The worst thing is leaving people behind knowing there's little you can do because of the doctrine. I read Matthew 24:48-51 by scrolling into one or other 70s WT book. The bible reveals that the evil slave will rise when the master stays away. It's not prophecy, just very good perception of human leaders.
What's The Worst Thing About Ever Having Been A Jehovah's Witness?
by minimus 34 Replies latest jw friends
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alias
The worse thing...
Being a raised-in from age 3, not knowing who I was before the JW indoctrination.
The system of belief started so early that it's like a twisted helix around my DNA. As an adult I have to figure/sort... still not knowing. That's the worse thing for me. What/who would I have been without this system of belief entering into my life. How much of it has warped my worldview/emotional being/spiritual self.
One of my earliest memories of being at a meeting in the Kingdom Hall with funky orange and brown carpeting was sitting in the seat looking at my tiny legs pointing straight off the chair. They didn't even bend yet.
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Black Sheep
What really hacks me off is still being lied to.
These people should know by now that BSing me is just going to agravate the situation, but they just don't get it.
Give it up already for Christ's sake. Their BS gives their god a bad name and perpetuates disfunction in our family.
Thank god I never got baptised.
Chris
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ambersun
There are too many, all equally as bad as each other depending on the time period that I lived through, but here are the ones that are at the forefront of my mind at this moment:
1. Upon joining at the age of 14, having my lovely, close, non JW relatives and friends replaced with a new 'family', and from then on having my friends chosen for me among the most 'spiritual' members of the congregation, most of whom I had nothing in common with.
2. Being deprived of a career.
3. The shock of becoming concious after reading a collection of Russell and Rutherford's books full of 'old light' and having to keep quiet for fear of being disfellowshipped.
4. Depriving our children of a normal early childhood. Thank goodness we left while there was still time for them to enjoy a few childhood years away from the influence of the WTS.
5. The frustration of not being able to talk openly to my JW relatives about the truth about the 'Truth'. Whenever I attempt to do so, their eyes usually glaze over and I know it is not worth the risk of being shunned by them.
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noni1974
I would have to say it was the whole wait on Jehovah thing. Even after I left the Jw's I held on to a form of waiting and it has affected my life. I waited for my life to magically change and waited and waited and waited. 20 years went by before I found out that I have to do something to get something, and change my life that was making me unhappy. You would think that I would have stopped waiting when I DA ed 14 years ago but it took another 12 years to get my self together. Now I'm doing something about what makes me unhappy and working my butt off to suceed in life. I'm not waiting on anyone to help me, I'm helping myself.
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african GB Member
My parents denying me the opportunity of going to University, telling me its a waste of time as the world would end anyway, and my degree would mean nothing in the new system.
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FreeAtLast1914
30+ lost years, but my wife and I are making up for that. Life is wonderful on the outside!
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sizemik
Excellent thread . . .
Everyone's paid big time . . . but in so many different ways. Some are still paying big time . . . and we're all still paying somehow. I lost all my money . . . and I pay for that everyday. I lost my health . . . I pay for that every day. I lost the closeness I could have had with my wife and kids . . . I still pay for that everyday. Some of you have lost Family . . . you pay for it every day. Some of you have to deal with them . . . everyday, thats taxing. Lack of education, career, oppotunities, self respect, the good memories that aren't there . . . we pay for that everyday.
I can't express how much I hate this Organisation.
Life is wonderful on the outside!
Thanks for pointing out the silver lining FreeAtLast . . . coming at a high price makes it that much sweeter.
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Thetis
Being in a coma as to living life. Always playing catch up - from a social aspect to a financial one (and everything in between)
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Sulla
The profound waste. Lives wasted waiting for the End instead of becoming the person you were meant to be.