bookmarked for the rest of the story. Sound similar to me, bethel and all.
I was HAPPY as a JW, how did I get here?
by MC RubberMallet 85 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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outsmartthesystem
Great story Glander
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outsmartthesystem
SD7 - You must not have been as indoctrinated as I was. It didn't matter what I read.....I always looked for a stupid reason to "prove" Jehovah's justice. And if I couldn't do that.....then I simply told myself that the reason I couldn't see his justice in a particular situation is because I have foolish, fleshly thinking.......therefore I must not understand it.
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steve2
Even a rigid and judgmental morality can deliver benefits when the alternative is something like chaos.
Well said Sulla. A person whose life is in tatters needs structure and direction. An organized group has decided benefits over the chaotic and boundary-less lifestyles of so many "lost" people.
Yet, we know that ultimately a group cannot be the "be all" and "end all". That's why any number of social and religious groups can make all sorts of claims of the "benefits" they provide.
So, while I acknowledge groups such as JWs can provide "meaning" and "structure" and help people, they venture onto entirely contentious territory when they insist on unquestioning obedience and do potentially end up being as bad as the chaotic lifestyles they seek to tame.
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BluesBrother
MCRubberMallett makes a very strong point. Millions of dubs are happy with it. My family are happy within it. As long as one's faith is intact and you really believe, and if you are lucky enough to be around some lively people that are your friends, why be unhappy?
His experiences remind me of the best things that happened to me, within it, although I never reached such heights of "privileges", but giving talks, being appointed, the times when you felt you were helping someone - all were good times (counterbalanced by some grotty ones too!)
It is only when something happens to shake that faith, then you start to see it for what it really is, then you have less in common with your friends, you dare not discuss your doubts with them...Then it all turns horrible. Let us read more of his story...
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sabastious
I am pretty disappointed by the responses in this thread. Just because SOME Jehovah's Witnesses have happy lives doesn't make them any less of a monstrosity as a WHOLE. In FACT, happiness can be attained under any circumstances, even when murdering hundreds of thousands of Jews. Here is a picture of "happy people" who ran a death camp called Auswitch:
With all the loss of life that the Wachtower has caused, we shouldn't be pointing out that they are happy and that we should somehow feel good about that, we should feel BAD about it. The people in that picture were happy, but I don't care, what I care about is the destruction they caused and making sure it never happens again in any form.
The environment of shunning the Watchtower willfully creates kills as we have seen oh so recently on this very forum. For every "happy" Witness their are countless others wallowing in misery. Don't be fooled, smiles, whether inside or out, don't always tell the truth.
-Sab
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NewChapter
I don't think anyone was disagreeing with you, Sab. But the reality of anything is that it is rarely all good or all bad. That's just the way it is. Some things in the org made me very, very happy--primarily the connection and community I had with others. As long as I didn't understand the full picture or witness the damage that shunning does, I would remain happy. It's the blue pill? (or is that red. I always confuse them)
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sabastious
I don't think anyone was disagreeing with you, Sab. But the reality of anything is that it is rarely all good or all bad. That's just the way it is. Some things in the org made me very, very happy--primarily the connection and community I had with others. As long as I didn't understand the full picture or witness the damage that shunning does, I would remain happy. It's the blue pill? (or is that red. I always confuse them)
It IS all bad, why apologize for them at all? From the words of Charles Taze Russell Advertise Advertise ADVERTISE! The Watchtower offers nothing to this world, nadda, zip, just crushed hopes and dreams or a slight drool and a crooked smile. That's why people say stuff like this:
It is only when something happens to shake that faith, then you start to see it for what it really is, then you have less in common with your friends, you dare not discuss your doubts with them...Then it all turns horrible. Let us read more of his story...
Once you are jarred loose from the programming you cannot do anything but look on in horror at what is taking place all around you. Willful ignorance in a baseless hope that only serves to cripple the future of anything it touches. It was never good in the first place, that's why you have to WAKE UP to see it! It's imitation happiness, a porcelain doll, a hologram.
-Sab
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sd-7
It didn't matter what I read.....I always looked for a stupid reason to "prove" Jehovah's justice. And if I couldn't do that.....then I simply told myself that the reason I couldn't see his justice in a particular situation is because I have foolish, fleshly thinking.......therefore I must not understand it.
Sounds like you fit the description of, as I called it, "good elder material". I always felt people should have a separate moral code from 'the group', no matter how 'true' and 'righteous' the group seemed. I'd heard about Jim Jones from my mom, and it occurred to me that in any group, some nut could get control and try to get everyone to do something stupid or dangerous. I knew I had to watch for that day, and be ready to get out of there if it came. Little did I know it was already there...
But it's a synthetic happiness. The person whose background left no hope at all didn't need a cult to better him or herself. They just needed to see that there was hope if they behaved differently than the bad examples around them. There are a number of ways that can be accomplished, so the Society does not deserve credit for what individual/group effort ultimately accomplished.
Even if you are really happy, you're still being lied to. It's morally wrong to do that to people no matter what the end may be. And it doesn't seem that the Society's ends are any better than their means; after all, their end game scenario ends with them RULING THE WORLD. Thanks, but I'd take horrible, crushing sadness over that any day of the frakkin' week.
--sd-7
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BlindersOff1
Raised a 3rd gen JW it was all I knew but , I never felt good about the things that just didnt add up.
WHy didnt we do things with non witness relatives I loved them all?
Why were these good people I loved going to die in the great trib?
Why can't I participate with my peers at school?
From childhood I noticed how honest authors fully cited sources in books and the Governing body did not this always bugged me.
Etc Etc
I think having to push all the doubts into a big pile and ignore them , resulted in a type of self delusion .
Surviving decades in a self deluded state can have marked mental consequences . Talking to several Docs they concur .
Being a witness with any critical thinking skills at all can lead to severe depression .
If you can suppress your critical thinking (independent thinking) successfully then witnesses can be somewhat happy .
Until yrs later when they realize they've grown old and unfulfilled . Working jobs, never having a career.
Becoming aware that all the priveleges were in reality just unpaid volunteer work for a Publishing company.
Like Don Cameron said in his book its being a "Captive to a Concept" in a mind prison . Just like stockholm syndrome .
Just like the deluded elders in JWstruggles videos . Everytime he made a point they would just intone "but its still Jehovahs org"
Like robots . Happy happy Joy Joy
