by imzadi 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Those of you who are now X-JWs, did you ever lead a double life while you were "in"? Did you have "worldly" friends, watch R rated movies, drive fast cars and do other things you weren't supposed to do, yet believed you were a "good" JW because you belived in The Truth, "put in time", and attended meetings? If you did, how long did it take you to see the truth about The Truth and leave? I have seen this kind of behavior first hand and it really confuses me.
Iz
Hi ((imzadi)) no, I did'nt. I did'nt even knew it went on I was so naive about the WTBS.A poster told me about all this a while ago and I was convinced it was only in his congregation..
I REALLY thought everyone was trying so hard..I was... it did make me a bit upset to think i'd spent so long beating myself up for not being good enough and everyone else was going to parties etc..perhaps I was just stupid.
I had worldly friends..but only cos they refused to give up on me, I pushed them away but they stayed close
Maybe it's different if youre brought up in it- do you have less respect then and learn how to work the system? It took a serious breach of trust from a dishonest elder for me to see what the whole organisation was really like and that lead to major depression .Im pleased that some of the kids who are brought up in it are having a good time..and can see through the party line. at least it proves the hold they previously had on them is loosening, and maybe it's because of sites like this
I did for a while, mostly up til June of last year. Not drugs, drinking, or anything, but for being in love. I tried to lie to my parents as much as possible so I could see my girlfriend. But I still went to meetings and all up to June, when I got really pissed off at my parents for something, and started researching the JWs on the net. Well, I learned a lot!
So, on the Saturday night between the convention last summer, I shaved my head, and haven't gone to 3 meetings since!
smyler
I did. I got caught too, smoking. I was turned in by a wannabee elder ministerial servant, then sob storied my way out of a judicial meeting and only had to meet with one Bethel-based elder privately, repent, and bring him home to my parents house for dinner. Then all was forgiven. It's amazing what a career Bethelite will do to enjoy an unrushed, friendly, home-cooked meal before the book study.
I actually liked that elder. He is dead now, but he was a good guy. I hope I see him again someday.
When I was new, I thought this was THE organization, where every one was 'pure'. About six months later, I learned that there are many who are leading a double life. Some watched R-Rated movies, some even X-Rated movies. Some practiced oral sex, some where homosexuals, some were child molesters. So I got to figure out pretty quick, that this organization is not as 'pure' as it claimed. So, I thought this was the norm, and did things myself. I came out of the 'world' I liked a lot of things that I did. The trick to the whole deal was, you just need to learn to keep your mouth shut to ANYONE. And if you were questioned about things that were 'questionable', you needed to have an aliby, or shove it onto the 'conscience' matter issues. I learned that there were many things in the WT, that could be taken several ways. You just have to learn the tricks of the trade and ask how others explain themselves. You just don't mention the things you are involved with.
I know of several CO's who had a 'honey' in several different congregations for many years. So if you talk about double lives, yes there are numerous dubbies who are.
Good question. In my case it probably wasn't the "traditional" double-life (smoking, watching R-rated movies, etc.). It was being an elder and not believing "the truth" anymore. I lived this "doudle-life" for probably a couple of years, just going through the motions. I remember giving public talks, standing there in front of a 100 or so people and for 45 minutes teaching them about stuff I didn't believe in. It was a very weird feeling looking at a room full of people and telling them that "we are living in the last days" (or whatever the flavor of the week was) while at the same time hearing this voice in my head saying "how can you teach this bs?"
About six months later, I learned that there are many who are leading a double life. Some watched R-Rated movies, some even X-Rated movies. Some practiced oral sex, some where homosexuals, some were child molesters.
Just curious. After being a JW for only six months, you found out JW's who were praticing oral sex, homos and child molesters? After six months? Geez, which congregation did you go to? lol
My mother got into that cult when I was 13, & I just went insane! What was I rebelling against? Whaddaya got? It gave a sort of rebel without a cause, a cause. My mission: To horrify the jws & drive them nuts. My crimes against jdubbery are too numerous to mention here now, but sufficie it to say I tried every drug known to mankind at the time (no Ecstacy or Special K), dyed my hair wild shades of eggplant (this was big stuff at the time), got in HUGE trouble at school, & did not go down! I refused to cave! I saw some teenage jws lead a double life. I had one good jw friend & we used to drink cheap wine & dream of the day we could get away. She's an inactive, head tripped jw today. I only tracked her down about 2 years ago via the net, & she believes. I refused to enter a kh again after age 15.5.
I saw others sit next to some geek one too many times & find themselves engaged to a kid they hardly even knew. The jws were afraid they'd have S-E-X, so they married 'em off young. Undereducated, unprepared for real life, but safe.
What a bad trip! But most of those teenage marriages ended in divorce & scandalous partner swaps, dfings, & just disaster. Living well IS the best revenge.
I had a double life for a while as a teen, but I didn?t believe in the Org at that time. I was raised in it and was just waiting until I turned 18 to get out.
I had a worldly normal boyfriend and a ever so small and precious worldly normal circle of friends by the time I was 16 or so. I considered my non-JW life to be my real life and the JW one just something I had to go along with for a while so as not to break my parent?s hearts?and to have a place to live until I was an adult.
-LisaBObeesa
I had "worldy" friends on the computer that I would chat to all the time. I spent more time with them than all my dub friends put together. We shared music, watched movies on the computer, played online games together, chatted, etc. The interent was my double life for a long time, especially message boards and such. Then I started being more honest with my real life friends. And finally I am at the point of trying to claim a "real life" for myself. Which is still not all that I want it to be because of living with a dub.
