were you ever truly happy as a jw?

by emanresu 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  Finkelstein

  Yes, after every meeting and after the end of every final prayer at an assembly.
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  outsmartthesystem

  No. I don't think many actually were. We just TOLD ourselves we were because we kept reading about how happy we are supposed to be. If you tell yourself a lie over and over again....you'll eventually believe it
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  lost1

  I honestly dont believe the "bf" was ever happy growing up as a jw. Told me once that I showed him that life could be fun doing the things that "normal" people do. I do believe this was truthful if a lot of what he hold me was not. Until I discovered he was a jw I thought he had had a very sheltered upbringing - maybe that makes me a bit thick!! but so much makes sense now. Never swore, smoked, gambled, going awol over xmas and the like - and now I can believe it when he said he had never even purchased a lottery ticket or scrach card in his life, bet or been to a concert. Its such a shame as he did seem genuinely happy for a while. Lately things have happened in his life which I am not privy to and he has sunk into a total pit of despair not speaking to anyone. Like banging my head against a brick wall with him. Giving him space he wanted, then encouragement and everything and is so sad as could have been brilliant but fear its not to be. Excuse yet more of my rantings but in a nut shell I think no he was not happy at all (maybe will divulge some more at a later date) for most of his life and as said before guilt got the better of him.
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  straightshooter

  I came from the "world" and became a jw. I was happy for 28 years. I enjoyed the teachings, associations, and field ministry. My eyes opened when I became an elder and saw all the backstage power manipulations. I was removed because my 23 year old daughter got disfellowshipped and I was financially supporting her. The BOE wanted me to remove my daughter from my home, which I refused. That was the final straw.
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  LongHairGal

  CoCo:

  In the beginning for about the first year, I didn't want to use the magazines either. They looked like comic books to me and I felt they were very undignified. I wanted to use the bible alone.

  But, in time, peer pressure wore me down and I ended up using them. In all truthfulness, I was turned off by the concept of a book bag and did not see the reason why, if JWs were simply the "bible students" they said they were, the bible by itself did not suffice? What the hell was the reason for all these books? This, in and of itself, should have warned me that something was wrong. In fact, the scripture "to the making of many books there is no end....wearisome to the flesh". Well, didn't this also apply to the JWs as well ???

  In answer to the original poster: Yes, I was only happy in the very beginning while I was being love-bombed. Once the rude awakenings started coming the happiness evaporated.

  Finkelstein:

  Like you, I was happiest after that long prayer at the assembly was over. Couldn't wait to get out of there!
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  RAYZORBLADE

  For the many years I was a Jehovah's Witness. I was happiest ONLY during assemblies. Why?
  
  It's obvious of course, but when you were 'then' around similarly like-minded individuals, it was sweet harmony bliss.

  For less than approximately 72 hours inconsecutively, yes.
  
  Overall: NO!