DID YOU EVER LEARN anything because you were a JW?

by minimus 43 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Scully

  I was painfully shy as a child. Enrolling in the Theocratic Ministry School and going door-to-door, answering questions at the meetings helped me get over my shyness.

  Preparing talks (the old fashioned way, not the canned delivery they use now) helped me learn to do research, which helped me with school assignments and later with work-related assignments.

  Being around people of different races and backgrounds and being taught that we were all on equal footing with God, taught me to treat people with respect regardless of their race or nationality. I have relatives who make racial slurs, and because my immediate family were JWs, those comments always bothered me.

  Being a JW kid, I had to face issues at school that most adult JWs - particularly those who converted to JWs - never had to face: being criticised for not singing the national anthem, having to be excused from morning exercises at school, being pulled to my feet by the hair at the nape of my neck by a teacher who thought I was being disrespectful of the flag by sitting quietly, being sent to the principal's office and getting the strap for refusing to participate in the Grade 3 art class where we had to make Christmas decorations, just to name a few. All of those things taught me that it was OK to stand up for your beliefs, even if other people disagreed with me. Even, as it turns out, if I was wrong. They were also very humbling (humiliating) experiences, and I learned to develop a tough skin, that I'd live through things that seemed at the time to be the worst possible thing that could ever happen to me.

  When I left the JWs, I learned that there was life beyond the WTS and the JWs; that I could be successful and happy without them. That living well is the best revenge.

  Love, Scully
• 

  Dismembered

  Admittedly many positives, but ...............
• 

  freeman

  I have learned how very important it is to do independent research on anyone or any group that claims to have simple answers for lifes complex problems BEFORE joining their cause.

  I have learned that if you make the mistake of joining a cult such as the Watchtower, you and your loved ones will pay dearly for years and years to come.

  I have learned to no longer be been a sit on the sidelines type of person, I take action now as the Dark and Evil Tower has transformed me into a fighting soldier. I now activity fight the will of the Tower by exposing their duplicity and hypocrisy to anyone and everyone I can, and by promoting such causes as silent lambs.

  Yet somehow despite all these valuable lessons I have learned, I just cant bring myself to thank them.

  Freeman
• 

  Elsewhere

  I learned that if you socially isolate a person to a small group, then threaten to take that small group away from him... you can get a person to do or believe just about anything.
• 

  Englishman

  Freedom's just another word for nothing else to lose. -Kris Kristopherson

  Hey Windchaser!

  You have really made my day!

  Me and Bobbie McGee was my "coming out song" from the witnesses. Part of my exit was visiting folk music clubs, and that song was my favourite.

  Englishman.
• 

  Country Girl

  <P>I LEARNED morals... does that count?</P> <P>Country Girl</P>
• 

  JT

  This type of question is kinda funny- its like asking a Nazi

  What fine qualities did you learn while a Nazi.

  How to be organized ( i mean to kill 5mill in a few months calls for excellent organization skills)

  How to motivate folks (you know sorta like a motivational speaker thing- come on to motivate folks to turn in thier next door neighbors calls for excellent skills)

  and the list goes on and on
• 

  TTBoy

  I learned never to hide anything in your room. Parents didn't like finding 4 cases of beer lined down the narrow empty space under my bed. Don't hide Playboy's under your mattress. I learned there's always a witness watching you. There were sooo many blue mustangs on the road but it was always me in the one that was speeding. (boggle) Being best friends with the POs son gave you a lot of leniency. Children who were home schooled were REALLY WIERD. A 2 year old could give a one word answer that nearly blew out the sound system. A MS' hot wife could constantly do front yard work in a bikini top and cheek showing shorts on a main street. If you were the POs son, came home drunk, and puked on your dad when he opened the door you wouldn't get in trouble. BAH time to go home from work, I could have thought of a few more.

  TT
• 

  JT

  minimus

  All jokes aside, we all did learn many excellent interpersonal skills i will admit, and rightly so. We all worked for perhaps one of the world's largest direct sales organizations i can think of. Why do you think at one time each congo was called a "Company".

  Wt taught us how to sell, how to dress, how to present ourselves both at the hall and in the public eye. like at IBM at one time NO ONE COULD BE PROMOTED WHO FAILED to wear the traditional dark suit and wingtip shoes - in fact in many circuits the wearing of a WHITE SHIRT esp for assemlies was clearly understood in fact at some assemly halls the co and do had a change of shirts on a rake just in case you came with that sky blue shirt on thinking that you would be going out on the stage.

  We were trained how to Sell, bottom line

  we sold products, we sold a life style, we sold a promise of a better life and for many of us we were good salemen and women- driving 100 miles to take a ball point pen back to the Post Office just to tell the clerk we are jw and offer to leave that track.

  so yes we learned many things sad to say if was all for no real cause.
• 

  saltiest

  Difficult for me to say what I learned that is positive, though I know if I hadn't grown up the way I did, I would be nothing like I am today, and I am happy with who I am.

  The one thing that has saved my butt over the years is how I learned NOT to trust many people. It created a stronger instinct within me to determine who and when to trust, and many times is has helped me prevent some serious mishaps and dangerous situations.

  I learned how to sweet-talk people, in a way so it seemed sincere. It was the only way I made it through the times after the meetings, milling around, waiting for our ride so we could go home.

  I also learned how not to treat my child. Not just how I was treated, but by watching the poor children being beaten and yelled at just because they couldn't sit still, and so on.

  Like I said, hard to think of many...most were learned, while I was in the process of leaving or after I was out. The tough "welcome to reality" pieces.

  Alicai