Jumping from one cult to another?

amused1

I stumbled across this site doing research for a paper. You all have much greater problems and common mental flaws than just being "former" JW's.

Let me explain. Many (I won't generalize all of you) of you are on here ranting and raving about the JW's did this and the WT did that. I was brainwashed by this devious cult! Wake up. You have a brain and you decide how you use it. You have the ability to reason and the right to choose. If you choose to believe someone telling you one thing without researching it on your own, your a fool. By coming here and sharing that you were a fool and reveling in the fact that there are other fools like you makes it all that more amusing.

And the you don't understand you weren't their mentality doesn't work for me either. I was raised in the religion untill I was 16 years old. I was an auxilary pioneer well on my way to Bethel. I made a concious decision at 16 that it wasn't for me. I then moved out of my home and started a life of my own. Now if I at 16 could leave this "brainwashing" I must be fairly remarkable.

I don't agree with all the ideals of the religion or think that its the "truth". Yet I can say that they were some of the nicest and most loving people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. And all the mud slinging, elder trashing, Bible thumping won't change that.

The thing that makes me laugh the most is that you jumped straight from being a Jehovah's Witness to being a Jehovah's Witness hater. You better keep you daily post quota up or you might be "disfelloshiped" off the site. Enjoy your new cult and your co-dependent "he/she feels just like me" world. One day maybe you too can grow up and realize that all the problems in your life weren't based around your religion. Flame on.

Tina

There is a whole lot that you don't know about Jws,mind control and cults. You're sneering condescending post shows this. We aren't talking about a religion.
Try investigating the above issues before you continue to put your big ole foot in your mouth again.
You're 'amusement' has a lot to do with ignorance sweetie,lol.

joelbear

I take responsibility for my actions. I could have left at 16 also. I did leave at 30. I didn't leave at 16 because of my family situation. My father was an abusive drunk and I didn't want to leave my mother in that situation.

I signed up for college and my mother went into a deep depression. She had my best friend come over and talk me into throwing away the application.

People react to their surroundings completely differently. There is no way to judge one person's situation from that of another. Our psychic make up is determined by everything that has ever happened to us, plus our inherited mental and emotional traits.

I come here to share with others my story. I tell my story as it is, warts and all. I sure as hell ain't perfect. I talk about the good and bad experiences I had as a witness.

One thing I don't do, or at least make an effort not to do, is judge others. I am not perfect in this regard either.

I agree that making this web site the center of our lives is also a mistake. As I often say, I distrust any groups and that includes groups of ex JWs. That is one reason I stopped attending the gay ex JWs group. Not because I distrusted the individuals in the group, they are wonderful people, but because I recognize that groups form an agenda of their own that overshadows the individuals in the groups best interests.

I also realize that groups attract people who take advantage of individual's needs to socialize with others who share things in common. This usually takes 2 forms, 1) those who hold out the group as more important than it is in order to gain personal power over members of the group and 2) those who ridicule the group, again usually to gain personal power or more typically because they belong to another group and the ridicule is simply a form of group warfare.

I wish you peace. If I amuse you, so be it. Being amusing has its rewards.

hugs

Joel

amused1

I apologize for being condescending and rude. And also for my atrocious spelling and grammar. I just honestly don't see the "mind control" I so frequently hear about. Is it a demanding religion, deffinately. They thing that really set me off was the threads like "whats your favorite name to bash the WT". I don't see that as very constructive? If it makes you feel better and you enjoy it more power too you. Remember my main point don't let someone make up your mind for you. That goes for my post as well. I'm just an arrogant 20 year old who is very opinionated. But Tina, there isn't much I didn't learn in my 16 years about the JW's besides my foot taste good.

*cheers*
*gives joel a lil hug*

joelbear

Amused.

Thanks for the return hug.

I don't think the Watchtower exercises mind control. I do they exercise emotional control. They use our ties with our families and our witness friends to manipulate us into society loyal behavior.

Doctrinally, some of there concepts are completely sound, others are just silly. But I think this is true of most religions, philosophies and political ideologies.

