by alfmel 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
What percentage of the congregation would you estimate remains active due to the fear of being shuned if they were to leave?
It is always possible to fade away without being shunned...even if you have family that are active. The way to get shunned is to meet them head on and tell them how wrong they are...discretion makes sense..
We left right away after we realized it was a lie.
I never went back after a moment of clarity during a WT study. I knew I was probably losing everybody I knew and had ever known, family and friends. As painful as that knowledge was, it was not enough to stop me from moving forward on the journey out.
Not everybody, there's ME!!!
I worried for my kids until certain events took care of that, then it was easy for them to make the break. For those that shun me it was painful at first but then you realize who your true friends are and you make new ones.
It was a fear because the cult was all I knew. I was concerned that my mum and brother would shun me and I know they will if I DA or get DF'd, but I now know it will be their loss not mine.
My biggest fear was losing an inheritance, but I would rather lose that then lose my children to the cult.
We left right away after we realized it was a lie.
Same, here.
I asked myself: Who will be shunning me?
Answer: People who can only be concerned with my status, because of what WT has done to their minds.
Can I change their minds? Very likely NOT.
So, I moved on. (I did help some family members to escape.)
I knew it was lie when I was a teenager but figured I would go along just in case it was true and I didn't want to devastate my family. So I really threw myself into the religion only to realize even more so it was a fraud. So then tried to be just the average publisher but got continued pressure that I could do more and be more in the org (but not really since I'm female).
Then after several events in the congregation, I also had a moment of clarity at a meeting but mine was at the service meeting. I tried but could never bring myself to go back...
I was disillusioned with the people for a long time but never considered leaving until I saw the Fifth Estate documentary on child abuse in the JW cult. I held off leaving for 5 months because I was concerned about my mother shunning me. Spouse was irrelevent because it wasn't a real marriage anyway. I eventually DA'd, left the ex, and had a better relationship with my JW mom than previously.
W
designs
At the moment I left I wasn't sure of anything. But you were there for me. You probably saved me from going mad. It meant alot to have somebody to talk to 3, 5, 10 times a day through the crisis! That was a special time to work through all that stuff together.
Much better now. Lookie us...shunned and still alive to talk about it!!! hehehe
In posting my question I never thought I would receive such personal responses. Reading them makes my heart sink. Thank you for sharing your of your grief. I hope I didn't open any old wounds.
