Any actually embarrased to admit they were Witnesses?

Robert7

When I was active, I was always (usually) proud to talk about being a JW, our faith, reasons for our stupid beliefs on Birthdays, X-mas, etc.

Now with everything I'm going through, given how much of an impact this is to my life, I want to talk to others about it, like coworkers, and other friends.

But thinking about how I would explain how it's a mind-controlling cult, I feel STUPID for falling for it. I actually am embarrassed that I believed it for 10 years, to the point where I just don't bring it up.

If I do bring it up, I will mention that I was in, and I'm leaving because I don't believe it anymore. I don't mention all the stupid rules, all the required meetings, the mind-control, etc, because like I said, I feel stupid to say "I was in a cult".

Anyone else agree?

shamus100

I don't like to talk about it with others. People just don't understand.

Finally-Free

I'm embarrassed to tell people I was a JW, especially because I was an adult convert. I feel stupid for not researching it from all sides before committing myself to it.

W

blondie

I choose when I bring up being an ex-jw just like I did when a jw. I figured no one was volunteering they were Catholic, atheist, or Bahai.

mind my own

I don't tell anyone except for a select few people that are very close to me and I know they would never judge me. I don't discuss it though. It's embarrassing and I always think people will think less of me, or that I will lose some of my credibility with them if they find out.

MMO

Witness 007

Yes I was at Jonestown but my coolaid didn't have enough poison so I lived.....I was one of the Branch Davidians that got out before the fire....I was a Heavens Gate member who was visiting friends when the comet left for another planet.....I'm more embarrased then all these people!

Quirky1

Hail Yeah! I deny every bit of it!

dinah

It doesn't bother me now. Really, I kept pretty quiet about the whole thing until I "woke up". Even as a young adult, I would never tell anyone that I grew up as a Dub.

When I was in school I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me most of the time.

parakeet

I was embarrassed as a dub, and I'm embarrassed now to say I ever was a dub, even though I was forced in as a child.

Whenever anyone asks about my religion, I tell them I attended the Lutheran church as a child (This is true, although it only consisted of a few years of Sunday school when I was very small).

sweet pea

I was more embarrassed to admit I was one when I was in.

Now I'm fully out I'm proud to annouce I was one and escaped the cult! People are wide eyed and interested when you tell them - it's like being privvy to a secret society. It also takes a huge amount of courage and humility to admit you were wrong/deceived and to leave knowing you will lose all your friends and possibly your family too just for being true to yourself.

Sometimes too by opening up you can find similar ground with others - just in the last couple of weeks a couple of new girlfriends I opened up to admitted they had all been in controlling religions - Church of Christ and Seventh Day Adventist - we had SO much in common and I got the feeling that they don't often talk about their experiences for all the above posters' reasons.

The more you talk about it the less of a big deal it becomes. I'm just aware not to talk about it too often with non-JWs - instead I come here and chew the fat at ex-JW meetups.

Any actually embarrased to admit they were Witnesses?

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