Are you sure leaving the JW religion has made your life better?. Lurkers think twice

by mankkeli 260 Replies latest jw experiences

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  GLTirebiter

  To be clear up front, I was never "in" the Watchtower organization--I am divorced from a Witness, and our children are also Witnesses. But the effect is similar to being DF'd or DA'd: in a word, heartache.

  What do I get in return for the pain?

  • HOPE! Life is no bed of roses, but now I have some control over where it's headed. I did not have that when family life was dominated by the Watchtower, meetings, field service and assemblies.
  • INSIGHT! I see myself better now than before. Some parts of me that I had ignored for years are more important than I realized, other parts I was clinging to really needed changing.
  • SELF RESPECT! I am far from perfect, but I am my genuine self--not pretending to be somebody I am not, somebody I would not want to be. Now I know that I am strong enough to pick up the pieces, clean up my act and carry on, which is much better (and healthier!) than hanging around doing the same things, wishing it will somehow turn out OK this time.

  Has it made my life better? Though the losses are considerable, the benefits do outweigh them. So yes, I am sure!
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  OUTLAW

  You had me laughing Miz..You were flawless..

  100% bullshit..

  You can`t live like that forever..Your liver won`t take it..

  ....................;-)...OUTLAW
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  JonathanH

  I guess it is skilled parody. That is a relief.
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  Halo

  Hi, this is my first post on this forum although I joined quite a while ago and read here often. This thread has motivated me to reply.

  The idea that staying with the organisation to preserve relationships is absurd in the extreme. To start with the organisation itself has and does destroy relationships within our families. Many like myself find themselves facing this harsh reality and our family has already been shattered, for me the very thought of being coersed to shun a family member is the reason I left. I am happier than I have been in years, the cloud of depression than had hung over my life has been lifted. For sure the transition period of managing my exit and balancing my life was stressful in the extreme, but just as they say in the org 'taste and see that Jehovah is good" I say to you "taste and see that life on the outside is worth it"

  I have sat on both sides of the fence as have most who post here and I like my view from the outside much better. BTW many JWs don't have a charmed supportive social network, that is a myth.
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  d

  Yes I can get invloved in politics and my reading material has grown, and I feel like a weight is taken off my chest. I no longer have to hide the fact that I no longer believe in God. I can fine tune my political views.
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  jay88

  Props to Miz,....you killed it!
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  sabastious

  mankkeli, it is a great challenge to stand up for truth because you never know who is going to turn against you. I love my family, as you obviously love yours too, and I deeply and miss them every day. The Watchtower, like a comic book super-villian, makes us choose between two evils. They make us choose between truth and exile or fellowship and untruth. Your family must be very important to you. I say that because you have scoured our stories looking for things to be hopeful of if you ever chose to take a stand for truth yourself. So far, it sounds like you cannot find a reason to let go of YOUR family and that's your position to take; but please don't question my decisions and give up on this nonesense about "freedom and happiness" being the real issue, that's just a red herring. As a person of logic I think you can agree?

  -Sab
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  sizemik

  Ya know something man, seriously speaking, I didn't plagiarise that. . . . NRFG

  Kudos my friend . . . I secretly prided myself for my analogies. That is a good one however . . . you could even throw in Ezek; 28, 12-19 at a stretch.
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  sizemik

  If you can't be true to yourself . . . how can you ever expect life to be fulfilling? . . . or imagine that you're of any value to anyone?

  Being a JW "unbeliever" robs you of both . . . and a whole lot more besides.

  What you're suggesting is crazy . . . even dangerous. There are too many people turning to cults already . . . it's becoming a big problem . . . don't make it worse.
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  palmtree67

  I haven't read all 10 pages yet, but......

  mankelli,

  People come here alot to release the frustration and anger that goes along with leaving.

  That's what you are reading.

  Does it mean they are unhappy or regret leaving?

  No, it just means they need to vent sometimes to people who understand.

  Is my life perfect since I left? No. And I don't expect it to be.

  Am I happier since I left? Absolutely.