by minimus 57 Replies latest jw friends
A lot of Witnesses have never been exposed to the internet or discussion boards. When certain people would get on here and berate the Witnesses to such a point that they were mean and destructive, I think it could turn off lurking JWs.
I'm glad to see the board toned down and not acting like hateful nuts!
Shock and utter amazement...and then the was turned on.
Also, "Wow, hey! Apostates!" You know how much we all had been drilled to stay far, far away from Big Bad Apostates (cue spooky music). So initially there was residual guilt of lurking & reading here -- the feeling like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar.
Mmmmm, cookies.
RTA, welcome!!!
Thanks, miminus!
Another thought I had was how utterly scary this place was, too. What I mean is that even though I was DF'd for a few years by this point, the forum really exposed the JWs, and I started to doubt all my belief systems. It was un-nerving at first and for a while, I thought I fell down the "rabbit hole" and was hanging out with The Cheshire Cat!
:When You First Saw This Place What Was Your Reaction?
I thought, "My! What a FUN place where I can play!"
Farkel
If I log on..I hope they don`t eat me..
...............................
...OUTLAW
Farkel, I'm glad you are still here, bud!
MINIMUS,
I lurked for a while before I made my first post. I was relieved beyond words that other people felt exactly what I felt. My suspicions about the religion were confirmed and I felt the kind of emotion that somebody might feel if their lover cheated on them. I felt sucker punched. I felt anger over misplaced trust and then I felt shame over being a fool.
There were only a few new things I learned about. I wasn't aware just how widespread the pedophile lawsuits were. I was one of those JWs who believed the religion's story that they had things under control and had safeguards in place, etc. The U.N. thing was the other thing I learned and I confess I was shocked and consider this a major betrayal to the faithful JWs who were led to believe how bad it was. The moment of realization when I knew that the religion played people for fools was a lot to digest. I also felt anger over how much worse it would have been for me if I were more gullible (i.e. faithful).
Thankfully, I was only a 'marginal' witness.
I think this place provides a service, I bet Simon never believed could, when he first started out. JWD was a projw site in the beginning. Now that's comical!
If a person read the "true" history of Russell, Rutherford and the prominent ones of this religion, it is truly enlightening.
Farkel and a few others wrote about some very interesting things that happened to Judge Rutherfraud in his personal life.
Anyone that thinks the Watchtower Organization is lilly white should read these exposes' posted!!!
