We have been told there's no place else to go. And to some degree mentally speaking, that is true especially if you were raised in the religion. At 50 I was out of the Organization's clutches. But what a long waste of time in the meantime!🤡
Were You Surprised You Remained a JW As Long As You Did?
by minimus 26 Replies latest jw friends
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Spiral
Actually, as I think about it, I would say yes. If it was easier to leave I think I would have left long before I did (when I was about 50 as well). Hard to quantify, because mentally I was out way before I was physically out.
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littlerockguy
If the internet existed back in the early 80s like it does today I may not have ever became a JW in the first place. However it was a few issues and especially the generation change teaching back in 1995 that opened my eyes to the fraud of the organization that set me to planning my exit.
LRG
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minimus
I used to read Ray Frank books when they first came out, secretly. It took a while before I could settle all of truths I was reading. I had an entire family....generations of Witnesses. But I knew the "truth" was nothing but BS! When I finally left that was it! 👍👍
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Ucantnome
no, I believed it was the 'truth' I may not have liked going to the meetings etc.but I thought it was right.
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3rdgen
I'm not surprised but angry that it took me 60 years to leave. My family on both sides joined as IBSA about 1900 before the group was called Jehovah's Witnesses. I have no family who is not JW. My parents had to die or have dementia before I let myself learn TTATT.
Just as I feared, my family all shun me but the freedom is worth it! My biggest regret in life is that I didn't listen to my inner voice that Hated being a witness but thought God would kill me and my children if I weren't.
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scratchme1010
I'd say no. I left early in life, at 23. I was not depending on my parents since I was 19. 4 years after being independent from my parents and 5 years after reaching legal adulthood is not bad. One second is too much time in there, but considering that I was raised there, not bad.
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minimus
Many teenagers have no desire to be witnesses but since they are living at home they have to go through the motions.
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Londo111
Hindsight is 20/20.
Looking back, I can't believed I was deceived all the way up until I was around 40.
Of course, like someone said, I didn't have the internet growing up.
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minimus
Internet has made the difference