That's very true derrick , what struck me about liljwgirl's post is that it sounded so incredibly much like me not so long ago. I kinda don't really want to bust her bubble. It's a tough thing to handle when you finally realise that the troof isn't the truth, and there are some times recently where I've thought that I should have stayed an ingenuous dub, but of course once the penny drops there really is no turning back, you cannot continue living a lie.
Angry Kids
by LongHauler 21 Replies latest social family
-
-
happysunshine
Hi LongHauler!
I wanted nothing to do with the cult even at a fairly early age, but would a person feel that way if they had believed as a teen?
I'm not sure if this is the nature of your queery, but do you mean raised as and still buying it as a teen? If so, that was me. I really walked the talk, gave it everything I could growing up until I left at 21. I think that helped me, because I left having confidence I was doing the right thing. I didn't 'waver' or 'rebel' or get 'pressured out'. It simply didn't work. I would probably have a lot of emotional sludge in me now if I had left before I was convinced it was wrong.
Having said that, it does mean there's no challenges. I still have to deal with 'weirdness' between my family and I. There's also the occasional phobia or bad a ttitude that pops up, and I can trace it to being raised a witness. But I think I'm dealing with it pretty good. And I'm a lot nicer guy than I used to be ;-)
As far as blame, bad feelings, etc., thats a tricky one. Like Lisa said, you don't want to get stuck there. I find it helpful to compare it with non-JW stuff. For example, what role would anger play in other situations where someone was/is getting hurt? True, getting mad at your folks isn't going to make the past go away, but in a sense it can change it. I mean, why do we have a criminal/civil court at all if taking action after the fact is useless?
Of course, you have to consider the situation, but generaly I don't buy the 'we thought we were doing the best for you' defense. That is used for all kinds of stuff, including abuse. A study on serial child molesters showed that some actualy believed that the children wanted to have sex and that they were doing them a favour by attacking them. I know its an extreme analogy, but the same psycho/social processes often work with Witnesses. Where does the buck stop then?
I think the organisation acts a kind of 'emotional clearing house' for many Witnesses. There is a structured outlet for jealosy, anger, hate, even rage. I can't remember how many elders I saw lose it at the door with someone who didn't think inside the box. Even their biggest joy, the paradise, only comes after 6 billion people are massacred. That's the ultimate outlet for agression. I often remember Witnesses joking around about an unfriendly householder, saying they would be running around on fire or something.
liljwgirl wrote-
Besides, we have no hard feelings towards those who don't agree with us.. Everyone is allowed to be opinionated.
Please. In the combined 300+ years my family and I have spent as Witnesses, this has never been actualized. I do remember a lot of people who suddenly 'dissapeared', silenced directly or indirectly by the Watchtower, never to be seen again. A lot of them turn up here, others commit suicide, still others... who knows.
I think you are a troll, posing as 'liljwgirl'. NOT cool here. Go to a holocaust survivours board and pose as a Nazi or something.
LongHauler, hang in there buddy. -J
Are there genuinly nice, sweet people in this world? Yes, absolutely yes, and they get as angry as often as you and I. They must- otherwise they would be full of vindictive feelings and slush, which would prevent genuine sweetness. -Theodore Isaac Rubin