by zengalileo 44 Replies latest jw friends
Rutherford had the JWs back then skipping down the WT yellow brick road to a paradise earth- generations passed and JWs forgot the original reasons why they believed the promises of the WT wizards in the first place. They just knew one thing- stay the course and don't turn back.
The way I look at it, is that you are never too old to get out, at least have some kind of life left to enjoy or challenge. I am now free at last, and just slipped away, they didn't care about me or the wife and when ones spouse dies, they just cut you off socially and it is like you no longer exist except for a head count at the meetings. good ridance.
Ouch................ thats hard to read. Poor fella.
3rdgen says, "We have been phsycally out a couple of yrs beginning
with illness and depression. However, we have been mentally out only a couple of weeks. This site did the trick because of threads and posters like this . NOTHING like the evil apostates portrayed by t
the WTS. Stay kind and loving you Never know what doubts or discouragement may be hiding under the surface. We NEVER shared ours with anyone-especially our child. (didn't want todiscourage)"
One thing I keep getting reminded by Randy is to "be kind, be loving, show grace, be mild..." It's a mantra for him. Since I have left the JWs anger has been a feature of my personality and it hasn't helped me or anyone else. I have been doing much better the past two years or so but I still get reminded by my spiritual mentors and helpful people on this forum to continue striving to be the kind person who gently helps people leave in their own time. I get frustrated often by people who I think should just leave and be done with it. But posts like this from 3rdgen takes me back to the fact that Jesus was known to be tender and mild. I thank Jesus for taking a large bit of my anger away a year and a half ago, but my JW roots are deep and my tendency to be judgmental remains at the level of a real problem. I ask to be further healed of this and that any lurkers out there will keep seeing the kinder side of JWN and all ex-JWs.
I enjoyed preaching, immensely. It was the Borg who sapped all the energy, effectiveness, and happiness out of it. We had car groups more focused on how long they could take to do everything, milking the clock. We had literature nazis trying to enforce the Society's current offer, even if it was insulting to the intelligence of a 6-year-old. Then, of course, there was the branch banning me from preaching, because I refused to regurgitate Watchtower tripe that couldn't be backed up in Scripture.
It's a good thing JWs have no actual joy in their ministry or they'd be more successful at it. I always had more studies than I could handle, even with the stupid demand that I turn over any with females under 70. Preaching the Bible, I had unequaled results. Nobody gives a rat's ass what the Watchtower's opinion is on anything: JWs shouldn't and normals certainly won't. But trying to explain this to my "friends" only got me into trouble and labelled an apostate.
Being forbidden to meet for service because I would only tell people the truth was my final wake-up call. Someone who's been a JW for decades would be trudging around, hating life. Either all the joy and energy have been taken from them (yet they stay for more abuse) or they're nutty cult members themselves and really can't comprehend why nobody listens to them. Either way, what a miserable existence. One can only stay on high alert for so long before they get burnt out. Hearing the Society cry wolf for 40 or 50 years has to take a lot out of someone.
