HOW LONG WERE YOU A JW? (page 7)

out4good3

when i stop and think of all the Dr, Lawyers, Dentist, Air Line Pilots, Dancers, movie stars , country western singers, R&B, CEOs , Scienctist, etc that many of us could have been YEARS AGO- set with nice retirements ahead of us,

that's the exact thing I was thinking when the elder "Cheese Cracker Men" were in my house telling me I was wasting my time by going back to school and pursueing educational and financial goals 8 or 9 years ago.

every negative "what If" they proposed only strengthened my resolve to make it happen. I often think that had I listened to them, I'd still be flipping burgers struggling month to month to pay my bills.

siegswife

I was only in for 5 years, 1984 (how appropriate) to 1989. I was a bible study for about 3 years prior to being baptised.

I've recently been wondering why I even got involved to begin with, and why it hurt so much when I left. Reading this board, and some of the subjects being brought up have made me realize that I never really believed alot of what they teach.

1914...nope. I thought it was my fault that I didn't understand it though.

Every nonJW being wiped out....never believed it.

Blood...nope. I was glad my ex wasn't a JW because of my kids and I honestly wouldn't have to have been persuaded too much to agree for them to get blood if needed.

Door to heaven shut in 1935...nope...never believed it.

Birthdays and holidays...I did see something to what they were saying, and it was no big deal for me to give them up, but while reading the Bible on my own I discovered that Job's kids celebrated. I still didn't think it was a major issue until I was able to connect some more dots regarding the meaning of 'day'. That's another story.

Those are just the tip of the iceberg. I left because of not agreeing with other scriptual issues, like the locusts.

Anyway, I wonder what was up with me that I was so taken in by a cult that teaches things that I never really believed....

hamptonite21

its amazing how many people were jdubs for 30 something years

blondie

Yes, that is because we are old. I found it hard to imagine being married for 30 years when I was only 17. My perspective has changed now.

target

30 years

Target

Sabine

Baptized at Anaheim Stadium July, 1971.

Last meeting attended, Memorial 2000.

Doing the slow fade, I go back and forth on whether I should write my DA letter. I've pretty much given up hope of encouraging any of my former jw friends to leave.

Hey Perry, the first bookstudy I attended around age 8 was studying the Babylon book, in spanish no less...talk about confusing a little kid!!

DFWnonJW

Not that anyone asked or cares...
My mom started studying when I was 5 and was baptized within a year. I rebeled and quit going when I was around 15 (just around 1974-75) and why not, with armaggedon coming "shortly" I wasn't going to make 16 anyway (just couldn't "fit in").
With my mom, two brothers, one sister, one sister-in-law and one brother-in-law baptized jw's as well as all the "friends" (theirs, not mine!) it was an ever present thing as someone was always trying to persuade me to "hurry and get in the door before it's too late!" This went on for years until...
At the time of the Jim and Tammy Faye incident(s) it was "obvious" (or so I was told) that the government's were about to "turn on religion" so it was now or never. Started burning lots of midnight oil reading all the old books my mom had as well as the then current mags and trying to make up for lost time. Funny thing though, the more I tried to convince myself (and others) it was right, the less convinced I became -still had all the jw mental gymnastics going on in my head though. Quit going after a couple of years (governments still not having wiped out religion) and pretty much did the fade away / living in fear of armageddon thing until...
Sometime in 1998-99 my older brother called me up and started talking about the witnesses...I thought he was just trying to get me back in and I wasn't interested in hearing it. I tried very hard to supress the jw thoughts and live as normally as I could. Anyway, turns out he was telling me about a book that I just "HAD" to read called Crisis Of Conscience. It took me a few months before I went and ordered it but once it was in my hands I could not put it down!
I had seen chat rooms on AOL for jw's / xjw's but dared not venture in. After reading CoC I made my way in and became a regular lurker for awhile and had lots of interesting times (thank you LifeValue and the others for making me feel welcome and understanding my reluctance to be there). Anyway, after a bit of time there it was finally beginning to dawn on me that it wasn't just ME...I wasn't the only one that thought that I was the only one that thought I was the faulty one...or something.

So there ya have it. The condensed version. Oh, you were just asking for a number? uh, I guess about 35 years under the influence though never baptized. Whew! ~~Lucky~~ fortunate me!

arachnia

Edited by - arachnia on 14 November 2002 22:15:12

arachnia

JW's knocked on my parent's door when I was about two. Mom took the mags. Dad recognized them from his teen years when his mom was a JW. She had been inactive for many years at that point. Being teen parents and not entirely sure they were raising me properly, they accepted a bible study. *sigh*

My last birthday and xmas were in 1975, when I was 5. Mom had a "big sister" type start a weekly study with me at around age 12. Once that was established and the indoctrination process was in full tilt, she and dad started their fade-away.

Got baptized when I was 15 (three months shy of 16) in 1986 at the Silverdome.

My parents used the religion as a weapon against me and a shield for themselves. I'd go to the meetings and hear that there were no excuses for not doing all you can, and if you were found lacking by not attending all the meetings and going out door-to-door, you were gonna be bird food. I'd go home, terrified of what was going to happen to my family, relay to them what was said at the meeting, and was told that I shouldn't be so judgemental, that "Jehovah understands that not everyone can put in the same effort." At another meeting I would be told talk such as that was just Satan trying to inflitrate. And even though my parents were trying to do the slow fade, they kept pushing me towards it and would use it to prohibit me from things they didn't want me to do (extra cirricular sports, dances, dating, etc.: "You know the Society says that is wrong, Trase.).

Pioneered right out of high school for a year. Had major health issues so I dropped down to regular auxillary and was chastised for doing so by an elder who worked for GM and whose daughter had been my study conductor. "Lots of pioneers go without health insurance." I notice he and his family didn't.

Married a newly converted JW to escape my parents. Spent six hellish years with him. Finally reached the conclusion he was either gay or bi and that was one of the reasons he was so hostile towards me. Got divorced and left the JW's in 1996. I understand he left shortly thereafter. He still lives in the same house and neighbors I've seen since have asked me if he might be gay. Heh.

I remarried last year to a wonderful former-Catholic-then-Wiccan-now Atheist guy and life is grand! :)

Sorry this got to be so long. In summary, I was "officially" involved from about 1975 to 1996.

Mulan

My parents were baptized when I was 4, in 1950. I was baptized at the ridiculous age of 9. Quit at age 50, seven years ago.

HOW LONG WERE YOU A JW?

Share this