For those who feel that their life has been stolen (page 3)

Magnum

stillin - I really appreciate your last post on this thread. I was open and honest on my first post and I spoke strongly. I said in the post that I was not mad at you, etc., but I still thought you would be angered by my words and would be defensive. I was wrong. Your last post was humble, respectful, and kind. You showed open-mindedness and many other good qualities. You set a good example and showed that we can strongly disagree, correct each other, etc. and still be civil and be friends.

Ucantnome

They made promises. I lived up to my end of the deal; they didn’t. Magnum

yeah

LisaRose

Thanks for telling your story Magnum, I don't think I read it before. There is no denying that people's lives were ruined by this cult. We were the young people that wouldn't have time for a career in this system. Well, guess what? We didn't have a career because we were in a cult, not because there wasn't time. I fared better than most, I had a really good corporate job, but then the company went down the tubes and my $50K in stock was worthless. And my experience was too industry specific to translate to a similar career elsewhere, especially since I had no degree.

So I get it, it's tough to be so close to retirement knowing you won't actually be able to retire. But you are still relatively young, you have many good working years left. If you don't have a pension, you will probably be working well through your sixties. I think you should be able to get some training that would qualify you for a job where you could use your intellect. Why don't you see an employment counselor and see what you could do? I was a systems analyst with no degree whatsoever, I taught myself to program. You could do website design, or many other things. My ex husband was on disability, the state paid for him to get a Microsoft system engineer program, he started making serious money. My daughter used his program to train herself, now she is a Microsoft certified system engineer, she has a great job now, 70 K a year. You just have to pass the very tough tests, but it should be cake for you, then you are good to go.

I left the corporate world, I now have my own business, I don't make a lot, but it is my passion and I feel very lucky to be able to do it. You can't change the past, but you can not let the Watchtower ruin any more of your life. I feel that as long as I am on the right side of the turf I will enjoy each day as it comes and keep working towards my dream of owning my own shop (I sell antiques at markets and online). I will be sixty this year, I have substantial health issues relating to years of stress as a JW, but I am not giving up and you shouldn't either. If you give in to bitterness the Watchtower wins. Don't let them.

OUTLAW

K, Outlaw. Maybe I can only see it from my own point of view. Some of the responses have certainly been eye-openers for me.

the fact is, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed that this organization isn't what they told me that they are. I hate that I made such a fool of myself for so many years, and that through my family, they still have their hooks into me.

I just figured that I, myself, got something worth keeping out of the religion. Like somebody noted, graciously, in one of the posts, you don't know what my circumstances were, or how I am made. I would have known if I had been in a bucket of s*it, and I wasn't.

I'm sorry for the offense I have caused some here. You have had an entirely different experience than I did.

Keep the faith, though! They may still screw me over big time!.....stillin

The WBT$ outright Lied to You...

They`re Holding your Family Hostage..AND..You say,the WBT$ still have their hooks into you..

How screwed do you have to be, to realize your being screwed??!!..LOL!!!!!!..

.

I have sympathy for JW`s trying to find their way out of the WBT$..

None for those who Know Better and still support the WBT$ with money,field service time and/or hold a Position in the WBT$ ..

Those JW`s are a Huge Part of the Problem..They are Keeping the WBT$ Beast Alive..

.

Good luck on your way out..

Your first steps should be not supporting the WBT$ in any way shape or form..

There is Nothing Good in the WBT$..

..................................................................OUTLAW

twice shy

katewild-WT brought out the darker side of my personality.

I can totally relate to your thought. In my quest to be the person the society perceived as a spiritual christian I wasn't always the kindest person. There was a limit to my kindest. I sought to have the quietest well behaved children. I preached that they were imperfect, but required perfection from them and others every day. I constantly made them feel like they were bad people if they made a mistake. Their lives were just filled with days of judgement and misery. I was daily, teaching them that they weren't to be trusted as I showed them that I had very little trust in them.

I felt condemened all the time and therefore criticised them most often. Just as I felt that nothing I could do was good enough; I made them feel the same way.

I, too, had high educational goals and was a very good public speaker. I was always nominated for offices and positions, but once I achieved them I would just feel bad all the time; having been voted in. I guess that was a part of the cognitive dissonance rearing it's ugly head.

I do believe that adhereing to GOD'S commandments is a good way of life, but I gave up much by holding myself and others to a higher standard that not even GOD and Jesus Christ required of me or them.

Now I am free. We are free. My children now speak of being happy and see a beautiful difference in me. So, Yes, I can completely understand what you mean by the darkside.

Magnum I replied to some of your post as well.

flipper

STILLIN- Very interesting thread. Your statement, " There were real lessons that were learned about getting along with all sorts. Even psychopaths. " My god - you have that right. I never KNEW there were so many psychopaths within Jehovahs Witnesses until I was out of it the last 11 years ! LOL.

Your statement I tend to disagree with, " you maintained a level of personal decency and integrity that you almost certainly WOULD NOT HAVE HAD if you had chosen another direction. " Not true. At least in my own personal circumstance. I actually became a BETTER person after exiting the Witnesses because I didn't have to live a fake life and I became nice to people of ALL sorts without prejudice and I did it because it's humane and ethical, not because I was pleasing a big " sky daddy " to get " eternal life " or pleasing the elders or pleasing WT leaders. After exiting the JW cult I did it out of pure motives to help others to make THEM happy and myself and make the world a little kinder place to live in.

The WT Society has only stolen our life if we allow them to steal it. Once we are free and have freedom of mind- WT leaders can no longer hold us down like they tried to do for years. And shame on them for doing so. They are unethical, barbaric, and a criminal minded organization. The WT leaders are at the top of the heap- and their mindset has the trickle down effect into every JW's mind underneath. I'm glad I'm out and as long as I breathe on this planet I'll help others minds to be free as well. Freedom of mind is a terrible thing to waste. I feel most ALL of us have become better people after exiting the JW cult

stillin

Thanks, Flipper. Well, everybody is different. I had no "moral compass" when I started studying with the witnesses. I knew that I was lying or stealing, but I didn't care. So I learned some good habits for the rest of my life. It could have been another religion but it wasn't.

For those who feel that their life has been stolen

Magnum

Ucantnome

LisaRose

OUTLAW

twice shy

flipper

stillin

LoisLane looking for Superman

LoisLane looking for Superman

stillin

Share this