How many would have stayed? (page 2)

DakotaRed

Although I never totally agreed with every aspect of the theology, I never really had a big problem with their beliefs. It was their mistreatment and doctrinal control of others that drove me away.

Lew W

I was quite young and very immature at the time of my df. Looking back it was the best thing (turning a negative into a positive) because it forced me to look at religion/Bible outside the constraints of my up bringing - thus I'm convinced the Bible is man created for controlling the masses with fear and guilt - no matter what name they call themselves.

granny

jws

I don't know that this question is even valid. If they were more relaxed, they wouldn't have many of the beliefs they have or wouldn't have dogmatically stuck with so many wrong ones. It's an impossible situation and hard to imagine the religious organization being proposed.

For me, it was discovering how wrong their beliefs were and how they covered it up that drove me away.

I had my problems with the way some people acted. But I've also seen those types of people other places too. And I knew they weren't behaving as they were supposed to (even by JW standards). Should I blame the whole religion? In the whole of Christianity, there are people who don't exhibit Christian qualities (often times myself included), yet it doesn't drive me away from Christianity.

For me, it was wrong beliefs. If the beliefs are right, it doesn't matter what the people act like.

But, like I say, much of this is mutually exclusive. If it was right, you would be surrounded by better people.

Buster

Very thought provoking. I feel I came away from the dubs with a few things. One of them was a severe distrust of all religion. It started withe the JW teaching that they are the one and only. Then when I no longer believed in the WTS dicta, I was left with the sense that no orgranized religion is for me.

I would have left anyway. No organized religion can avoid the shortcomings of the people it is made up of.

garybuss

The agents of the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation limited my education, induced my parents to drag me out 3 evenings a week and weekends to meetings and fundraising, forced me to dispense with friends, hit, pinched, and poked me, scared me with false predictions, limited medical care and treatment to me, passed medical treatment requirements that resulted in my wife dying a premature death from improper and lack of medical treatment, belly pushed me from a working stocked vending machine at district convention, harassed me for not wearing a necktie to group meeting, instructed my wife to put unpaid literature distribution and group meeting attendance before spending time associating with me, taught my children to see me as bad association and directed them to shun me, encouraged elders to lie to me, made acceptance of their teachings a requirement and then changed those same doctrines.

A team of wild horses could not have gotten me to stay.

gb

shera

I think if we were able to believe what we wanted and rules were different,the JW teachings would be different or perhaps there would not be a JW organization...?

If I was able to sit down and read the bible for myself(not the NWT) with the lit,I wouldn't have stayed.

KD

While I was in it, I always questioned several aspects of the teachings but excepted it any ways. If it was not for their control of my life I may have stayed. There were somethings about it that I enjoyed and all my friends were there too. But in a way it seems that after I left, my whole life and veiw of thinking broadened.

Jesika

One word---NO.

I dont like organized religion at all. Not sure I even believe in the bible anymore.

joannadandy

You ask a difficult question. Not sure I can give it a fair answer after a long period without any religion. If they had started off being "more normal" and not shredding families apart, I probably would have stayed.

However, I am out now. I have all sorts of doctrine questions and even questions about the existance of God, that if they changed and said "look we are all happy now" I am not sure I could go back.

But I think your question was, if it was more normal would we have stayed, and my answer is yes. If I had seen more compasion/humanity in the religion I probably would have stayed.

myself

Was it in fact the teachings that made you leave? Yes Or more so the way they act and hurt people.Yes to this too If there was not a df'ing program,could consider it if there was more love shown, if the rules were not so extreme, like lets say that holidays were allowed.not really an issue, but learning to enjoy them You could be in the military, etc.N/A In fact, if the witnesses were like any other religion, only the beliefs were different, would you have stayed? Like any other religion? No I do not have faith or trust in any "organized religion."

How many would have stayed?