Are Jehovah's Witnesses Happy? (page 4)

FayeDunaway

Jw's are only happy when they can forget about appearances and enjoy themselves for a little bit. This means, when they are by themselves watching a movie, or with trusted friends and can let loose, when they are on vacation (and only if there aren't any extremist witnesses with you on vacation) and when they have friends to their house without the danger of someone mentioning something witnessy. If someone mentions something witnessy, everyone clams up and stops enjoying themselves...'oh yeah, we all are a part of THAT.' That crazy thing that brought us together, but is a huge shadow over our lives.

Sports and entertainment and good food helps. But no, witnesses are not happy except the times they can mentally escape at little intervals.

NewYork44M

They are happy because they are told to be happy.

done4good

Only when either performing some non-JW productive activity, (such as something career oriented or educational), or while in escapist mode. The less they do of the former, the more they seem to do of the latter.

Finkelstein

The showing of love and respect by people within religions is not to say unique to the JWS. alone, I've seen it in other churches.

In reality JWS are more prone to depression, stress, anxiety and other forms of psychosis brought by a constant profusion of guilt, fear and oppression.

Xanthippe

Are JWs happy? From my cousin I hear that my family are constantly ill, one thing after another. Some friends who write to me are also constantly sick as if they are just holding on by the skin of their teeth. Any doctor would tell them slow down, take a holiday. The WTS says to them are you struggling? Do MORE! More FS, more meetings. If you're depressed stop thinking about yourself they say, get out there and help others. A human body can only take so much! Not a recipe for a happy life.

Heaven

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Happy?

Not the ones in my family.

EdenOne

There are happy and unhappy people everywhere. Many JWs have unhappy lives due to issues of diverse nature and find solace in the meetings and their brethren and their hope. However, many lead "good, clean, christian" lives and yet feel miserable and depressed, and they don't even stop to consider the negative impact that their religion is having in their lives. The mere thought of that is enough to make them feel guilty, and they supress those thoughts. Elders will also make sure that the religion won't be blamed for any problems whatsoever, because "Jehovah knows what's best for us".

Eden

campaign of hate

I think there is a large proportion of depressed and miserable jws.

Saying that, I have also met a shed load of happy jws. ...Deluded, but happy non the less.

You can't paint 8 million people with the same brush.

Just saying. ...

Finkelstein

When your constantly being inundated with thoughts of judgment on your devotion to Jehovah via guilt and imposing fear and that day of judgment is coming soon. How can people really be or appear happy ?.

The pressure of guilt combined with fear can really put a toil onto people's emotions and psychological state, not to mention the constant eyeing up by elders to your activity (service, talks) and other social behavior.

James Mixon

S. Chbosky: "They are both happy and sad at the same time,

they are still trying to figure out how that could be."

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Happy?

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