When JW's Can't Pigeon Hole A Situation....

by Englishman 13 Replies latest jw friends

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    ......it puts them into a state of disequilibrium.

    Take, for example, the case of someone who has been disfellowshipped from the organisation. Heads will nod knowingly and wisely if that person should:

    Do drugs.

    Become alcoholic.

    Become promiscuous.

    Such is the price paid for someone who "Turns his back on Jehovah". The DF'ee has turned out just as expected, Thank you Jehovah for keeping our org clean!

    But what if the disfellowshippee should make a success of his life, become well educated or become finacially prosperous?

    The same reasoning will still come into play here, now the disfellowshippee will be castigated as a "lover of the World", a materialist who has lost his way because of his lack of love / spiritual values etc. Once more the leaver can be slotted into a neat pigeon-hole.

    The same thing would even apply if the DF'd one should for example, become active in a beneficial charity, perhaps even be responsible for raising large sums of money for a good cause. Then the ex would be deemed as having had his reward because of the accolades of men, as far as JW's are concerned, the pigeon-hole effect has come into play again, all is in order for the narrow-minded dub.

    So what about events that occur in the lives of ex's that JW's find incomprehensible?

    How about an ex that has a happy marriage? They can't equate to this at all. How can a marriage be happy without the "3 cords" of husband wife and Jehovah? Hmm, better not think too much about that one, does not compute.......!

    Or the ex-witness who found a visitors wallet containing hundreds of US dollars and handed it in to a London police station? The finders JW parent commented "What was the point? That won't save you at Armageddon!" Strange behaviour for a hater of Jehovah's name...!

    Or the ex-JW who was mugged for his valuable watch and then visited the repentent perpetrator in prison where he freely forgave him for his crime? Oooh-er........too scary for a dub to think about!

    I just wonder what other things a JW might find baffling regarding ex-witnesses and, just maybe, cause just a little spark of light to occur in their dark little pigeon-holes?

    Englishman.

  • Nemesis
    Nemesis

    Yes its sad to say they love to play the good-bad label game. I posted a post on the same theme a while ago in a debate with ‘You Know’, it’s my second post on this link: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=25362&site=3&page=6
    It just shows no matter what you do or what happens to you as an ex-JW it will automatically be interpreted as the work of Satan, and proof of God’s condemnation. I think in the end it’s a waste of time trying to reason with them as you now it’s a lose-lose situation, and they will never accept that you could be a good person or real Christian without the Watch Tower organisation in your life.

  • Beck_Melbourne
    Beck_Melbourne

    You are bang on again..as usual Eman.

    Here's my list:

    - lover of pleasure rather then lover of God (I took up smoking and in a relationship but not married)
    - materialistic (bought a new car and house)
    - lover of money (pursuing secular position with higher paying salary)
    - puffed up with pride (pursuing higher education)
    - haughty (apostate thinking)

    This dog returns to its vomit and has no regrets!!

    Beck

    ps...I agree Nemesis...it was told to me 'Satan certainly looks after his own'...

  • SYN
    SYN

    Sheesh, well, Satan is doing a real good job looking after ME!

    "If men were like their personal ads, they wouldn't need personal ads."

  • think41self
    think41self

    Good points Eman,

    That is one of the main reasons I believe my "still JW" mother only checks in with me once a year or so. She knows I'm doing better and am happier than I've ever been. It causes her so much cognitive dissonance that she can't handle it...so she doesn't. I think she's still waiting to hear that one of my teenage kids is a drug addict or something, that would justify her thinking.

    Doug's parents are the same way. His father was recently diagnosed with cancer, and he and Mike went to visit him. During the visit, Doug had an opportunity to tell his dad that his father should still be proud of him for all that he's accomplished since he left the JW's. Then he said: "But it doesn't really matter if you're proud of me or not Dad, because I'm proud of me". Mike was sitting there through this exchange, so it was good for him to hear.
    He just left yesterday to drive home, and his Dad thanked him for coming and said it meant a lot to him, so who knows what will come of it.

    think41self

    This side of Eden, whether we realize it or not, we feel the stain on our souls, and at every opportunity, we try to scrub it away with steel-wool guilt.

  • Matty
    Matty

    Thanks Eman. You've put forward some thoughts here that have made me re-evalaute all the people I know who have "left the truth".

    I have often wondered recently how I would be thought of by my friends and family when I take the plunge and leave it all behind - and those thoughts terrify me to the extent that I've been thinking of putting it off...again!

    I don't plan on ever doing drugs, becoming a raving boozer or becoming promiscuous - I don't believe that JWs have a monopoly on morals - they just think they do! All I want is to get out asap. How about faking my own death?

  • ashitaka
    ashitaka

    E-man, I've seen one more thing. I was visted by someone "counseling" me informally. They said it was obvious that I was happy, well adjusted, loved my wife dearly, was a success, and was living well. He said that I was like the people in Noah's day.

    I laughed.

    They have an answer for everything-you can't win with them, just ignore them.

    ashi

  • gsx1138
    gsx1138

    It's funny my mother doesn't call all that much either. Of course being pagan doesn't help (I think she is catching on). My family is quite happy. As soon as I finish school our financial belt will be greatly loosened. It's funny because if I use JW thinking it goes back to my "Satan is a people person" theory. He has certainly done more for my happiness than Jehovah.

    Dear Lord, please save me from your followers.

  • DIM
    DIM

    excellent subject. I've often thought about this myself. My wife and I have an extremely close relationship - closer than most JW marriages I've seen (I can only speak from my 1st hand experience - I can't say ALL JW marriages), and even my own parents. We are both going back to school for degrees, even making good money now, and are extremely happy. The result - my mom doesn't really call me anymore and if she does, she says little biting things to me and says "i can't believe you are not going to be in paradise with me" oh well.

  • LittleToe
    LittleToe

    Matty:
    Being dead is also a pigeon hole that they can cope with.

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