easier to leave christendom or wts?

by diamondiiz 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  diamondiiz

  This is mostly for those that were recruited by jws from another christian religion. I was brought up a RC and converted to wts religion when I was young and naive. When I switched over to wts I felt some anger towards my former religion but it was NOTHING compare to what I feel towards wts. When I left the catholic church I was angry that I didn't really learn the bible, I didn't know that God had a name and that we prayed to images, and one of the big things was the expose of priests molesting kids. When I learned the truth about wts, one of the biggest things that made me realize that I had to leave was the false dates, but the pedophile scandel made me see clearer that wts was lying as much as rc. When I left rc I felt angry but I didn't dwell on wasted life, or wasted years as I grew up being a catholic but not in a strict religious family. The anger wasn't bitter nor did it last long since I got over it fairly quickly. Leaving wts was a totally different experience. I would describe my anger more like a rage and hatered of the GB and the wts leadership who are destroying so many lives with their BS! It's hard to just let go and leave the past - thus I'm still here a regular. From wts experience I know I will never join another religion and really I don't even know if there is a god or not and at present I really don't care.

  Just curious how others describe their feelings towards their former religion after becoming a jw and similarities or differences after leaving wts.
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  Farkel

  :easier to leave christendom or wts?

  You're joking, right?

  Farkel
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  WTWizard

  Leaving the Catholic church: I had to send in a letter of resignation. I never got a reply to it, nor did it affect the way other Catholics viewed me.

  To leave the witlesses: I had to confuse the hounders by alternating which congregation's boasting sessions I would attend and which congregation I would do field circus with. And, gradually introduce blowing them all off. They still wanted to find out why I was not going to all the boasting sessions--if they had half a brain, they would realize that telling me to just meet men could possibly lead to my blowing off boasting sessions, and playing hardball by making them waste time and energy worrying about it.
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  teel

  Leaving my former protestant religion: went to the local priest and told him to cut me off their list. After long discussions I found out I was never on their list, because after I turned 18 I should have gone to register myself as a member of the church. Now, after clearing my head from mind control, I can see the stark contrast between my "forced" child-baptism, and the "optional" child-baptism of the JWs. A 12 year old child will be full member of the JWs before he can understand what's he getting into, and I, the "infant baptized" was never actually a member.

  Leaving the JWs: the difference is the amount of control. It's a world of difference between the mainstream churches' control and the JW one. So once you fight your way out, you're left with realization that you gave up so much, and followed an immense amount of rules just to be on the good side of a cult that is in no way better than any other religion. Anger is an understatement...
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  chickpea

  i was "lapsed" as an RC
  when i assimilated into the b0rg
  so i guess i am just a habitual fader
  when it comes to organized religion....

  but i DO know what you mean about
  the anger at the RC when i thought
  the "the truth" had been revealed
  to me by the b0rg... actually it was
  much more agonizing to separate
  from the WTS, much more of a
  crisis of faith...
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  Lieu

  I just walked out of the WT meeting one day and never went back. Of course, I was single w/no kids too which made it quite easy.

  One time tho' one of the new youngie type elders came by to have an encoura- talkie along with a sister (guess they were out making RVs in the area or whatever). Guy sat so far across the room that I yelled, "Do I offend?" When he looked as though he couldn't comprehend, I said, "Brother I'd send the question by carrier pigeon but I think they all died in the war".

  The sister almost fell out of the chair laughing and the elder youngin' turned beet red; which was interesting since he was a med brown complexioned AA guy.

  Weird, he never came back.

  Anywho, people with whole families in the JWs is a huge difference from people whose whole families are say Catholics. (Pentacostles are like JWs tho'.) Catholics really don't care and they'll still associate as long as you are family. Basically, Catholics (nowadays) they'll just try and be nice to win you back whereas JWs treat you like a dog (ie. Medieval Catholisism behavior), family or not, and think this somehow will win people back.
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  diamondiiz

  I was refering more to the feelings towards the past religion (believe system). I know that wts is one of the hardest cults to leave physically without a possible loss of family and so called friends but personal feelings towards wts believe system itself alside from the way of exit differ greatly IMO too. I find that the feelings after leaving wts linger longer and are more negative than after leaving other believe system when joining wts.
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  straightshooter

  I never had bad feelings toward the Baptist denomination. Yes beliefs were different, so I just did not believe in hellfire, Trinity, etc. anymore. I did not feel hurt, because none of those "wrong" doctrines hurt me or my family.

  But the beliefs of the WTS did hurt me and my family. Disfellowshipping and alienation is a cruel blow for a family. Wasted opportunities in secular education and employment made it difficult to make a good living for my family. So do I have bitter feelings toward the WTS? Definitely so.
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  dgp

  Marked for reference.
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  Married to the Mob

  To leave the angilcan church you just walk away. Do you need to write a letter, up to you.

  My wife is convinced to leave any religion you have to write a letter disassociating yourself. But then thats what she has been taught!