has been that most that come in later in life have a lot of baggage. Many emotional problems or personal problems that WT somehow seems to help with. They see a paradise, with a presumed wonderful future compared with their bleak life. They get they think instant friends. As a past elder for many years I have seen most of the ones coming in like this. And I have seen most of them leave eventually once they get a feel for how it really is. Just my observation.
Bingo! I was also raised in it, spent my childhood either wishing I could one day find out it's not true and walk away or wishing I'd never known about it in the first place. At least one of my dreams came true. But seriously, who can re-call seeing a happy, successful, well adjusted "newbie" coming into their kingdumb hell? I can't re-call any.