Are JW:s more sick than others

by Bugbear 18 Replies latest jw experiences

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  LoisLane looking for Superman

  Being a JW is NOT normal or natural or Bibilecal.

  The man known as Jesus Christ did not insist on children going door to door talking to stranger's. The Bible says JESUS, was found once at the Temple

  talking to the older men, when he was young. He did no preaching when he was a teenager or in his 20's.

  Jesus did not get baptized as a child, a teenager, or in his 20's. He was dunked when he was 30!

  So I deduce from this, Jesus had a normal up bringing .

  Not so for born-ins.

  Does this then, being raised as a JW, cause physical or emotional or mental illness?

  Possibly.

  Lack of rest.

  Lack of normal friendly interacting with neighbor children.

  Going to meetings and service, when you don't want to go.

  Made to sit still and pay attention, with threats or actual smacks.

  Being told the only ambition you are allowed is to pioneer, go to Bethel, MS, Elder.

  Marrying in the Lord, to a Theocratic person, as their main qualification.

  Sexual restrictions.

  If you are gay, saying you are not to be that way, so change...

  Being unhappy with your marriage and being told you cannot separate, you cannot divorce ( jehovah will be sad).

  Being stuck with friends, if left on your own, you would never associate with.

  Jeez, That is enough.

  LoisLane
• 

  Bugbear

  Interesting thread.

  We have often discussed wheatear JW.s are sicker than others. In my experience this is a fact. In private small investigations there is a ratio to out of 100 “normal” persons maybe 15% have some sort of dysfunction. In the JW.s congs I have been into more than 50% were “out of order”. Why is that so?

  Is it so perhaps, that people with problems are attracted to the teachings of the GB. All about the new Kingdom when everyone will be healthy, no thief’s, no murderer, no deaths a.s.f. and therefore they just want to believe all the crap from the society.

  Or, is it maybe so that people with less brain capacity (low IQ), are unable to understand the problems and the arguments that emerges when you accept WT teachings. And then they are sort of brainwashed, and are unable to find their way out from the brain trap that WT have set up for them.

  Or is it just the “social factor” that the congs. Provide for the “lonely people”

  I would like your theories about wich factor is most important.

  Bugbear
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  Faithful Witness

  My mother has developed a mysterious rash, that began on her face and now has been traveling to different parts of her body for a period of about 8 weeks. Doctors are baffled and have come up with a couple of theories. When I confronted her about her schedule, and cutting back on some of her commitments, she confided in me that she has been considering cutting her work hours, so she can be a pioneer. Sigh.

  Her blood pressure is also high, but she was starting to develop this problem before her recent (3 years ago) conversion to JW.

  My overweight sister continues to gain weight, to the point that her husband is complaining to us about it. (!!!!) "I don't know what to do with her... She keeps gaining weight, and it's getting to be embarrassing to be seen with her." Excuse me, but NO! You are not allowed to talk like that... This is your doing... Forcing her into this trap.

  I haven't been keeping up with the teachings, since we changed our minds about joining, about 3 years ago. The new light and prophecy changes have activated my alarm system, and I'm leaking information to my indoctrinated family now. (Until they shun me).

  I see plenty of articles about the things the org is expecting of members, but no emphasis on taking care of yourself. Such things as hobbies, vacations and exercise, would take away from the preaching work. With the desperately short amount of time we have left in this system, we need to put all of our efforts into serving the org.

  Recent visits to Kingdom Halls, have also shown a few people have rapidly declined in their health, since we left a couple of years ago. One prominent man in a wheelchair, friends with new chronic diseases and unmanageable pain... All these ailments are surely being used to prop up their belief that this system is getting worse and must certainly be coming to an end.

  No matter what the situation, the JW's can find a way to twist it into proof that they are the one true religion. Either they are blessed and growing, because of the fruits they bear, or satan and his system are torturing and persecuting them, as Jesus predicted. It doesn't seem to matter if you're winning or losing... It's all proof that the JW's are the only true christians.
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  TotallyADD

  Before Reopened Mind and I left I notice and said openly that mental illness was growing in the congregations. Our family as a whole suffer with it. I myself have had to work very hard to overcome the born-in thinking that comes from the cult. Our children are still under the infulence of this cult, one willingly the other though not in the cult still has very deep cult thinking. So their reasoning is warp when doing what they think is best. Cults like the Wt. have a way with playing with your mind and in turn when the mind is perverted your boy will respond to it in forms of sickness. Totally
  ADD
• 

  WishingLiz

  I know my uncle used to pioneer, but had to leave for health reasons. He's also an elder. He's had some very serious health issues, as has his wife, over the years.

  It can't be easy, living on window washer wages, being at the beck and call of everyone in the congregation, and trying to please the society at the same time.

  He needs to learn how to say No Thank You as we'll, Bugbear. He thinks nothing of taking a phone call during dinner, when he has company - and it happens quite often. Elders and MS's phoning about this and that, right at dinner time.
• 

  bsmart

  And of course, the end is sooooo soon, that Jehovah will fix everything then.

  Besides there is no money to go to a doctor because of WT policies on employment that could have health insurance.
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  Julia Orwell

  I was healthy as a horse before I joined jws. After 14 years as one I was a physical and mental wreck. Mind you, not all these things came from being a jw but they sure as eggs were exacerbated by it.

  The lifestyle doesn't allow for any emotional release, even the sort you get from cheering your football team. It's such a bare existence which strips away the development of self through arts, literature, philosophy, education and for some people, the competition found in team sports. Imo these things coupled with the constant negativity as pointed out in my thread, you are going to get sick. You are on a treadmill of meetings and witnessing, constantly told how imperfect and inadequate you are, pushed from pillar to post with no rest. No emotional or physical outlets. your true self is constantly at battle with the cult id.

  All these things leave you as a shell of a human being after years of it. And that's if you went in with your health. I know many in poor health who've gone in, maybe attracted by paradise. And healthy but social misfits who become unhealthy social misfits. I know many raised and been in their whole lives who are damaged by hard physical labour, and their wives who have fibromyalgia or something and the toll the jw life has taken on them has aged them terribly.
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  Bugbear

  I also think there is another factor. The society wants us to be very very busy, and invent knew ideas every day to keep us busy with their thoughts, so that we dont have the time to think of anything else. we are just trapped in the societys set-up and that make us unable to think for ourselves. This is why the societys hate the idea of education.

  If you go to school, there is a big chance that you might take up some new ideas and facts. Facts that the society does´t want to be spred. That is why the members in the cong. are to be shunning every memers of the cong. who would like to share new facts the she or he has aquired. I just come to think of the words of Paul, philosofers are to be shunned? The words Philosofers in original greek means "someone who loves the thrut"

  Bugbear
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  3rdgen

  There is no doubt that stress causes or exaserbates illness. JW life is nothing but stressful. The more you slave for the Borg the sicker you get. In addition, since illness is the only excused absence for meetings and FS it is easy to see why hyperchondriacs abound in the congs. If you aren't genuinely plagued with an illness---make one up!