Was Your Experience As A Jehovah's Witness Good In Any Way? (page 2)

factfinder

Yes, it helped me overcome extreme shyness.

I still believe in Jehovah God and the Bible, but not the interpretation of JWs. I was happy to belong to a group, comfortable in the herd (or is that circling wagons). But then I saw a documentary on lemmings, how the leaders took them over a cliff into the sea. Then I started becoming very uncomfortable, being part of the herd (the UN-NGO scandal had a lot to do with it). I believe each must work out his own salvation. As individuals we will have to render an account to God (Rom. 14:12; Phil. 2:12).

DonutZ!

I'd say that being raised a witness made me feel fear to everything (well almost lol)

WTWizard

Only when I thought I was actually learning something worthwhile. Once Armageddon entered what seemed like a holding pattern and they welshed on their promises to facilitate my meeting the opposite sex, the drudgery was unmasked and there was nothing good after. And, when any crumb of good did happen to fall near me, they would always swoop in to remove it as quickly as possible.

Which was a very efficient way to turn me away from Jehovah, and the organization, forever.

OnTheWayOut

Okay, so the World Trade Center towers came crashing down and death and mayhem resulted, but one firefighter got hurt on the job assisting in searching for the victims and removing the dead. He goes to the hospital and meets a gorgeous nurse and the two of them live happily ever after.

Giving "credit" to a Watchtower upbringing with "... my religious upbringing made me the 'good' person that I am today" is like saying you are glad it happened. Is the firefighter above glad that death and mayhem happened so that he could meet this nurse?

You are a good person despite your upbringing. The firefighter had something good happen to him despite the terrible circumstances. As already mentioned, another upbringing would have stll allowed you to be a good person.

The bad people that you knew and saw turn around could have been turned around by counseling or jail or life-threatening circumstances. I just cannot feed into the idea that JW's like to perpetuate that "the truth" changed their life and only "the truth" could have done it.

N.drew

OTWO

But..

No other religion could have got me imagining Bible prophesy being fulfilled because I "imagine" it is happening to them. No other religion fits the bill. Fine if you think I'm wrong. You might be right. Does it matter?

finally awake

At first, I really felt like I was a part of a wider community. I felt like I had real friends who I could call on in times of need. It was a wonderful feeling of belonging, which I had never really had before. As time wore on though, the people in the congregation stopped the love bombing and I came to realize that none of them were truly my friend. Nobody had time or interest in actually doing the things friends do - hanging out, socializing, helping each other. That realization was heartbreaking for me. In the end, I think becoming a witness was a negative thing. I gave up friends and alienated people who might have devaloped into real friends, and I'm now starting over from scratch socially.

life is to short

On the way out and finally awake I totally agree with both of you. Also I work for many familes who have raised very honest children in the world. One family their kids are going to mission work in other countries. Some familes do it without religion being in the kids lifes. One family has three children who are now in their mid teens to late teens. These kids would put any JW children to shame, I have never heard them EVER back talk their parents even when I am cleaning and they are home alone. Also I will never forget the time I had money stolen out of my purse by a JW teen when I was at a get together yet these kids from this family have never taken anything from me. One time I left money visible in my purse and never once have I had any thing missing, they could have easily have taken it and I would never have had proff.

To me it is good parents who raise good kids. Also even though I was raised a JW I feel that my experience with the religion made me more able to do bad or to be a bad person, it was because I never wanted anyone to feel the pain that I was feeling that I did not do mean things, like steeling and such. The congregation I grew up the kids lied, stole were sleeping around, etc. I knew kids for other churches who had way better morals than many of the JW's did.

LITS

minimus

The firefighter example doesn't quite apply.

I happened to be raised as a Witness. If my mother raised me as a Baptist, I probably would say that my upbringing (religious) made me the (better) person that I am today.

TardNFeatheredJW

There is only 2 good things that came from being raised jw for me:

1) Excellent public speaker.

2) I can help those who wish to become xjw.

The bad far outweighs the good.

Was Your Experience As A Jehovah's Witness Good In Any Way?