by Joysome 53 Replies latest jw experiences
What do you find yourself doing differently?
Do you ever feel a little shocked when your opinions on certain things have changed? Things that you were once so adamantly against?
I go through that from time to time. The simple fact that I'm on this site...although i don't agree with everything, some things have opened my eyes to different things.
Here's another example....I said Happy Birthday....and I almost got sick. It was weird.
A young (probably about 16 yr old) cultist (Unification church, though he wasn't advertising that) came up to me in a restaurant this morning. He said he was working with his church's youth group, and "it's kinda cool, cuz we are raising money to promote abstinance before marriage to prevent teenage pregnancy".
I told him that while I believe that preventing teen pregnancy is a very good thing, I don't think abstinance before marriage is the way to achieve it, and I am in fact opposed to abstinance before marriage.
I prolly wouldn't have had that view a few short years ago, lol.
I have been out for about 20 odd years.
What did I do differently when I left? Everything I could! I became a sponge for secular knowledge and experiences ( so long denied me having been raised a JW). My life literaly blossomed. I kept an open mind about everything I could ( THAT was a new experience !)
I would not change a thing and in retrospect; from my mid life perspective; have no regrets..
I've become older and more cynical.
I sure do find I have changed I was very against Catholics , homosexuals, free love, voting, I judged them all ( sent them to death) LOL NOW I am very good friends with homosexuals,Catholics, I vote, I have good friends who LIVE together , I dont have to judge any of them I realize I am a FREE Agent!!!! THEY can do what ever they want ---- They dont belong to me!!!!! I love being able to love folks no matter what thier life satyle - I may not agree with it- but it is THEIRS!!!!
I think there is a transition. Things don't change over night.
I do know I am way more open about things I talk about or even things I am interested in doing..
and I am not judgemental about others actions.. even if in the past I thought they were very wrong according to JW standards
I've left only mentally, for now.
Since then, I just don't take field service and meeting attendance seriously anymore.
I now return holiday greetings when said to me. Also, I've sent b-day cards to siblings and other people. Plan on giving x-mas cards to co-workers and the siblings that aren't in the WTBTS. Also, I say things like "bless you" when someone sneezes that I can hear it.
Those above are pretty good improvements thus far. However, I still have many prejudices do to my upbringing. Some may never go away, but I try my best to keep an open mind.
DY
I agree with Sassy. After being out for a short while, I would get offended when anyone would say bad things about the witnesses. I would get angry reading the things that were being said about them online. I guess I still believed it was the truth but it just wasnt for me.
Now when people say things I add my 2 cents. When I read things about them it brings back bad experiences I had with them. I needed to take a step back and look at things for myself. And that took time.
After being out for a short while, I would get offended when anyone would say bad things about the witnesses. I would get angry reading the things that were being said about them online. I guess I still believed it was the truth but it just wasnt for me.
I guess that's where I'm at right now....I don't believe everything but because I haven't had a lot of terribly negative experiences I don't have a "sore" spot towards the WTS or feel I have to knock them for every little thing. Sometimes I do have things to say sometimes I do still agree...the only thing is that some people attack you here for feeling that way.
