Nope. Not one stayed friends with me after I DAed. But 2 of my 3 very best friends are ex-JW's. One of them I met at our old KH and we've been best friends since the days we used to laugh through the meetings together. The other I met at work. We were friends already when one someone we hated got fired and she popped off with "..and down the great dragon was hurled the original serpent the one called devil and satan..." and I said "Hey! You used to be a JW!" We talked and went out on the biggest drunk of either of our lives the next night and have been close ever since.
JW friends, did you keep any?
by Victorian sky 37 Replies latest jw friends
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jwbot
Nope.
I wasn't even baptized, and these friends I had for years, who I THOUGHT were someone cool, liberal people, were incredible snobs. And now I know how they really are. Every friend I had, every friend I was allowed to have stopped talking to me altogether. I had to make friends all over again and it was really hard because I am a very shy person. It helps being in college because thats a good way to meet people. I still havn't gotten over it though, it still makes me sad.
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teejay
Yes. Quite a few.
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Undecided
Now that you mentioned it, I never had but one or two friends in the borg and I haven't head from them in years, they moved away and may even be dead by now. Untill I started thinking about it with this post I didn't realize I never had any real friends there, all my good friends were worldly people, except my family. I don't have many people who I consider real friends, as I guess most people do too.
Ken P.
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NeonMadman
Yes, one friend of 30 years is also inactive, and still associates with me (along with his family, including his active JW son - but I'm technically not df'ed or da'd). Another close friend of over 30 years hasn't called back in over a year since he heard that I had remarried after my divorce to a "worldly" woman and wasn't going to meetings anymore.
I wrote about my most profound shunning experience two years ago here. I couldn't believe the way they treated me, even though I was not df'ed (though many seemed to believe that I was, or should be).
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freedom96
I have a handful of witnesses that I will see from time to time. We just don't talk about the WTS. They probably don't know what I really think about it all; I suspect at least a couple would end the friendship if they knew. I only see them every few months anyways.
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outnfree
Well, no "Active" JW friends.
My sis-in-law and my best friend from childhood are both inactive and haven't shunned me even though I DA'd myself a couple of years ago. Of course, they were both inactive for years before that, and I didn't ostracize them in any way...
And my best friend from JW days is also out of the org and so we are close, thank goodness. It helps to have "in the flesh" people who can relate. :)
outnfree
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Victorian sky
Thank you all for sharing your experiences with me. It helps. I can relate to many of you who thought you had real friends only to lose them overnight. It amazes me how people can discard a friendship so easily after so many years invested and then claim to be the most loving people on earth! So I guess I shouldn't complain about my JW friend sticking around. I really do love her like a sister. I know if she knew what I really felt about the WTS our nearly 20 year friendship would be over. I hold a part of myself back when talking to her because I'm not D'fed yet. At least she stuck around. Had a couple of other 'friends' I've known for 12 years who can't socialize with me until I 'return to Jehovah'. My reply to that was, I didn't leave God, I left a religious organization. Haven't heard from them since, hmmm, I wonder why - Victorian Sky
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alias
I keep my heart open to a few of them.
I never imagined that I would be on the outside looking in.
One day it might be them too.
If that happens, I'll be here.
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Bendrr
No, not really.
My younger brother and I only became close friends in the last year or so. All the rest of "the old crew" and I have lost touch. Some will still speak to me if they see me. (which reminds me....Slayer, I saw William Smith not too long ago) Yeah, I knew Slayer way back in da day, him and all his bunch.
The rest, I don't go looking for them and they don't have anything to say to me. There was one girl who I was close to back then, came pretty close to dating, and she always asks my mom about me. But that's about it.
To them I'm a dead man.
Mike.
p.s. Simon, nice job with the new emoticons!