I'm not bitter, no one forced me to study with them...sometimes I kick myself for being so gullible though...
Are we all bitter?
by LouBelle 49 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
andys
Yes I have to admit at times I can get to be bitter, but also something that this board has taught me is how I can better handle the situation I am in, when I left a few years ago from the borg at first I was very upset and having arguments with my parents, but over time I have learned that I was handling the situation with my parents the wrong way.
Fastfoward to today, I haven't talked to my parents for a long time, if I do see them in public I would keep religion out of the conversation, I would ask them how they been and if they ever did mention anything about the JW religion I just tell them that I found out I believe differently and leave it at that.
Overall we are all here for each other, I have to admit that when I was out of the borg mentally I was totally lost but now because of forums like this, youtube, etc................. I have come a long way in the healing process.
-
d
I am mad as hell a this damn religion but at least I am slowly getting over it.
-
smiddy
I am not bitter that I became a jehovahs witness,or for that matter that I spent 33 years, not as a representative of the Watchtower Bible And Tract Society,but as a volunteer engaged in my own personal ministry with the help of the publications supplied by the WTB&TS who I did not represent in any way or capacity.So they say. The fact that I dedicated my life to serving jehovah in1960 by water baptism theirby becoming one of jehovahs witnesses whose publishing agency for distributing their religous beleifs ,doctrines,moral code,ethics etc.etc. is the WTB&TS the publishing agency which publishes the WatchTower ,Awake, their two main journals, but also tracts, bibles ,pamphlets, brochures, books and booklets.
So I do have a genuine question ,which could relate to Re: Are we all bitter? Footslogging around for 33 years peddaling WTB&TS publications who are all jehovahs witnesses or put another way all jehovahs witnesses who are members of the WTB&TS ,
and they claim all of us who do that are not representing the WatchTower Bible And Tract Society ?
smiddy
-
LouBelle
Thank you everyone for your imput. Something that I tried to highlight in my discussion with this person was that everyone has been through a huge variety of experience and everyone handles things differently - he still didn't get it. He gave me Nelson Mandela as a shining example - Mandela spent 27 years in prison as a terrorist - he was put there because he rose up against those that would oppress him. He had not been brain washed, Mandela was a well educated man. When he came out of prison he had the support of millions, he had access to that support, he could forgive, he could move on .... I am sure though that initially when he was thrown into prison there was a bitter taste in his mouth.
I like the definition of bitterness - it explains the word more fully and one can better grasp the meaning.
All I know is this place helped me, supported me, listened to my rants and raves, answered questions, taught me lessons. This is a place of real people having come out of a cult and we get it.
-
THE GLADIATOR
As we each look back over our life we all have regrets, disappointments and with hindsight things we would do differently. Even people who were never Jehovah's Witnesses have regrets. I had some good times as a Jehovah's Witness and had many decent friends. It was simply time to move on. My only regret is losing my younger brother to the cult; heartbreaking but inevitable. Now I live for each day and count my blessings.
-
*lost*
smiddy - love you comment.
it states it like it is/was - FACT.It seperates God/religion from the equasion and describes a publishing business. It cannot be argued against.This is what I am trying to keep forefront in my mind to combat all my other thoughts and emotions that tie me in to it. I can totally understand how and why some people would feel bitter. And justifyably so, relevent to their individual stories/experiences.
I wasn't born in. wasn't as hugely involved physically as most were, I can be thankful for that. But mentally and emotionally I was in in a big way. I just had myself a lucky escape.
I have seen though how so many of them who have been in for long long time, many years, they are all ground down now and exhausted. Worn out. And they thought is all about being in the very end of the 'last days' which i was totally convinced.
WE ARE IN THE TOES. One brother who gave talk said 'I CAN TASTE IT'. It is so close now.
It must be close because the society has been SIMPLYFYING things, ready. Make sure you have your go bag on standby. They are moving headquarters upstate as where they are in the city, they are too exposed.
One of the things that got me was I read about a new convention centre, can't remember name or location, sorry. The cost 10 MILLION.
It just felt wrong to me, 10 million. When brothers and sisters are struggling and living in poverty and people are starving in the world and suffering all sorts.
Satan has blinded the minds alright. And turned himself into and angel of light to draw many away from God, yep, he didn't draw them in this direction though. He set up a empire equivalent to the RC church and suckered everyone in. Poor unfortunate souls that we are/were. But now we are learning the TRUTH. Hard as it is, painful as it is ... we are getting help at least to deal with all our conflictions.
-
ambersun
He gave me Nelson Mandela as a shining example - Mandela spent 27 years in prison as a terrorist - he was put there because he rose up against those that would oppress him.
Fair enough. Nobody could dispute that, but is it a fair comparison? Mandela fought for what he passionately believed in and he has never wavered from that belief.
It is completely different to waking up to the TTATT, that your life has been a lie. A con. To become conscious of the fact that you have been thoroughly deceived by a cult skilled in brainwashing techniques to fill your head with false hopes and dreams in order to use you as free labour for their own ends, regardless of the consequences.
How many victims of con artists are seen to just forgive and move on, putting it down to life's experience without a trace of bitterness? Not many I would imagine!
-
punkofnice
The WBT$ definition of 'bitter'(TM) is simply another example of them loading the language.
To them it's another ad hominem they use as an insult to those that don't believe their rubbish/garbage.
I am rightly enraged when I see how the WBT$ destroyed my family.
I am rightly disgusted when I see how the WBT$ protects paedophiles.
I am distressed when I see the twisting of scripture they use just to get money and power for the 8 paedophile loving men in Brooklyn.
I am bitter....but not in the way the WBT$ implies.....just the same as 'the truth(R)' isn't real truth.
-
Apognophos
Isn't the pejorative "bitter" intended to refer to the notion that ex-JWs are angry over being disfellowshipped? That basically they were kicked out of the congregation for wrongdoing, or left because of a personal wrong committed to them that they couldn't forgive? JWs are unable to contemplate the possibility that anyone could be angry over the truth turning out to be a lie after a careful examination of the teachings, because that notion is beyond them as long as they're true believers.
But I don't think it's entirely fair to say that all ex-JWs are bitter for good reason, when they all have different reasons for being out. Some leave because of a personal offense or are DFed against their will, and only years later discover TTATT. Of course the DFing itself might have been totally unloving and unjustified, and the personal offense might be the final evidence that the ex-JW needed that the organization is not more caring and Christian than other religions, but when the predominant tone of the person is anger, it tends to make a JW feel like it's that person who is in the wrong.
I would liken it to a political debate where one of the politicians gets really worked up over a problem he's discussing. It might be a really good thing to get upset over, but if he gets too emotional and words his statements too harshly, people will disregard him as being "unstable" or "loony", so he has to moderate his tone in order to be effective.