A fanatic is a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal for something. They take an activity,interest or belief and go beyond what would be considered normal or necessary by the majority of people.
Having grown up as a JW and now having been away from it a few years, I better see how accustomed I had become to being involved with an organization run by fanatics of the religious variety. They took ones simple desire to do good and to live a Godly life or even just to keep God from killing you and then raised the bar so high that one never felt one was quite good enough to benefit from Jesus ransom sacrifice. The only way to do so, it seemed was to force oneself into the role of a fanatic,no matter how unnatural it was to do. In the JW world... if you're a worldly Ax murderer...you're D @ A..... (D@A = D oomed at Armegeddon.) If you were given an opportunity to hear the message but didn't become a JW...you are (D@A ) If you did become a JW but didn't participate in enough theocratic activities ....you are weak and disapproved of and not likely to have the spiritual fortitude to make it into the new system....in other words, (D@A ) If you are regular in service but don't Pioneer, even though your circumstances would allow it, that makes you a "Token Witness" and you may be held responsible for the lives of all those you could have reached.... (D@A ) If you are a male, attending all the meetings and are raising you family in the truth, are capable but aren't reaching out for a position in the congregation....you're not being "whole souled" but are "lukewarm" and we all know what happens to those who are lukewarm... (D@A ) If you attend the assembly but don't take notes...you are not paying "more than the usual attention." and likely wouldn't have the recall abilities to survive under test during the tribulation .... (D@A ) If you show up on Sunday without having studied the Watchtower lesson...you are not showing appreciation for God's spiritual provisions and following the Societies recommendations. Why shoud God allow someone like you into the New System ... (D@A ) If you secretly think Christmas lights are pretty...you are loving something detestable to Jehovah.... (D@A ) If you buy a two door car not practical for service, you aren't putting the kingdom interests first.... (D@A ) Anyway, you get the idea. No one ever tells you this stuff out loud , in fact they'd flatly deny it but everyone knows what is implied and they're all trying to prove to eachother and themselves that they are good enough. It's one thing after another...constant opportunities to go wrong. Looking back I realize how exhausted I was from always having to second guess every move I made to keep myself in harmony with their version of God's requirements. I realize that as a Witness, I was only as good as my last act of obedience. Nowadays I feel that if there is a God and if there is to be a New System or some other plan for mankind, there is no reason why I shouldn't be included in it. I'm not perfect but I love goodness and I'm doing the best I can and that's got to count for something.
