If you left JW's, somebody persuaded you -- you couldn't decide on your own

by Gopher 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Gopher

  Have you ever heard this from a JW relative or friend?

  It seems that JW's believe that, unless you're really evil -- you're WEAK. So weak, that you need others to help you decide whether or not to stay with the JW's.

  My JW dad (a congregation elder) said I sounded "just like my sister" who had DA'd herself years earlier. He was implying that she sold me a bunch of lies, and that's why I was leaving "the truth".

  Another member of this board yesterday posted that her mom was convinced -- the only reason she sent out Christmas cards to relatives was because the poster's "apostate husband" persuaded her to do so.

  Funny and ironic... that the JW's would accuse those of us who leave them -- that we cannot think for ourselves? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black....
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  Satanus

  Yes. In my case too, i heard afterward that the reason i apostatised was because my father, who was dfd yrs ago, and who i never got along w anyway, had influenced me. That story was made out of thin, bad air. Somebody got my curiosity up so that i read franz' first book, and that was the end of the wt for me. 'Course, i never told the tribunal who that somebody was, or that i had read coc. I took full credit.

  SS
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  drwtsn32

  Gopher:

  It is basically impossible for a JW to conclude that you left because you really found something wrong with the org. It is always because of a weakness or error on the part of the person who left.

  See item #5 on this list of cult warning signs: http://www.rickross.com/warningsigns.html

  In our case my father-in-law (who is a JW elder) assumes that I have manipulated my wife into leaving. He accuses me of being a controlling husband, which is ironic because the WTS itself teaches that a wife must be submissive. He just can't accept the fact that she chose to leave on her own based on facts about the org.
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  Gopher

  5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

  Thanks for that reference, watson!! It is soooooooo true that they believe this crapola.
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  starfish422

  Yup! My mother has commented to my non-JW grandmother *many* times that I would never have left if I hadn't met my future husband. SIGH. Whatever she needs to tell herself.
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  Momofmany

  My family blames the internet. All those things I read online can't be right. Of course I only started looking on the net for info on the 607 thing. I had doubts because I was weak. I was told I never made the truth my own. I set out to do that. That's how I wound up here.
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  Mysterious

  I'm sure my mother will blame my father and if my best friend leaves I'll take the heat for it. In some ways it's true, we can make someone doubt enough to leave. But to say that everyone had to leave because they were persuaded (read: forced into it) is totally wrong.
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  czarofmischief

  It's the people who STAY who are continually being forced into it...

  CZAR
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  waiting

  There are various reasons given for us leaving.

  1. We had major break with our elders (and they WERE wrong on the deal). That's the "secret family" reason given to other family members. Of course, that could never be said outloud.
  2. Now that it's been several years, we're suppose to overlook all the lies & "wait on Jehovah." The bible's never mentioned ----just "get back to the meetings." Not even love for God is spoken of, just being saved thru Armageddon, which is still coming any day now.
  3. My husband's family blames me, of course. Which highly insults my husband - because it assumes that he's not smart enough to think for himself. Lol - I'm the Jezebel influence.
  4. People blame me for being materialistic - working too many hours & not putting "spiritual concerns" first.
  5. Of course, some know we've been on the internet....so that's the other reason. We've let Satan into our home, minds & heart.