Why Did You Stay In The JW Religion As Long As You Did? (page 2)

Tameria2001

My mother became a JW when I was around 4. For a long time, I believed her when she would tell me that it was the only true religion...gag. Sorry makes me ill when I hear the word truth and that cult in the same line. When I was a little older I researched it and was also convinced it was what it said it was. My only mistake was taking their word for it. Fast forward a few years later, I had a few things happen that I just could not ignore and decided to use the internet to help me in researching, but this time I had the help in finding information in the Watchtower's publications that showed me otherwise. If I believe in something I will defend it, but once I learn that someone has lied to me, I don't have time for that nonsense in my life and will drop it like a steaming hot potato.

Theonlyoneleft

For me was simple. I was 13, my father had died and I was no longer dragged to meetings and to weekend ministry by my older siblings.

i lived a double standard and felt that I was a sinner and not good enough all the way.

i had to be honest with myself and god... couldn’t carry on being a double agent. This was only because in those days I really needed to fit in...mixed race child living in a crispy white world, already bullied at school... following JWs rules would and did in some instances made life impossible...from teachers to fellow students.

even at that age there was the others double life standards that I noticed. This is my most permanent memory.

How could my family be so nasty at home and so nice in the Hall?

I couldn’t make it if they were nasty or nice. So was an easy choice and I never looked back.

DesirousOfChange

I was a true believer.

Gullible too.

Still Totally ADD

I woke up in 2008. At the time I was the P.O. of the congregation with a body of elders who were fighting each other. I could not just leave cold turkey with both my aged parents in the same congregation. So I decided to slowly give up reponsibility's. It took two years to do it where I could step down in 2010. My father during that time period died of cancer and my mothers mind went down hill. My older brother finally step in to help with taking care of mom which gave us the break to move and fade away.

During that time period did give me the opportunity to research everything I was learning on this site. So when I did leave I was on soild ground in my belief the wt. is a cult. Dec. of 2010 was the last time I went to a meeting. I was 56 years old at the time. This was the route I took. Still Totally ADD

LoveUniHateExams

Partly I was a true believer, but then it gradually changed so that the main reason was fear.

Back in the mid-90s, Armageddon was gonna happen any day, you know ...

lriddle80

Looking back, I always hated being a Jw, from having to tell teachers that I couldn't color the holiday page or whatever I wasn't allowed to do in front of the whole class, or getting called into the back room when I was 10. But I did get baptized at 14, not knowing the seriousness of what I was doing (I knew I would get a party and a new Bible after baptism, not to mention all the love and attention). I hated field service and I was scared of the elders. I escaped at 19. I was still mentally until 2007 when I began to wake up. Got invited to a church, been attending for over 10 years. Though, as a born-in, I still had doubts like "what if they are right" up until about over a year ago and was kind of having a panic attack about it and I just had to come to the conclusion that I don't have to know what is right, that Jesus saves me and that has to be enough. Then I no longer denied that I believed Jesus is God and literally, I felt different. Like when rain instantly turns to snow is the only way to describe it. I had a boldness to tell my mom about the trinity and tell her my real beliefs without fear. Then a few weeks ago, I boldly told an elder what I believed, got disfellowshipped and here we are - shunned. :)

WTWizard

I gave joke-hova more of a chance than that thing deserved. There is no way that thing can tell me, truthfully, that it didn't have enough of a chance to change my life, meaningfully, for the better. And it blew it--and, since it had all the chance it deserved and then some, it will not be getting another one.

peacefulpete

Even as a young boy I recall asking my mom what the odds were that I was just born into the "true religion", however my whole world was JW. I used to question many things through the years of pioneering, Bethel, and foreign assignment but never gave them voice for fear of being labeled. Ultimately the old canard "where else are we to go to?" stopped having power. I realized that fear of change and fear of the larger world and the effort it would take to make a new life were less than enduring the dissonance and deceit it took to stay in. It had taken a couple decades for the right circumstances but I simply couldn't do it anymore.

Vidiot

I was taught practically from infancy that it was literally crucial to surviving the Apocalypse. Also, as I got older, many of my life experiences seemed to confirm WT ideology...

...which, in turn, gradually transformed the aforementioned Apocalypse into my own personal supernatural revenge fantasy.

Note: None of the above conditions contribute to positive long-term mental and emotional health.

rickroll

when you are born into a second third or fourth gen cult like the JWs then its very hard. Especially when your whole family is in. You have little to now ideology coming in to counter the cult brain washing. Then before the internet the JWs enjoyed an anonymity that they don't today. We did not have a place to go to get the truth on the JWs. There were few books from former members like Baker Schcnell 30 years a Tower slave. No one can google JWs and you have unlimited documentary's on this.

Why Did You Stay In The JW Religion As Long As You Did?

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