To Ex-JWs: Do You Regret Learning it Was a Lie? (page 4)

AWAKE&WATCHING

I am so happy to be free, I was miserable in the cult, I never felt right about it. I knew in my gut something was wrong all along.

VoidEater

Nope. I like who I am much better than who I would have been.

Wasn't it nice knowing, not merely hoping or believing, but knowing that you were right, that God looked with favor upon you, that you were one of a small group that comprised God's true people, and had a glorious future awaiting?

Aside from looking forward to having a pet lion, I never felt that God "looked with favor" upon me, and I never felt comfortable with seeing myself as "one of a small group". Honestly.

Instead, I knew I could never measure up to God (and the beatings I got for failure were great proof), I disliked being one of a certain elder's "special ones", and I never believed that God was going to destroy all the "worldlies."

Finding out that it was indeed all a lie was the biggest relief I could imagine.

Sadly, my dad tells me he is just too conditioned into being a part of the religion that it's too late for him to change. All I can do is agree that as long as he believes he needs them, he will.

AK - Jeff

It's an interesting idea.

I have thought of this. But I imagine something like the 'Butterfly Effect' as the result. You can never find the right spot to reverse matters so that 'everything' turns out best. Someone will always end up hurt.

Jeff

undercover

It is an interesting question. Using the Matrix as a comparison...how fun is it to live on cold, dank "ship" or in an undeground city? Wouldn't it be better to be ignorant of the reality that exists and live happily in the Matrix?

Those that do live underground cherish more than comfort though...they cherish freedom of mind. So they don't get to live in a fabricated society that seemingly takes care of them but they have to put up with some hardships in order to keep their freedom.

The same with the JW belief system. Which is better? To live in a seemingly spiritual paradise where all you've got to do is obey and you'll get to live forever on a paradise earth (as far as you know) or...question the beliefs, question the authority and put up with the hardships of being cast out of that paradise? Once you know that the paradise doesn't exist, you realize that you're not losing anything...but you are gaining freedoms never enjoyed before.

As Olin Moyles Ghost pointed out, there is a price to pay for intellectual honesty. Apparently there are some who are lazy or intellectually dishonest and would rather stay hooked up to the Matrix...but there are those, most of us here, I dare say, that prefer that honesty and freedom over comfort and taking the easy way out.

I personally do not regret learning the real truth about the WT Society and I would never choose to go back into the Matrix. I'd rather hang out with you guys here on the "Nebuchadnezzar"...

dissed

Well said Undercover.......

Dissed of the Neil class

KingDavidwasframed

I like no longer worrying about Armageddon JW style and me being on the outs. I got tired of being a whipping boy on the inside. I love who I am now and have no complaints. Learning what I have just makes life more complete.

John Doe

or the Truman Show.

Farkel

Hell NO! Can you imagine the thought of finding out that the ONLY way to salvation was to spend your entire life in misery, having every move you make watched and regulated by a bunch of self-aggrandized assholes who only care about themselves and then being RULED FOR ETERNITY by these same assholes?

Phew! I'm glad I found out how false it is!

Farkel

Mickey mouse

I will be honest. Most of the time I am happy that I now know the WTS is not God's organization. But some of the time I find myself wishing I just never found out and would have stayed a mindless robot.

Being technically "IN" and knowing the real truth has been both freeing (in the sense that I am free to think for myself and learn for myself) and at the same time it has made me feel trapped. Trapped in the sense that I don't know whether to completely leave the borg and risk losing half of my family and possibly causing a strain in my marriage, or just stay in to prevent all that but risk feeling like I'm leading a double life and losing who I really am. I enjoy the time I spend with the witness family I have, but it makes me sick to my stomach having to listen to all their stupid bs about how the world is bad and its a good thing we have the truth and field service this and meeting that.

I just feel lost at this point and don't know where to go from here. I guess what I really regret is not questioning the witnesses when they first came and talked to me so that I could have prevented this whole mess in the first place.

dig692, I really feel for you because I was in the same situation. My fade is happening gradually and I have been able to withdraw to a large extent from the borg without (so far) the problems I envisaged with my extended family.

It does get easier.

leavingwt

Aside from looking forward to having a pet lion, I never felt that God "looked with favor" upon me, and I never felt comfortable with seeing myself as "one of a small group". Honestly.

Instead, I knew I could never measure up to God (and the beatings I got for failure were great proof), I disliked being one of a certain elder's "special ones", and I never believed that God was going to destroy all the "worldlies."

Finding out that it was indeed all a lie was the biggest relief I could imagine.

VoidEater -- I can really relate to these comments. I usually felt like I would die at Armageddon.

To Ex-JWs: Do You Regret Learning it Was a Lie?

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