Born into JW family
5 years old - You are told celebrations and gifts on those days are from Satan. Therefore, in school, your an weird outcast. But it's ok because your loyal to Jehovah. And your parents can give you gifts anytime of the year. But thus far, the best gift you got was a new briefcase for service. If your a girl, you got that nice hand-me-down dress from the ex-missionary sister that got fat.
8 years old - You would like to join sports in school, but are told not to because you are associating with worldly people. YES, everyone not a JW is automatically bad association, have no morals nor values. They are waiting to die. You are one of the lucky, ahem blessed rather, ones chosen by Jehovah.
12 years old - Karate class is bad. Why do you need self defense? Jehovah will protect you, unless you slip through the cracks. Then, He has the power and desire to resurrect you. BUT you are also taught, putting God to the test is wrong.
16 years old - If you text a person of the opposite sex more than twice a day, you are dating. You are not old enough to get married so dating is wrong. Even though you the texts are completely harmless and petty, 1 text message per sister/brother per week. No way around it. Wanna go to the movies with that friend? There better be a group with an odd number of people, who all put up a good front of piety, or they have to actually be self-righteous, aka, doing good in the hall.
17 years old - There is no good reason to go to college unless you love Satan and his system and you WANT to die at Armageddon. So much so, that your papa can't serve if you make the decision to get an education. But there is a loophole, don't get baptized at a young age. If you go to college first, THEN get baptized, they can use you at bethel.
19 years old - When you were 6, you were old enough to make the decision to get baptized at a JW. 13 years later, you are still too young to get married. You will be frowned upon if you choose to date. If you do decide to date, you better get married to this person or you are a "fast" one that will get with anyone that blinks at you. And you are too stupid to not have sex. As for being platonic friends.... LOL!!! Nonexistant!
28-55 years old - Finally maybe old enough to date. Babysitters are a MUST. So, there's no "Hey, why don't you and I spend the day together at the beach" nor "Gas is $5 a gallon, let's carpool". People must always be around, and if not, ride separately because 66,000 adults died last year having sex while driving.
Every age - Armageddon is right around the corner! Just a little bit longer. If you doubt, you are not paying attention to God's Word. He said in Psalms written thousands of years ago, just a LITTLE while longer and the wicked will be no more. If you have questions, wait on Jehovah. He provides food through the faithful slave at the proper time, but the proper time for us, not you. Even if you had questions at 11 years old, and now your 90, be patient and dont run ahead of Jehovah.
Lets rewind just a bit to how life is when a person wakes up. I'll use a personal example.
24 years old - Through every part of your life, you been labled as an outcast by "worldy" people that dont even try to understand you, but you are always told to be courageous and stand up for what you know to be truth, and even commended and used as an example. Don't back down. Have solid unwavering faith. You have successfully done that thus far. You realize JW's dont follow truth, but understanding. HUGE difference. You see the scriptural discrepancies in the religious theology and organizational history.
Talk with the elders - You talk to the elders. You choose knowledgeable, humble, down to earth brothers whom you've respected and known for years. Suddenly, the conversation turns sour. These loving brothers suddenly become condescending, arrogant, and instead of giving answers from Bible, they attack your motives and personality, and even use your imperfections against you. Ironically, the message they speak is "We are right! If you can't see how right we are, you need to humble yourself!" What was your solid unwavering faith previously, is now called pride.
Congregation life - You can't sit at meetings nor go in service because you are not a hypocrite. Organization has been 140 years and still they have no answers for certain things, but tell you to be patient. For you, it's life or death, so you can't support anymore. No one sees you at meetings. Some loving friends try to contact you, most though would rather spread lies and rumors. It's not considered slander because if your not at meetings, you are setting yourself up for this. You get calls from friends who seem genuinely concerned that your an apostate, you must've cheated on your mate, you're on drugs/cigarettes, etc.
Married life - You sleeping with the enemy. LOL. But seriously, you mate is on their side. They dont defend you, because they know your wrong. You try to explain yourself and at least talk to your mate and would THINK they would attempt to understand. And if not, you still have them for support, but you don't. You can't express any happiness or pleasure, because you can't truly be happy turning your back on Jehovah. You can't express sadness nor insecurity, because that's proof that you don't have Jehovah's holy spirit. You realize your deepest thoughts and emotions have been compromised to the elders to give them ammunition against you, or to "help" you, as your mate tells you. When people find out your an apostate, and asks your mate, they replywith things like "They just sit at home and do nothing." or "They are lost". That way, they all feel better about themselves and what they do, thinking your on a wandering path going nowhere. And your at a serious disadvantage because no one at this point is going to talk to you to verify anything. And your mate can't even represent you correctly when people ask, instead turn everything you say into the worst possible twist. So they very thing that brought you together, you have no more. Talking about God/religion is no more. All imperfections are scrutinized and blown out of proportion. Even at home, you are lonely.
Everyday life - Living 10 minutes from bethel you see many whom you served with. People whom just last summer at your house for a BBQ, don't talk to you. Those whom you took trips with all over America can't even look me in the eye. Those whom were in your bethel room every weekend, those you befriended when they were new boys, those whom you seen they needed help and volunteered yourself, those whom you vouched for, those whom you defended, those whom instead of going to a party, you helped them move their grandmother, those whom you sat with at lunch and laughed with every other day, those whom all you share(d) one common interest, which is serving Jehovah, are now the ones who make eye contact with you, but then pretend they are engrossed in conversation so they dont look in your direction anymore. They are glued to some random picture on their cell phone that they can't look up at you. They start to wave then rememeber what they heard about you, then put their hand in pocket and change directions. And this happens all day, every day, everywhere you go. You have no friends because you shunned all worldy people, even family, and now witnesses can't even greet you. Why? WHY?!
Because you disagree. Because you follow your Bible trained conscience and not your society trained conscience. And your unwavering solid faith.
That's real life of a JW, not that hyped-up crap in yearbooks and other conscripted propoganda in the literature.
Lurkers, please do a thorough honest examination of the group you follow. Read Deut. 18: 20-22, then Rev. 21: 4, 5.
Remember, the clear words to Jesus:
(Matthew 23:8-12) . . .But YOU, do not YOU be called Rabbi, for one is YOUR teacher, whereas all YOU are brothers. 9 Moreover, do not call anyone YOUR father on earth, for one is YOUR Father, the heavenly One. 10 Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for YOUR Leader is one, the Christ. 11 But the greatest one among YOU must be YOUR minister. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
and David:
(Psalm 146:3) . . .Do not put YOUR trust in nobles, Nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.
That way, you won't also be disappointed.