Disfellowshipping and marking are heinous practices, used to emotionally control people. Again, some people are more susceptible to this than others due to their own nature's.

I encourage you to use your youthful vigor and enthusiasm to help others see how wonderful life can be as you spread your wings and explore the world. Offer us some great stories about your life and how you have used your freedom to create a happy enjoyable life for yourself. That's the way to help others.

hugs

Joel

JT

your post shows why you are a NEWBIE

I highly suggest you better inform yourself on a subject before speaking

as the bible itself says
it is foolishnes on your part to speaker about a matter that you clearly have no idea of

i almost laughed at how you just thru around the word Fool with such disregard, but like i stated by you being a Newbie it shows

james

amused1

>your post shows why you are a NEWBIE

I never disguised the fact that im a "Newbie" to this board. And in all honesty I have no intention of becoming anything but.

>I highly suggest you better inform yourself on a subject before speaking

16 years of being a JW was more than enough experience for me.

>as the bible itself says
it is foolishnes on your part to speaker about a matter that you clearly have no idea of

now your assuming I give a damn about what a book says?

>i almost laughed at how you just thru around the word Fool with such disregard, but like i stated by you being a Newbie it shows

My arrogance served its purpose to prove a point. Let me clear something up for you. I am a jerk. I don't really want you to like me. I don't want your approval. You shouldn't need mine either.

mommy

Amused,
I like your attitude! I wish you the best, with whatever you are doing next in your life.

Joel,
You are a wise, wise man! I value your input on this board and wish others could be as kind hearted and understanding as you.
mommy hugs
wendy

digderidoo

Amused,
You appear to be confused....do you really believe that those that use this site, have no other interests?
Do you think that by leaving the WTBTS we have somehow replaced that gap with this site?
Many of us here (and yes i am speaking generally)are well balanced individuals, successful in our chosen fields, and enjoy life to the full.
Please do not think that we have come here just to bitch about the way we were brought up.
We have all chose to live our lives in individual ways, we all now differ in our personalities....yet we choose to come here to talk to others who have a similar background as ourselves.
Let me ask you, if you get to know a work colleague or a student friend, and then find out after a few months that he/she grew up as a witness, how do you then feel about this person?...this has happened to me on a few occasions...and let me tell you that you suddenly have a common bond. There is something special about the relationship you now have with that individual.
Well here on this site their are many individuals who i have a common bond with, many friends, many who i have got to know, even though i've only been logged here for a couple of months.
This site however is not the centrepiece of my life as you seem to so foolishly assume.

Yours dig

Ordinary people just like you and me...
We're the keepers of our destiny...

Jigrigger

Hi Amused1,

Although I'm in a bit of a rush this morning (I have to leave for a one-week gig out-of-town), I feel I have to respond to your post.

Although some people may be able to walk away from the organization with little or no impact on their life, there are many more who suffer the consequences due to the Society policy of shunning. Now I don't know how important family is to YOU, but for many people the destruction of family relationships because of the shunning policy is great cause for pain. Not everyone is able to dismiss it as easily as you.
Aside from shunning, there are other reasons some feel anger - and justifiably so - towards the Society.
- loss of a friend or family member because medical proceedures that are now allowed weren't at the time.(Organ transplants, blood fractions that were once forbidden could have saved lives)
- JWs were imprisoned because they weren't allowed the option of alternative military service, another flip-flop courtesy of the Society.
- those who took to heart - particularly in the late 60's to mid70's - Society encouragement to abandon the pursuit of decent careers or education in favour of the "Kingdom work". (There are many older JWs living in virtual poverty now because they sold their homes, made no plans for their retirement etc. because they BELIEVED, again due to FOOD from the FDS that it wouldn't be necessary.

That is just a short list of how membership in the WT cult has profoundly affected in a negative way the lives of many people.
I'm happy for you if you never had to suffer personally because of Society policy. But many others aren't so lucky, and it would take a real ASSHOLE to belittle those come here to share their pain and experiences caused by their involvement with this cult.

Jigrigger

Jumping from one cult to another?

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