by Stealth 16 Replies latest jw friends
I actually did that very thing. I was gone out there doing my own thing for 12 years. No meeting No memorial No nothing. Then my mother started laying all that Watcthtower crap on me and how the Society has changed and The New World. So I bit and really started getting into it. And the more I got into it the more I saw how things aren't right. Now I'm on my way out again. Its sad but some people do come back. Can't explain why?
Diamond
SYN:
The earlier in the forenoon you take the sun bath, the greater will be the beneficial effect, because you get more of the ultra-violet rays, which are healing. - The Golden Age
Is this really a quote from the Golden Age? If so can you give the date and page number?
Joelbear:
I found your comments interesting. This may be why when they say "there is nothing out there...." it's because they have no emotional support for problems in their life. However in reality could find the same emotional support in many other churches, but will never find out because the are not allowed to by the WTBS.
-stealth
When a JW, I felt that my salvation and sprituality was more in the hands of the Watchtower than me being responsible for it myself. After all, all you need do is act and behave exactly as they say and you will be saved, right? It is safe and easy to let someone else bear the responsiblity for you. So, maybe some just can't handle being responsible for themselves.
Maybe that is one of the reasons. There are probably many reasons why.
If God's Spirit is filling a Kingdom Hall, how is it that Satan can manuever the ones within that Kingdom Hall at the same time?
JWs are taught that there is no life outside the organization. Even though they leave, that belief carries with them. As JWs they could not interact with people who were not JWs, therefore their social skills are stunted. Being RAW (Raised As Witnesses) they have a neat little social group created for them. They may physically leave the KH, but mentally, emotionally and socially they do not know how to be without it. If they never experience what it is like to be accepted into another group, they feel lost. They may or may not believe JWs have the "truth" but, that is not important to them. People who were not RAW...are attracted to the JWs because they offer instant (although conditional) acceptance. A lonely person walks in and is immediately given a peer group. If they leave...and never find acceptance again, it's highly probably they will return.
Smoldering,
Even more than that.
They are taught that they don't have to really worry about reality. They are taught that God is gonna fix everything in just a few months.
This is very very destructive.
One of the reasons I think I'm having so many mental problems that won't go away is that I was never taught by my parents or my social support system how to deal with reality. So reality keeps taking me by surprise and knocking the air out of me.
I wasn't ready to deal with middle age and the aches pains and sickness that comes with growing older. I can't deal with adversity because I keep expecting someone to fix the problem for me.
Its very crippling not to have been raised with the right tools for survival and well being in the REAL world. The world that we have to live in.
Those of us who leave the Watchtower are the ones who just can't play pretend any longer. I don't know if that makes us fortunate or very unfortunate.
Is reality better? I'm not sure I've drawn any final conclusions on that one yet.
hugs
Joel
Why do they return?
Where else is there to go where you can -
- put down all the "badies" and be the "goodie"
- "save" the world
- even get the girl
- have the "power"
- and live happily ever after
AND, you don't even have to do the same as the Samaritan.
It's the troof!
Bang
To Joel,
Reality is you are a gentle soul. I have known (of) you for several years. You are kind, open & giving. You hesitate to judge because you'd never want to inflict the pain of judgment on anyone. Your empathetic nature leaves you open to hurt.
I am a firm believer that physical pain can stem from emotional pain. As long as we carry guilt, grief & the judgments of others with us we cannot grow from our pain. When we help others, we release these negative emotions and alleviate our pain. Pain (whether physical or emotional) is nature's way of telling us something isn't right and it's time for change.
Much love & understanding,
Wick
