The more obedient the JW the more tired and sad he is. Show me a happy Witness (and I know some) I'll show you someone who doesn't do what they are "supposed to". The problem with that is, when the self-rightous hard workers see that some JWs have fun or let their kids have fun, they gossip and sometimes slander them out of jealousy. I know, it happened to me. FUN is a four letter word in Watchtowerland.
Do you detect an underlying sadness ?
by Phizzy 67 Replies latest jw friends
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Bungi Bill
3rdgen,
You've nailed it there!
The very one and only instance in which 3 really equals 4
i.e. in the JW world, a three letter word called "FUN" actually has four letters - not three.
They certainly don't want their R&F experiencing that:
- and it shows all too clearly!
Bill.
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Bungi Bill
3rdgen,
You've nailed it there!
The very one and only instance in which 3 really equals 4
i.e. in the JW world, a three letter word called "FUN" actually has four letters - not three.
They certainly don't want their R&F experiencing that:
- and it shows all too clearly!
Bill.
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LongHairGal
Yes, I do detect this underlying sadness, with the exception of somebody affiliated with the deaf community. This person oozes with positive comments! It is a little unreal.
However, the few other JWs I know are downcast but they try not to let on around me.
Since I am a "fader" one of them tries to present a positive spin on the religion and even goes so far as to hide negative things from me. The negative things have filtered down to me from their worldly relatives. I found out a few shocking things quite by accident. Witnesses go through a lot of effort to hide and suppress anything bad about the religion and even what goes on in congregations.
As others have said here: it is truly sad when JW baby boomers are burying their JW parents who never expected to grow old in "this system of things". And, yes, these baby boomers have missed out on a truly amazing time in history. I may have had a few hard knocks and regrets and can't go back and change anything, but I am glad I was not raised a JW.
It was an easier transition for me when I walked away from this vacuum of a religion.
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innerpeace
I was teary eyed after talking to my dad on the phone last night, he's 75 and has been a witness for almost 40 years. The subject came up and I asked him if he thought the new system would be here by now. He mentioned the changes lately, including the generation change from a few yrs ago. Asked him how he felt about the changes and he just said he didn't really know, that they were still studying them in the WT. Basically said he was getting too old/tired to grasp new big changes and also how it's getting hard for him and my mom to make the meetings, hard getting dressed in a suit when you're just so tired and not feeling well. I just let him talk, I never say anything negative about the society or the witnesses. I would never take his hope away, it seems the society is doing a good enough job of that, even if they realize it or not. The whole thing is just so sad indeed.
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DJS
Nearly a quarter of a century ago when I was a MS/elder several of us on the BOE used to state (with some black humor but with honesty) that half the JWs in our congretation were on anti-depressants and the other half needed to me. This has been going on for a long time. I guess it can be compared to a kid waiting, and waiting and waiting for Christmas morning and it never comes. But the kid keeps being told that Christmas is coming, not to give up.
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pearlsister
Yes, defenetively !
In my cong, there are a bunch of depressed sisters. They usually have some sad story to tell, specially the ones they are pioneers...
(" poor me I don't have $ because I pioneer... - poor me , my car brocked down and I don't have any $.. - poor me I am sick... )
I think they envy the ones that they have a life and laugh, have a decent car, or house or education...
3rdgen, yes, you are right... they gossip about the ones that we have some fun, or make judgments about it.. specially the hard workers self rightouse ones. I think inside they are just miserable and they dont' want to see it.
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Phizzy
I was prompted to start this thread as I listened to a young "sister" explain what sounded on the surface to be a wonderful experience, using her artisitic skills along with other skilled artists for the W.T.
All working together with a common aim, in unison , blah blah, but as she spoke the words that the WT wanted her to say, and I believe she thought she was being sincere, I could FEEL the underlying sadness.
The sadness was probably there because deep deep down she knew she was not doing what she really wanted to do, give free reign to her natural talent, and let her Muse take her wherever it wanted, no, she was living within the very tight constraints of the W.T, and always would.
I have detected it too, in the many long time served J.W's , their hopes have not come about, they now fear, rightly, they will not before they die.
Anything we can do to free people from this stultifying, life denying Cult has got to be worth doing.
They don't have to be sad, unfulfilled people, it is such a waste, especially of young talent.