It is tempting, but I don't see EVER going back for any reason. 25 years was more than adequate, I can remember it clearly enough.
-mentallyfree31-
Anyone been out for a long time, then for whatever reason went to a meeting or convention? What was it like to you now?
by Think About It 22 Replies latest jw friends
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jamiebowers
No. I almost had a panic attack just reading your thread's title.
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jaguarbass
I've been out since 83.
I used to have nightmares in the 90's about going back.
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WTWizard
I get enough of it on this forum. And I can see all the blatant lies contained within all the discourses. At least here I can comment on how they are ruining people's lives with that religion.
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man in black
After reading these comments the scripture about the dog returning to its vomit, and the sow rolling in the mire comes to mind.
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hoj
I think it is the same thing for someone who left any church and then to go back. Not someone who left because he didn't get around to going, but one who left for reason. For the first few years of being away I felt that I shouldn't be there because they were wrong about some things. Being away was like being in the wilderness where I could study without being guided by those I considered in error. At some point after the few years I started feeling like I should go back because they needed what I understood. Sitting there and listening I had the feeling of being raped. I'm thinking NO! NO! NO!. But the message keeps going.
When I went back I knew that I couldn't just start blabbing the things I wanted to share. But after a few months I felt I earned the right to start sharing things with the pastor. He wasn't at all interested in being taught anything. The same thing happened in various churches that I tried going into. Now I wonder why I wanted to go back into prison. But if I can't and shouldn't go back, I need to feel like "let her burn."
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somebody
Hi Think About It,
I left in late 1979, and attended a two part ( two Thursday nights) meeting in 2002 to tape the instruction from the WTS to it's followers on how to treat Disfellowhipped and Da'd Relatives.
I didn't go to the same KH I had left, for it's now a church for a different religion. I went to a KH in North Attleboro MASS.
It felt really good to go to the kingdom hall dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt! :-)
It was absolutly sickening and one of the the "brothers" who stand in the doorway to greet you actually acted embarassed that we were there, as "potential converts", for a meeting discussing to never even speak a greeting to family members are df'd or da'd. Included was how to treat disfellowhipped CHILDREN.
When the meeting ended and we were trying to rush out the door, he told us that we should come back on a Sunday when they have the "good good talks"! Those were his exact words!
Other than that, the examples that were "acted out" on the stage were the SAME as they were in 1979. A "sister" was up on the stage as a JW at the door step of a householder and talked about inflation and how bad the world is "today" and went on to offer a Watchtower.
One little boy kept STARING at us, for we must have looked like aliens to him because we were wearing jeans, ( I attended with zev, BTW). His mom had to keep telling him to turn around and face the stage.
peace,
somebody/gwen
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PrimateDave
I didn't attend for over 3 years, then went back because of family. I couldn't stand it for very long. I let it be known I wasn't going with them anymore. I did make an exception for the Memorial this year, just to keep peace.
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Think About It
For whatever reason, some people will go back to possibly hear a family member speak, see family, hear some "new light" with their own ears or just reinforce to themselves that it is not the truth. I've not even come close to remotely attending in 15 yrs. The only way I could see myself possibly attending would be making friends with an X-JW and maybe out of curiosity attending a Memorial, part of a Convention day or something like the Generation change WT study with them.
Somebody/Gwen.......I hope they were tight jeans. You left right when I was getting started. (left in 95')
Think About It
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not a captive
The Idea of going makes me sick, it started when a brother in a sort of shepherding meeting told me that I had to go with the Bible story book to say that God told Abraham" kill your son and offer him up as a sacrifice" rather than point out the more spiritual reading that was in the scripture .
He demanded this. After that day I had a harder and harder time going to meeting--even though I was very regular before. One day ,just half amile from the Hall I pulled off the road into an empty parking lot and didn't know what to do. I could not make myself go that day.
So I guess I was "out" and didn't know it.
I had stopped commenting--not because the brothers forbid me to comment--they just had said that I had to go with the literature instead of the bible, and that tore I for me.