Studies have indicated that JWs are more likely to be depressed than non-JWs-, and if kids were polled, we would find them to be unhappy, too.
" i was out in the world and belive me!! Its a terrible place! We are so blessed to be in the truth!"
by highdose 38 Replies latest jw friends
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Married to the Mob
Mother in law says the same thing!
In my head the discovery chanel tune is playing but my response to her is how so?
Better quality of living
Longer life expectancy
higher percentage of literacy
Great access to information and news
More social mobility.
Lower violent crime rates
and I finsh off with this question:
How are you not in the outside world, even now?
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Mary
The main problem is not "the world" but rather the Organization. As Witnesses who are born-ins, you are taught very little practically coping skills and are certainly not encouraged to actually make plans for your future unless it involves pioneering. Higher education, adaquate self-esteem, learning to think for yourself are all big no-nos. In other words, the Organization keeps you thinking like a 10 year old who needs Mother and Father to make all their decisions for them no matter how abusive they might be. What are the chances that that 10 year old would be successful if he ran away from home? He has neither the mental and emotional skills to help him get through life, nor the financial resources. Pretty soon, that kid decides he has to go back home as at least it's familiar to him.
Witnesses and other high control groups are very much the same. Since we were never taught the essentials of how to deal with life's problems (other than waiting for the Nooo System of Things to come and wave it's Magic Wand and make all our problems go away), it is no surprise that some who leave go downhill fast and soon start to feel that "there's no place like home" and return to the Borg.
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LongHairGal
MARY,
I agree with you that the religion discourages people (especially women) from becoming independent. Many born-ins (unless they are lucky) are not encouraged to get higher education or a career and many cannot survive on their own in the 'outside' world. Self-esteem is also squashed. This is why in many cases disfellowshipped people come running back to the religion. They simply cannot deal with the big bad world and feel they are going to be devoured by it.
If they had the education, wisdom and simple coping skills they would be able to function with minimal problem.
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Think About It
" I was out in the world and belive me!! Its a terrible place! We are so blessed to be in the truth!"
These are nothing but WTS mind control buzz words. The JW's can find someone to spin a personal experience any way they want. Many born-ins have left the JW's and feel the complete opposite. The fact is that there is more individual depression and family disfuction inside the JW religion. I was happy when in and am now happy out. My preference is to be out.
Think About It
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gubberningbody
Icecream, I'm just answering the question posed.
You have to speak to these people from within their own reference point. Yelling at them from the outside doesn't work very well.
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dgp
I would like to offer a different perspective. YES, many bad things happen in the world, and they have always happened. It is probably no exaggeration to say that they always will, because some of us are indeed very wicked. Among the wicked I would count the men who have created cults to enslave people. Think Jim Jones and his Kool-Aid, David Koresh, Joseph Smith, L. Ron Hubbard, Sung Myun Moon, Shoko Asahara, Marshal Applewhite, and the very familiar Russell and Rutherford. I think it is awful that a group of men in Brooklyn tell people that they should refuse blood transfusions. I haven't really read "Releasing the Bonds", only one paragraph here and another there, but I was scared to learn that so many groups are actively enslaving so many people and we fail to notice that. I can't imagine what life would be like if we were all enslaved that way. It sort of scares you to know that these groups size you up and decide to trick you into them.
I think we have to thank the "apostates" who created sites like this for helping so many victims live a life in the real world, with all the bad things, yes, but all the good things as well. I just learned that some scientists (probably atheists) discovered a way to cure some forms of hereditary blindness. They have also found a way to kill cancer cells better, and how to repair DNA damage to the skin. While the practical use of these discoveries is years away, I am happy to think that someday mankind won't have to worry about cancer. Perhaps I will die of cancer myself, but I'm glad to know that something has been done. There are good things in the world, and we could certainly make it a lot better if we worked for that purpose. Placing magazines IS NOT the way.
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garyneal
There are good things in the world, and we could certainly make it a lot better if we worked for that purpose. Placing magazines IS NOT the way.
Agreed, think globally and act locally was the mantra I use to hear when growing up and I still believe in it. The Jehovah's Witnesses and other fundamentalists are so busy making this world out to be so bad while believing in a hope that someone will come and solve all their problems for them. While the idea of someone fixing all the world's problems is a nice thought to be sure, we must realize that we humans are suppose to be good stewards of what has been given to us and act accordingly.
It bugs me to no end when I use to hear religious zealots speak out against the idea that the U.S. should change its ways regarding its addiction to oil. I recall hearing a sermon where the preacher said, "God made the oil and He will make more of it for us when we need it so we should not concern ourselves with conservation."
While the idea of an omnipotent God coming to save mankind from his own problems is nice and is something I certainly welcome, in the meantime we humans should work to solve our own problems and make this world a better place.
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I quit!
Maybe this witness was think about all the horrible people in the world. Wife beaters, drunks, dishonest people, pedophiles and so forth. Non of those types in the KH right?
Outside the protection of the WT is a pretty scarry place to be for a fully indoctrinated JW. They are use to being in a religion that not only asks them the questions but gives they the answers they want to hear word for word. No thinking involved. The WT tells them how to dress. How to wear their hair. What movies to watch. What books to read. Who to associate with and on and on. Most of us that leave the WT enjoy having the freedom figuring things out for ourselves and don't feel the need to having all to have all the answers. But for some it's too much to deal with. They freak out and run screaming back to the KH where everything is nicely packaged for them. They can shut their brains off and pretend all is well.
