Reasons for becoming a JW? (page 2)

katchoo

thanks, waiting.
It's good to know that there are others who go though the same things... Its hard to remember that sometimes.

--B.

waiting

Hey, Katchoo,

There really are a lot of persons like us, in my opinion, but people usually are made uncomfortable by our speaking. There is an area down on the bottom of the menu for mental stuff.

Sounds so weird - but i guess incest could qualify. Want to post to me there? I don't mind others reading what I post, but I feel that they sometimes think, "oh, do we have to hear that again?"

Well, yes, because it happens again, and again, and will keep on.

I'm going to start a post down there, nothing personal if you don't want. If you want to e-mail, mine is available.

I became a witness because I believe that if there existed a Grand Creator that he would have a purpose for the earth beyond the cycles of life and death.
The WT message sounded plausible.
Once inside now I believe that if there exists a Grand Creator that he would have a purpose for organizing a people beyond the cycle of endless meetings and door knocking.

I ask why the useless cycles, and I'll I ever hear is 'well because of such and such' one day the next day it's 'well because of so and so'.
That's it! nothing more but WORDS no ACTION.
All I get is excuses.

Martini who says let's get on with it already.

waiting

But Martini....

Most of all, the Society Is Words. We as JW's lived by those words. Words kept us in line, defined our lives, our thoughts, our hearts, our marriages, our sex, our school, our children, our jobs, our parents, our habits, our clothes, our haircuts, our music, our books, our speech, our investments, our homes, our consciences, our friends, our enemies, our vacations, our free time, our jobs, our parenting, our worship, our..........

The Society's words define absolutely everything in our lives - as long as we allow them. And if we don't - the Society's words define us as "independent thinkers," and then as apostates.

And we thought we were being baptized in the name of Jehovah and Jesus.

RayfordSteele

Wow, out of catholicism and into the witnesses.
No wonder things were so difficult.

A simple faith in Christ is all it takes. Forget the rules. Understand why they're there, but don't hang your relationship with God on your ability to obey them perfectly. Paul was a murderer that happened to write half the NT. You think he 'earned' his way to heaven?

RedhorseWoman

I like your attitude, Ray....and I agree that a simple faith is all that is necessary....I've seen it at work.

waiting

Hey Ray,

When I became a JW in 1968, there was an incredible influx of Catholics into this religion.
Why? Several opinions existed at the time.

On the surface: Security, rebellion from established beliefs, freedom of thought, a family-like atmosphere, a return to the Bible.

However, another viewpoint offered is: Catholics are used to a highly structured, sin/Hell/God will punish you/go to Heaven if forgiven, etc. lifestyle. Catholics have whole catechisms telling them what type of sin they are committing and what it will take stay out of Hell.

Some offer the viewpoint that Catholics who left the Catholic Church ended up trying to find security in another totalitarian style religion. And there were millions of us in the 60's. The famous JW Truth Book was written primarily with Catholics in mind. That was the book from which I studied.

Not to be underestimated: People tend to return to what they know. ie: children of alchohalics marry into alchohalic families. Abuse, etc. follows the same pattern. These people are also looking for security. The Watchtower Society appeals to such ones for obvious reasons.

Nice to talk with you. waiting

AlphaQup2nite

I was rasied in the "truth" since i was 3, so i literally have no memories from before that time, and i was on the fast track to a PO or higher position, as the elders were always brining it up during my childhood, prbly b/c i was amazing at the TSM assignments. My mother, a Taiwanese girl totally uprooted and moved with my father to the states with only a bare minimium of english skills orginally agreed to a bible study as an english lession. She converted with my father (a nonpracticing catholic, but strong family pressures not to convert) when i was roughly 3 or so. Thanks to that, i have no relationship with my family on either side, my taiwanese family due to distance issues, and my american family due to the tension due to relgion.

I often wonder what my life would have been like if my mom was a little bit more careful about who she listened to, but i can understand why she was targeted. Alone, in an unknown culture, with only a base grasp of the language, she was ripe for the picking by the salesmen of jehovah. I left the orginization unoffically at about 17, and as far as i know no one has tried to contact me. Im just glad that the asian side of my mother and my older sister has held fast over the years, and i can discuss things with them occasionally, and they have given up preaching to me. My younger sister is a lost cause, i wasnt even invited to her wedding this summer, and i have not spoken a word to her in over 5 years. Part of the reason that no one prbly tries to contact me is i have moved to Mainland china, and a portion of that desicion is not having to deal with the theocratic harassment.

Granted, its been hard for me to unbrainwash myself, and figure things out for myself. Ive delved into drugs, alcohol, etc trying to get a meaning for it all, and its been very hard for me to adjust to making my own rules for life, and it isnt easy to build your own moral code out of scratch, or erase a childhood of programming. Im 24 years old now, insanely cynical, and still trying to figure out exactly how i want to live my own life. Its a struggle, but im still happier then every before, considering i no longer have to deal with faith induced nervous breakdowns, and i can freely question things and alter my code of ethics as i grow and mature as a person. I still find it hard to build lasting relationships on something more then a drinking buddy level, simply because being shunned by childhood friends is very detrimental to a developing person. The lack of real world experience is something i still feel, and im ill equiped to deal with a lot of stresses of life. Slowly, i am trying to build the family relationships i was lacking, but that is slow going and hard for me. But in the end, i feel that that i made the right choice.

Sayswho

Good for you Time will help in undoing all (most) of the harm done. *Out of mind but never forgotten*

Sw

Ding

I didn't end up getting baptized because there was a lot about the WT religion I didn't fully buy into, but here is what sucked me towards the WT and messed up my thinking for years:

1. The study conductors seemed to know a lot about scriptures I had never seen before.

2. The WT theology all seemed to fit together (I wasn't aware of the contradictions and false prophecies).

3. The WT religion was one where you were expected to do something, not just sit in a pew. I thought that was good.

4. Because friends didn't think I could possibly take WT dogma seriously they didn't try to counter it effectively from the Bible.

5. Friends told me not to study with the Witnesses because the WTS is a cult, reinforcing what the WTS warned would happen.

Reasons for becoming a JW?

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