Jehovah's Happy People

by joelbear 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  joelbear

  My parents are witnesses and my brother who has been inactive most of his life still says it is the truth. They are all very unhappy people. I got to thinking about it and I can't recall ever knowing any witnesses who were very happy. Am I imagining things? I have really given it some effort.

  I define happy as being satisfied with ones life and having friends to enjoy that life with. There weren't many happy days around our house and my family took "the truth" very seriously.

  I'm confused, can somebody help me out.

  hugs

  Joel
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  jeffory

  joel.
  I think your observations are right on the money. The happiest people on the face of the earth are riddled with negative emotions
  put on us by one of the most effective organizations at making people feel like whatever they do is not ever enough.
  In my own family I remember when as a true believer I constantly was nagged by the negative motivation's we get from the service meeting
  to do more , more , more, like a hampster on a wheel. It finally came to me that the only person that would make me happy is me, with that epiphiany i finally began my own recovery.
  good luck jeff
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  VeniceIT

  Well I must say I had a very happy childhood, even though I was raised a JW. My Dad was PO, City Overseer, on the RBC for 12 years, mom pioneerd for 20 + years, and I pioneerd for 4, my sister for 8. As you can see we were very active JW's, but we knew how to have a good time. We laughed through everymeeting, and so did whoever sat by us, Dad would threaten to seperate Mom and me, because we'd laugh so much, but I just found everything so funny. I had to go out to the bathroom several times because I was laughing so hard, and if I held it in any longer I'd have started snorting, I hate that!!!! OHHH we has some of the funnies meetings, and stories from service, we used to keep the kids at school entertained with stories. I thought it was becase we were JW's, but I guess it's more appropoate to say we were happy inspite of being JW's. I guess it's just my disposition or how I react to things, If I'm nervous, bored or uncomfortable I find the humor in things. I got that from my Mom and I'm so glad I did. Looking back I realise that my Mom fought for us to have fun, and we did. Mayebe were just happy people, or maybe it's true "ignorance is Bliss"!

  Venice
  P.S. There's no way I'd ever go back though, huhuh, nope nada!!!
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  mommy

  I can honestly say I had alot of fun as a witness. We joked around alot, and yes laughing was a staple. But looking back....what were we laughing at? Simple minded reactions to the people in this world, because we were oh so haughty, and the "perfect" ones.
  I look at the witnesses I knew and know and yes they are really unhappy people. I think alot of them are going against their own conscience, just to be one of the chosen. If it is a burden then why have it in your life? I remember my mom telling meSatan's way is easier, the evil path is easy, because you don't have to worry about displeasing God" WRONG I LOVE God and try to live my life in such a way that will be pleasing to him. No I am no longer a jw, but I have morals, and believe me it isveryeasy to stand up for what I feel is right. Do you think that God enoys that his people go drudgingly in sevice to him? Barely knocking at the door? No I think God wants us to follow an honest path Not to be decietful as thewtbts trys to lead us(voting,blood issues)
  I am honestly happier now than I have ever been before, yes life is hard. But life is hard for all, how many have had bumps in the road?
  We just dust off and keep going or we literally die, not in the made up impending death the org paints.
  wendy
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  RedhorseWoman

  Was I happy as a JW? Well, at the time I would have said so. It's true that there was a lot of laughter, but in examining it more closely, I realize that there was no contentment...no peace.

  Whatever a person did to serve "Jehovah", it was never enough. If you read an unapproved book, or saw and unapproved movie, there was guilt. You always lived in fear that if you didn't measure up in any one of the myriad requirements, you could lose everything...not only for yourself, but also for your family.

  Any joy that was not directly related to a JW event was suspect. Were you being too worldy? Were you taking pleasure in something not related to Kingdom interests?

  The only serious bout of depression I suffered (leading to a suicide attempt) was while I was active and striving (and failing) to be a
  "proper" servant of Jehovah.

  Yes, there is surface happiness, but there is no true peace, happiness, or contentment with the WTBTS. How could there be? There is no "present" for a good JW....everything is future. Future life, future health, future rewards. Anything acquired in the present was likely to be a temptation from Satan trying to pull you out of the "truth".
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  Prisca

  RHW, I agree with you 100%. I used to feel so bad while in was in the org, trying to do what was expected of me, always conscious that I should be doing "more". I'd feel I was never up to what Jehovah was expecting of me. WRONG!! It was what the WTS wanted from me, not God.

  I dedicated myself to more Bible reading in an effort to be "better". Funnily enough, my Bible reading helped me to realise what Jehovah really wanted from me, and I discerned what the WTS was making up all these unrealistic expectations of me, and not God Himself.

  I never pioneered, and one of the reasons why was that the pioneers I knew never looked happy. They looked strained, pressed for time, usually working in menial, low-paying jobs that meant they had to work more to earn enough to pay for their dingey little flat they lived in, and to pay for the early-model car that was always threatening to fall apart from rust. The only new clothes they seemed to buy was for the assembly, and even then it was from K-mart!

  I'd have to say I am so much happier since I left that depressing organisation that tries to pass itself off as a religion.

  To any JW reading this : there is a life outside the org, and it's so much better!