Greetings Island Woman,
I see you had some words for me at the time I took a short sabbatical from this board. Thought I'd address a few of your thoughts.
:Ignorance comes in many forms. One of them is lack of experience. Experience cannot be replaced. A man cannot know what it feels to be a woman and of course the same goes for a woman she cannot fully understand what it feels to be a man.
While this is true there are experiences that are universal. Oppression can be one, so can abuse. Self-righteousness is not limited to any particular faction or region of the world and neither is self-absorption. Apparently you were ignorant of this.
:Just as a woman who has never given birth, who has never carried a child to term, has never experienced the pushing forth of a child from her innermost parts, felt the head push forth, felt the shoulders emerge and then the rush of the little body follow; she also cannot "know" what the words "child birth pains" mean.
Well I have had two babies by c-section, having coached my best friend through a regular delivery probably did a mind over matter thing and decided "ain't no way I am *ever* doing that). Do you think my experience counts as "giving birth" or do I only get like half-points on this???
:So it is with people who have never walked the walk, have never made the commitment to get baptized and live as a JW. They can never really understand the feeling of trust betrayed. They just did not experience the same thing we did. They cannot really understand.
I see. So no one other than JWs have had to fear that their every move may be scrutinized or misconstured as something to be reprimanded for? Only JWs know what it is like to suffer such psychological abuse? Puh-leeeezzee!!!!! I could write a book about it. I guess that is more of the ignorance you were referring to, inadvertantly about yourself it seems.
:Julie, you cannot IMO understand. You can NEVER know what it really felt like. Being a Bible Study, going to meetings etc., is not the same as being one of this little group of people who were willing to give up everything. You did not join, you did not walk the walk.
While it is true I never joined the cult, I did do the studies for 18 months, every week. It was these studies that made me realize what a mind-control sack of shit this religion was. I was especially disturbed to see when a "respected" elder would come to one of my studies and saw my good friend act so differently when he was there (like a used car salesman his pitch was too btw--really obvious to me).
But honey let me tell you something. It is not only JWs who wake up one day to see that they are living in a hell that they alone have the power to end. No friend, I too have had the realization that I have let myself be subjected to more psychological abuse than any human should accept and it was me alone who mustered the courage somehow to stand up and say Fuck This, I am better than this and I refuse to stand here and take this anymore.
So if you don't like that I criticize some former elder or JW for whatever characteristic, tough shit. None of your experiences are limited to your wretched cult that you escaped and furthermore, and most importantly so all your little pals who thought you wrote such a great post should pay attention here, none of the characteristics of the assholes in ANY organization are EXCLUSIVE to that organization. It's called the human experience. Get over it honey. You got a patent on nothing here.
:You are an outsider in that respect. It is like race or nationality; it is much more palatable if a chicano criticizes his own people than if an outsider does. Why? Because he knows his people and his people know that likely he loves them as his own. Therefore what he has to say is out of love for HIS people.
Dear, I think you were offended when I ROFLed at Amazing's praise to certain posters *especially Ginny's objectivity*. Ginny knows full well why I did an ROFL at that and Amazing probably doesn't but will after he talks to Ginny. Perhaps I may know things you do not Island Woman, things others would rather you didn't know. Things that have certainly changed (lowered) my opinion of one I once held in high esteem (and no it wasn't Amazing). Objective my eye.....
:It's like me going to an xCatholic discussion board, sure I can sympathize but no way in hell can I be critical of anyone, who am I to criticize them!
Your analogy is ridiculous and about as deep as the rest of your post. I always feel sorry when your sort wanders from the wading pool. Distressed in a motherly sort of way you might say, though I am not sure I qualify for the mother thing as I didn't do it the "old fashioned way".
Julie