Dealing with reality after leaving the witnesses

by lancelink 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  OnTheWayOut

  I totally relate to what you are saying. I think with me, coming from the JW's has made me skeptical of every group.
  I don't mind giving to local charity that defines what it is doing with the money- directly buying toys for kids or collecting for a certain family where the child has a brain tumor- but I still hate giving to large charity organizations or dropping money in a bucket. WTS has made me assume that a charity organization is profit-driven. I certainly would assume that anything that begs for money to help children or animals and runs commercials for the same would need a bunch of money for overhead and paid fund-raisers.

  I don't mind buying flowers or a product on the street, but hate to give money to beggars. Sometimes, I carry food items (sealed) to give to them. The cons are just as good as the legit ones, I can't tell the difference, so I assume they are all cons, but a really hungry person would not turn down food.

  I won't comment on the specific causes you mention, I have no idea about them.
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  I quit!

  "how long did it take you to finally move on and be able to freely do something out of the feeling found deep within your soul and not have the wt diverting all of your thoughts and energies into what they wanted you to be focusing on ??"

  I think it was about 5 minutes. I did all the things LouBelle did. I started giving to charities at work. I always make a point of putting some in the Salvation Army kettles at this time of year. At times I have been involved in volunteer work. I guess I was so happy to be away from all their nonsense I felt no guilt doing all the things they didn't approve of. The only strange side effect I remember after leaving (I've mentioned it on the board before) was I felt like I should be telling people something like I did when I was JW and felt I had all the answers. Fortunately that feeling went away pretty quick.
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  Justitia Themis

  ,,,,, how long did it take you to finally move on and be able to freely do something out of the feeling found deep within your soul and not have the wt diverting all of your thoughts and energies into what they wanted you to be focusing on ??

  ...about 30 seconds. I was born in and wasted 43 years there. Thank God for the internet, archived documents, and scholarly databases. Once I had the information I needed to make my decision, I bolted. Everything I always wanted to pursue, but couldn't, was open to me. Being a JW was an uncomfortable fit for me. I always spoke against the arrogance, bitterness, hatred of education, etc.

  I think it makes a difference whether a person was born/raised a JW or converted. If one is born/raised a JW, it is a decision and lifestyle that is foisted on one. If one converts, then that means there was some inner need that was probably met by JWs. Leaving JWs will not solve the initial inner problem.