by jgnat 52 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Hi jgnat:
You say other religions offer a way of life and a life style ... thus the difference. Being a JW IS a way of life AND a life style. It may seem subtle but there IS a vast difference.
You are welcome to speak up but it won't affect them in the slightest so why get in such a dither?
As long as you have family 'in' why not respect their mentality and keep your arguments involved only with them. They deserve to know your true feelings or it's built on a false basis.
northern girl.
Ng,
****You are welcome to speak up but it won't affect them in the slightest so why get in such a dither? ****
The observations made by jgnat and others here have apparently affected YOU. So your argument appears mute.
****As long as you have family 'in' why not respect their mentality and keep your arguments involved only with them. They deserve to know your true feelings or it's built on a false basis.****
Unfortunately direct communication with our relatives, involving most of what is discussed here, is only a fond hope. The reality, as Iam sure your aware, is that any self respecting, active jw (lifestyle, way, 'cult') is not allowed to even consider the notion of listening to an apostate.......LET ALONE an apostate of one's own flesh and blood.
So, heres the question. If we can't express our concerns to our relatives directly.....then why on earth are you so in a "dither" about us doing so among our jwd membership?
Danny
Hi DannyBear:
This is my third attempt to post back to you. If this one fails I won't try again.
You say your observations have affected me but I'm not one of THEM either, so your point is moot.
You call this a JW discussion page but in fact the true title is 'Forum for Jehovah's Witnesses" so it's already missleading. The name implies it is a page FOR JWs, not a place to bash them.
You would still be better off discussing your beliefs with your JW rellies and let the chips fall where they may.
northern girl.
You are welcome to speak up but it won't affect them in the slightest so why get in such a dither?
They came for the Communists, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a Communist;
They came for the Socialists, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a Socialist;
They came for the labor leaders, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a labor leader;
They came for the Jews, and I didn't object - For I wasn't a Jew;
Then they came for me - And there was no one left to object.
- Martin Niemoller, German Protestant Pastor, 1892-1984
Big Tex:
So is that what this board is all about? To raise objections and draw attention to the 'faults' of JWs?
I am not being argumentative ... I'd like to know.
And I feel I have every right to draw attention to the good of JWs.
northern girl.
Hello Northern Girl,
So is that what this board is all about?
I think this board is about anything related to Jehovah's Witnesses. Sometimes that means it is about healing from the pain of having been one. It is, after all a very painful experience.
And I feel I have every right to draw attention to the good of JWs.
Of course you do.
The thing is, everyone here already knows the good parts of the JWs. We really actually do, as we have been JWs. In fact, when we were JWs, the good about JWs was all we could talk about and even all we were supposed to think about.
But, we also know the bad about the JWs. We really actually know because we have been JWs. But we simply could not talk about it while we where in. We were not supposed to even think about it.
So now we talk about it. We let out years of repressed thoughts and feelings here, with friends.
Hope you don’t mind I jumped in here.
-LisaBoBeesa
LisaBOBeesa:
Okay, as long as I can say my side too.
northern girl.
Between what you just said, a couple of days of reading, and especially NG's posts, I guess I am willing to admit being of the "emotionally tormented" class of exJW's... There is sooooo much to be said about being able to talk about the bad stuff...
Talking about death, dying, terminal illnesses, disease, drugs, phobias, war, famine... (my god, the list of bad stuff goes on and on...) is really powerful for healing whatever it is an individual needs to heal. The real side of this bad stuff is the emotion felt by everyone experiencing it... and the really, really bad stuff is the denial (or forced suppression) of these emotions instead of recognizing them (and, god fobid, have someone in your blood family validate them (( even if they dont agree with them... isn't that what we have to do with their feelings???)) )
For my 1st post, I am feeling rather angry and not sure I am making sense... I still have family in, and care very deeply about the "clinical depression" my sister (who is in) has been in for 17 years... They say that kids will act out for attention, because bad attention is better than no attention... I would equate this to the following... Adults need emotional connections !!! So, if they never learned how to develop mature, positive emotions (which probably takes 88 years or more for exJW's , [OK, maybe less for the woman ) then they will consider any available emotional connection as validation...
--- Off topic ---
I have read a number of the threads and am overwhelmed right now, but glad to have found this site. I have a story too... but for now, it will come out slowly... (watch out... the dam will break )...
Gambit
The 1st line of my response was directed to LisaBoBeesa...
Gambit
You are welcome to speak up but it won't affect them in the slightest so why get in such a dither?
Why, after reading this, did the following phrase come to mind:
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Speaking up is irrelevant. You are irrelevant.
Love, Scully
