by Simon 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Yep, you can never doubt the current teachings or you'll get a reputation for being negative, then your dissed. If you hold it in and suffer privately through depression, perhaps trying to drink you way out of it like many witnesses do, they will diss you also.
I don't know of anyone in the congregation that could financially help with a job, house, etc. if things totally went south like the OP. All the window washer, janitors don't have much to offer.
I have mixed emotions reading this thread...
One of my biggest goals is to have a successful life away from being a Jehovahs witness. I am 30 year old, and I want to prove EVERYONE WRONG, my J dub family, former kingdom hall 'homies' etc, that I can survive without the help from 'the towers.' I'm taking it step by step everyday. I was SO DEPENDENT on my parents throughout my 20's (especially my mid 20's), and if I could go back, would have left the hall with I was 18. I am still working on my dependency issues, but lets face it: WE WERE NOT RAISED TO BE FIGHTERS, TO SURVIVE IN THE WORLD. We werent told that we could be all we could be (I know it sounds corny, but its true). We basically were taught to: wait on Jehovah, wait on the faithful and discreet slave to clear the matter up, etc. One thing I do know is that I'm gonna have to stop communicating with certain JW's cause I have to get that out of my system. I think I'm gonna do a video on this 2nite.
Revisiting this thread!
Yes, I thank my non Jw parents for raising me as a fighter. You can be a fighter too! Never stop being true to yourself.
@ Julia Orwell so true! They suck the life out of you.
What helped get me out in my mid twenties was that I was a reader. I always had a book going, usually a couple at a time. I read for pleasure, popular fiction, the classics, science fiction, westerns, etc. I read non fiction as well, my public library was more familiar to me then the Kingdom Hall and still is. Reading made me keep one foot in the real world and eventually I put my weight on that foot and walked out of the 'truth that wasn't'.
Eventually I parted the JW veil and realized that there was a meaningful life to be had not being a witness. My wife joined me........ my mother & sister and other relatives and our JW friends never forgave us which was their loss. My son and our grandchildren have never spent a minute in a KH other then for a funeral. They are healthy, happy and of sound mind living in this world we share.
Decades have passed since then and we honestly never looked back.
Stepping away from one of the worst manufactured religions to be found......... was the right decision.
Simon - I was never in so I didn't expereince this but I understand what you are saying and feel sad for you and everyone else on this forum who have painful memories of past 'friendships' and have difficulty making new friends on the outside. I think it would be good if this site could be used to arrange get togethers of members who live in the same general location. I suspect this may happen to some extent but it would be great if it could be expanded on. Or if there are meet-up groups if those meet-ups could be advertised on the site. I suspect the fear of this loss of friends and tainting of those friendship memories is one reason why people stay in even if they have doubts or furiously repress any doubts. Hang in there mate and good luck in creating new friendships and happy memories. Take care
LMSA - I felt so sad reading the story of your step-brother, for him but also for his poor family. This is a nightmare scenario. How horrible!
BTW - why the moniker are you Argentian and sticking you rmiddle finger up at the Brits but expecting them not to understand Spanish. I am an Aussie with dual British nationality so am not particularly fussed about the Falklands but I could see how it could be seen as inflamatory by any British Nationalists on the site if they understood.
Joliette - good for you. You show the Bastards. With a postivie attitude like yours I am sure you make lots of great friends and memories.
All in all, after reflecting on everything I experienced as a JW and reading other people's responses,
I cannot help but feel that this religion is just plain EVIL masquerading as good.
I am glad to be rid of it.
