Lady Lee, that was so well said. Very few other than Jws can understand what we have been set free from. There are days I shed tears because I am so grateful to be free from that grip. The sacrifice worth it! My prayer is for all to be able to make their peace with the past, accept it for what it was and take joy & comfort that they are out. Love & peace to all.
Why is it important for us to keep telling our stories
by Lady Lee 17 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
AuntBee
Ode To JWD, from an outsider:
Due to family friends I have come to know and love, I began to research Jehovahs Witnesses. While researching on the internet, i stumbled across JWD. I was already quite familiar with the "unique" doctrines, but I didn't have a clue about the practices that can be so devastating to families, and one's autonomy and mental/spiritual health. IT is perplexing to me that these issues have not received more publicity, and I've already explored some local avenues/opportunities for getting this info more exposure.
I have read many threads and many bios, and have felt anger and sadness. Not being an exJW, I almost felt like I shouldn't be here, like I was crashing someone's support group. But I always felt welcome, and even enjoyed a few PMs with some neat people. This is such a unique group (born-ins, UBMs, faders, atheists, agnostics, BACs, etc), but all share that experience of being "touched by the tentacles of the Watchtower" as KoolAidman puts it.
I'm amazed at the level of intelligence displayed here. You all deserve a book deal! Thanks for sharing; it has definitely illumined me, and moved me!
Love, auntbee
-
snowbird
Lady Lee,
Sylvia
-
Nosferatu
You know what's great about this place? You can tell others that you don't get along with your parents because of abuse, and they won't say "but they're your parents, you're SUPPOSED to get along with them!" I get that from other people and other message forums. This is one place where others understand what abuse is all about, and how it affects a person's life.
-
WTWizard
This is like looking at reviews of a product before buying it. Chances are, if you get enough reviews, someone is going to think of it as crap. Likely they abused the product or expected way too much out of it, and gave it a crap review.
But, if virtually every review stated that it was a piece of crap, I would put much more weight on it. You get comments that the product broke right out of the box, that it did more damage than good, or that it simply could not do its job no matter how you try. Some comments will compare it with other brands that actually worked much better (and often for the same price or less). Very few positive comments will be made about such a product, and those would reflect unusually good experiences or people with extremely low expectations.
The Jehovah's Witless religion is like that crap product where virtually every objective review was bad. The whole religion is a scam set up to get you to join under threat of dying "real soon", and then stay in "because the end is so close". Lives are ruined. People are burdened to death (Jesus said that the load would be light). They put more weight on the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger (do not put your trust in nobles--whatever happened to that?) than in Jesus, who they are supposed to be following. And the majority of the reviews are like that.
All of which tells me that the religion is nothing more than a piece of crap at an extremely high price.
-
SnakesInTheTower
very nice LL..
I for one will be glad when newbies are allowed to start registering again. Their stories are often the most inspiring.
We get an occasional newbie that has been lurking on here that registered before registration on JWD was closed....but it was nicer when there were lots of em.
When JWN gets going and registration opens again, yes we will have to deal with more trolls again...but it is worth it to hear more stories..
Snakes ()
PS...i know there was discussion of a self-mod function on JWN...but are any of the JWD mods making the transfer as mods?...or a new group? or none? Just wondering...
-
Lady Lee
flipper - you are a gift to them. It must be so scarty to go through this alone and having to face up to a bunch of elders that want to hide what happened. Let them know they are not alone and they can and will get through this
MM
Reading other people's stories has been a great comfort to me. As Farkel says, their story is my story!
That's the sole reason I keep talking about it. There are too many others who need to know they are not alone.
Loubelle
Around the time I started getting involved with ex-JW members I hooked up with a meet-up for ex-cult members. Their stories are very similar. The abuses may vary a bit in the details but the effects on us are all the same. Listening to people from other groups was very interesting But yuou are right, most people do not understand
AuntBee
The way I see it is that the more other people know then hopefully they can pass that knowledge on to anyone who might become involved. I think in the earlier years of JWs being on the internet the main focus was the doctrine. What we have come to realize over the years is that the psychological and emotional impact is far more harmful that any religious belief that is supposed to be unique to them. More people now are leaving not because of the religious interpretations but rather they leave because of the abusive way power is used against those who have no voice.
-
Lady Lee
WTWizard
It is that one-sided belief with no opposing discussion that must be allowed. But let's face it there is no way they would ever allow that.
Snakes
I agree new posters always bring the opportunity to take one more look at the way the WTS has messed with people.
PS...i know there was discussion of a self-mod function on JWN...but are any of the JWD mods making the transfer as mods?...or a new group? or none? Just wondering...
So far I don't know what is happening with that