Affected by assembly (page 2)

lastmanstanding

searril

The governing bastards make ample use of technique developed by the Nazis

BluesBrother

Took me a long time to rid myself of the JW mindset. I can still slip into the groove if I am with old associates who don't know I am out and start reminiscing about the old days.

millie210

I havent been to an assembly in 4 years but the last one I was at I did feel the wave of nostalgia sweep over me.

I though about it a lot after and came to the conclusion that it is very similar to the feeling I get if I hear "White Christmas" while at my local coffee shop in December. The frosty air, the enticing smells, all take me to a certain place in my brain.

Likewise, the standing at an assembly during a song, seeing everyone singing, thinking of how much history I share with them, all takes me to a long remembered place.

But!

Remember that illustration in (Live Forever book?) about the candy dropped in the gutter and how you wouldnt want to eat it?

That illustration applies 100% to the words and thoughts that come pouring out through that microphone at assemblies.

Then what comes to my mind is all the good people wrongly DFd by harsh elders applying their "opinions" willy nilly over others lives. I think about all the dead, who cannot sing anything, because they tried to adhere to the teachings on blood that are imposed on them.

Their teachings are from the gutter and the feelings and the music and the companionship are the brightly wrapped candy.

Thank you writing committee for that wonderful illustration!

DesirousOfChange

Took me a long time to rid myself of the JW mindset. I can still slip into the groove if I am with old associates who don't know I am out and start reminiscing about the old days. ~ BB

I find this to be so true, also. Attending a JW event ie, wedding reception or Memorial Service means mingling with all those people (some may know we are inactive/fading but many prob assume we're still active but attending elsewhere, as we're the diehards who would never "leave The Troof") that were our good "friends". Most still welcome us as friends and I believe are genuinely happy (not just "love bombing") to see us and "catch up". This is what you miss once you start a fade. And it's what might convince you to abandon your fade. The risk then is that the GODs are now concentrating on appealing to emotion via things like the resurrection videos. Of course there are still those with scary scenes or descriptions of Armageddon and the warning that God is gonna "get ya" if you aren't a JW, but I think it's the emotional "heart-tug" that's their #1 tool today.

Still, I don't think we could ever be sucked back into the religion itself. Whether it's a video or a talk we happen to hear, we now see/hear the LIES and MANIPULATION. But leaving is a challenge, esp for older ones who have so much committed and so little time to start over.

neat blue dog

I too used to be suckered by the singing at conventions and get waves of emotions. Now, the veneer is gone, and the echoing voices over the sound system sound like propaganda, and the singing strikes me as a creepy display of delusional uniformity.

pale.emperor

Whenever i find something of theirs to be persuasive i stop and remind myself that this religion requires a lot of mental arithmetic, date shifting, downplaying failed predictions, adding to scripture and covering up child abuse.

Any religion that requires all that cant be true.

Plus, if it were true, it should be churning out happy people left right and center who go on to do wonderful things for their community and their fellowman but instead it takes in people looking for answers, uses them, chews them up and spits them out.

OnTheWayOut

I recently went to a "memorial talk" for a person I knew in my mother's congregation. Because of the confusion with the recent annual Memorial of Jesus' death, I had to refer to it as a funeral talk. When I slipped and did that in front of active JW's, they would correct me. (You know, calling it something normal would make them freak out.)

So that allowed me to see how the typical talk, the familiar scriptures, the love-bombing, all that contributed to the feeling that "this is the place to be." Oh, it didn't get to me. I was immune from deprogramming, but I was able to see how they want people to keep going to meetings and keep being bombarded by this stuff to keep them from having free thoughts about doubting it.

careful

I have been PIMO for about 20 years now and so have been to a lot of assemblies in that time.

It makes you wonder how many of the 8 million are PIMOs!

Incognito

I have come to the realisation that being PIMO and having an open mind is the best way. - Formerbrother

You likely didn't mean it in the manner you did. 'Best way' would be to be POMO and to go off and live a good life.

In continuing to attend and subject oneself to their influence, sets up an internal conflict.

A person portrays an outward appearance, behaviour and speech so as to be accepted, meanwhile, their brain is screaming - 'this is BS', and constantly reminds them how unhappy they are to pretend.

In the long term, with constantly placing their true feelings on the backburner, the 'screaming' in their brain will eventually become a whisper. Although the person may not agree fully with the religion, they will no longer be full PIMO but will have conditioned themselves to be PIMI to a greater degree.

dozy

I always found the assemblies to be the best activity of JW life - it was probably the one aspect that I actually looked forward to and enjoyed. I can see how attending one would stir old emotions. But in reality - the drudgery and pointlessness of the rest of JW life - the dreadful ministry , the incessant and repetitive meetings , the petty congregation disputes and politics etc is what it is all about.

Affected by assembly

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