DGP- Yes, I was offered unconditional love by non-witnesses while still a witness. My JW mom and dad's parents- my grandparents were never witnesses and they ALWAYS were the most loving human beings towards my JW family. They died in the early 1980's and I really miss them. Also- I reconnected this summer with an old high school buddy I had lost contact with for 30 years due to my being a JW. But I was coerced by my ex-wife a fanatic JW to end our friendship in our early 20's. So when I got back in touch with him last summer- apologizing to him as I was in a mind control cult - he was SO understanding and accepting . We have re-kindled our teenage friendship now that we are both in our early 50's ! He actually plays in a Beatles cover band as a bass player
Were you ever offered unconditional love by worldlies?
by dgp 13 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
dgp
Yesidid and John Doe, maybe there is no unconditional love. I won't argue on that. However, there is love that is a lot less conditional than what seems to be the rule within the WTS.
I have Baptist, Mormon, Pentecostal and Jewish friends, plus the many who are not serious about their religion and the Catholic bunch I am supposed to have as I was born a Catholic. I was the best man in the wedding of one of two of those friends. By the way, surprising as it can be, two of my married friends are a Mormon and a Baptist. The officiating minister or whatever he is called knew I wasn't a Baptist, but he didn't care. None of them has ever required me to change my religion if I want to go beyond mere casual contact with them. My mother is a staunch, very hard core Catholic, and, though she hates the idea that her son is now an unbeliever, she never shunned me. Neither have any of my friends or relatives, who do care about me and have shown it. Their love and friendship might be conditional, but much less so than what seems to be the standard in the WTS.
I can ask them to join me in a mall and have dinner. They don't look around to check whether a brother or sister happens to be there, too, and might rat them out. When I was a Catholic, no one ever told my mother that I had this Baptist friend. In fact, he was the one my mother preferred that I hang out with, because he was the "clean" guy who didn't smoke, didn't drink, and didn't have any orgies, like myself (well, two of three isn't bad, right?)
Brocephus, been there, done that already.
Flipper, I like your posts and the way you have rebuilt your life. I take it, then, that it was only due to external pressure that you cut contact with that old friend. The witness in my case has done the same. I wanted to know if she would ever keep in her mind the way I have shown her my love. Goldensky claims no woman could have resisted as much. I hope Goldensky is eventually right.
-
flipper
DGP- Yes, I was pressured by my then JW wife in the early 1980's to cut off contact with my good childhood friend. Non-witness people really are more forgiving I have noticed and will bury the hatchet much more readily. He was very excited to hear from me and get our friendship going agian. After 30 years even ! Amazing
-
VoidEater
Yes, I've been offered unconditional love by worldlies (as close as you can get on this mortal coil, at least).
It freaked me out. I just knew there was something I needed to do to deserve it, to be worthy of it, to EARN it.
They were patient and I finally got it - they just loved me the way I was, however that was.