by Christ Alone 60 Replies latest jw friends
Born in.
When I was a youth in the 1980s and expressed doubts I was also told to prove 'the truth' to myself. At that time, there was no internet, the only reference material available was a set of encylopedias, the public library, and watchtower and awake volumes. Yet I still had doubts about differences between what the bible said and what the watchtower taught.
It's in interesting question, CA. While I appreciate Steve's veiwpoint, I disagree that intelligence or simple-mindedness are factors for most converts. YOu might argue that very few college/university graduates become JWs, but plenty of Mormon's have higher education and they believe fantasy, too.
I do think where a person is at in their life plays a role. I was born in, but I got there through my aunt. So here's her story and what I think attracted her.
My aunt grew up on a farm, was the eldest and was responsible for helping raise her siblings. She burned with intelligence but never had the opportunity to go to university. After leaving home she became a union activist fighting for workers rights, and she was the first female in Canada to hold her particular position within the criminal justice system.
She fell in love with a man whose brother was just becoming a JW. While that man was away at war, the brother hid his letters and told my aunt her lover had found a new girlfriend. Heartbroken, my aunt turned to the brother, and at the same time, embraced the religion. The idea of living forever on paradise earth was a huge draw, and she immediately shared her new faith with her siblings. She wanted to do something positive to change things. Had she gone to university, I think her life would have been very different, but she did not have those opportunities. I believe she considered the religion a way she could make a difference - by converting as many people as possible. Certainly she was emotionally vulnerable, but I think she also saw the religion as a way to help improve peoples' lives.
She was an extremely forceful personality and succeeded in converting my mother and one uncle. Her parents never believed, in fact, the religion caused a huge rift with her and my grandmother. She became a pioneer at the same time as she married the brother, and was still pioneering when she died at age 86.
I know she questioned many of the practices, in particular around shunning - since she refused to cut me off when I was DF'd and she was there for me through the whole nightmare. I had a few conversations with her after I had faded, and on at least one occasion she came very close to admitting some doubts. But she would have stayed with the religion at that point whether she still believed it or not.
Mamochan13, you make some very thoughtful points about correlations between religiosity and intellectual functioning. Yes, even college and university graduates become JWs - but I'd suggest these were not - and indeed are not - the norm and I do not think my home country of New Zealand is too different in demographic composition than a lot of other Western countries.
As for Mormons and intellectual functioning - they have a much higher likelihood of being born-is, although as the Watchtower ages, they too are increasingly drawing new members not from conversions but born-ins.
I appreciated as well you recounting the story of your aunt - what a woman! Very intelligent, but again, during a time when there was not much widely available literature thoughtfully exposing the religion; what was available was a lot of hysterical pamphlets written by other religions given to exaggeration and vile distortions that even a JW gnat would know was full of errors - so likely to be counterproductive and bolster the JWs faith in the Watchtower.
I think the days if those sorts of resilient and resourceful JW women - they far, far, outnumbered men - are long gone: Women who lived and breathed their devoion to their "god" who, sadly, turned out to be The Watchtower Society.
I think the days if those sorts of resilient and resourceful JW women - they far, far, outnumbered men - are long gone: Women who lived and breathed their devoion to their "god" who, sadly, turned out to be The Watchtower Society.
So true, STeve. There were many like my aunt. I think a lot of people, women especially, were attracted to the religion for similar reasons and the resources did not exist that effectively exposed it.
During those years (in Western countries at least) maybe JWs also represented an option for people who wanted a moral faith that promised something positive for the future. For members of my family it also represented a break from the darker aspects of the Catholic religion (Greek Orthodox). It may have seemed fresh and new.
I still feel a certain reproach from those that were “born in” towards those that were converted. I understand that feeling from purely objective perspective, given the passage of time. I would only say to those that were born in, do not hold that too much against your parents. Hindsight is easy. I would love to turn back the clock. Oh how much!
I do not consider my teenage self to be simple minded, unread, or to have a dead end life – I fought hard against what was presented before me because I didn’t want to give up what I had up till then held as my future in life, but I found the answers very compelling. I didn’t have a leaning towards needing to search for “meaning”, even though I lived trough the hippie period. I was, as steve2 put it, optimistically gullible. Please do not condemn me - or your parents, for that.
Compassionate post Ultimate Axiom, thank you, it's so easy to judge. A friend introduced me to the 'truth' ... I'd had a love for god from a young age but had experienced disappointment and frustration with the traditional religions. I studied for about ten years and actually thought all along I'd prove them wrong but couldn't. Researching them wasn't so simple years ago. Of course we were love bombed too and I thought they really did have the love Christ talked about. I had a young family and wanted the best for them, I really thought I was securing their futures, in more ways than one. I was at University when I got baptised but left soon after when it didn't fit with the JW lifestyle. I thought it was a wonderful clean community for our family to grow up in.
Hindsight is a. wonderful thing.
At least my motives were good however mistaken, but it's small consolation.
Loz x
I am very interested to know if any of those of you that were "born in" actually believed at any stage of your life that you were born into the "Truth". I don't mean when you were a child, we all believe what our parents tell us when we are young, but when you were capable of thinking for yourself. At what point did you realise that your parents were wrong, and this Religion was a fraud. Or was it a case that you just didn't want it, rebelled against it, and found out it was all wrong after you left?
I was born into the filth. It was our family way of life I knew no other way.
What did I like about it? Naff all. It was clinical and austere but I was under cult mind control.
What would make me gleeful and happified? I would love to see the GB go to the chair for crime against humanity.
Born in. Raised very strictly.
I liked all social circle, had many "friends", and married someone who I truly love and am happy with.
I just want to see the whole scam crumble!
Christ Alone:
I was raised Catholic and was attracted to the JW religion because of my interest in end-time prophecy. Nothing more.
The JWs gave the impression they somehow 'decoded' the bible to say what was really going to happen. They also said they had "no clergy class" and that everybody was "equal". Meanwhile, they have what amounts to a plain-clothes clergy, titles galore and a several-tiered religion. Well, they can take their titles and classes and shove 'em.
Sorry, but they were not honest and didn't lay all their cards on the table. If I knew the real story, I would never have joined.
