I realized a positive outcome from my JW upbrining!

by scarredforlife 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  scarredforlife

  I have been on this board for over 2 years. One thing that I have read over and over is to find something positive in my upbrining as a JW and I have been unable to do this. All I have seen is negative. But today I realized there is a positive and it has been there all along.

  I live in metro Atlanta, not very far from the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. All the local TV stations were broadcasting live from that church and Bishop Longs "sermon" this morning.

  I don't know if Bishop Long is guilty or not . The truth will come out. But I could tell that many people at that church WORSHIP EDDIE LONG! I learned very early, at least by the time is was 15 years old to not put any religious person, church, or denomination on a pedestal. And I never have. You see it all the time. All the time. People put their faith in a man.

  But that was a life lesson that I learned early.
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  flipper

  SCARRED FOR LIFE- Good points you make. Having been raised from birth in the JW cult for 44 years until 7 years ago- I too saw the folly of putting any trust in the leaders of the witnesses. I saw people just fall al over themselves when Circuit Oveseers or D.O.'s would visit. Or people surrounding an elder after giving a public talk waiting for some mystical pearl of wisdom to come popping out of his mouth ! LOL ! It was weird. Grown people oggling other grown men- standing there in awe with their mouths hanging open like children .

  I was WAY too independent thinking to be bothered with worshipping any higher ups in the witnesses . Just didn't make sense to me. They were just normal humans to me- no better or worse, well probably worse ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
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  ProdigalSon

  Having grown up in a rather rough neighborhood, where many of my friends ended up either dead or in jail, and considering my penchant for obsessive partying amd mischief, it's highly likely that growing up as a JW saved me from disasters I'll never know. That doesn't mean I wouldn't rather go back and do it all over again without the Watchtower.... I may have ended up being a rock and roll star...the el-duhs made me give up being in my "worldly" rock band when I was 16.... the bad-breath old Pharisee coots!
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  aSphereisnotaCircle

  the bad-breath old pharisee coots!

  cool band name.
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  scarredforlife

  Hi Flipper,

  I appreciate what you are saying but I see a "worship" of the Governing Body among ALL people that are baptized and profess to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Just the fact that every word that comes out of their mouths or is written in a Watchtower or WTBTS publication is considered to be the "word of God" is evidence that these 12(?) men are above the average man or woman. Like we have talked about before, JWs worship the Governing Body in Brooklyn.

  But as we all know now, they are just men, just people like me and you.

  This type of worship of men and individuals can be seen all over the place in churches. But I thought it was particularly bad in the JW cult.
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  skeeter1

  Yes, and how many times have I heard "The 'Society' has the Truth" JWs put their faith in an unnamed "Society".
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  Nathan Natas

  Scarredforlife said, in part, " ...I learned very early, at least by the time is was 15 years old to not put any religious person, church, or denomination on a pedestal. And I never have..."

  This is just my opinion, but unless you LEFT the WATCHTOWER when you were 15, I don't think your statement is accurate. If you stayed in the Borg, you were putting faith in them to provide your salvation. If you weren't putting someone on a pedestal, what were you doing at the meetings and out in field service?

  I will agree that EVENTUALLY you learned this lesson, and that was when you LEFT the JWs. Up until that time, JW Elders and the teachings of the Brooklyn org were what you obeyed and lived your life by.

  We know NOW that the GB are no greater than, and often less than, ordinary people. This realization FORCES action, unless you were merely playing along until you could escape when you became of legal age.

  I eagerly anticipate your reply.
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  wiser

  In my religious upbringing we were taught not to worship man, nor any denominations but to worship God only. And make sure the minister followed the bible rather than their own doctrine. We have seen what can happen when people follow leaders rather than God. Remember, Jim Jones.
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  scarredforlife

  Yes, Nathan, I left the Jehovah's Witnesses when I was 15. I have been dealing with my anger and resentment of all the damage that the JW cult did to me and my family the last couple of years. I found JWN in July 2008 shortly after my mother died. I had hoped to have many questions answered by her at some point but that never happened. She would never talk about the JWs or why my sister and I were raised in this cult.

  I don't really know why you thought I stayed a JW past the age of 15. I gave no indication that I had and I have written about it several times over the last couple of years.
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  Broken Promises

  I have written about it several times over the last couple of years.

  Erm, your join date is September 2010. Who were you posting as before then?