I was talking to a very good friend yesterday, and realized something that has been hinted on in a few other threads, but I think that this needs to be pointed out for the newbies and lurkers sake.
In the organization, we were told that if we left the "Truth", then we would have nothing and no-one to go to, we would lose this worldwide brotherhood of over 6 million people. Many of us would lose our families.
But here, in cyberspace, we have all found something very special. We have found this amazing place where we can voice our doubts, talk about our beliefs, be ourselves, and not have to worry that we will be cast out. The points of view people have taken since leaving the organization are so diverse, it covers almost the whole range. We have buddhists, christians, atheists, and countless more who are not able to be categorized, that can all get along! This is because we all have something in common, and that is that we have all at one point been hurt by the organization that we trusted most... in fact many trusted it as much as they trust God himself.
And now that we have all come to the knowledge that we have, we are out of the chains of this religion. And far from being friendless individuals that have nothing better to do with their time than stand outside a kingdom hall and picket, we are beautiful people, and even better, a family.
We have Simon, the caring father of the family. Valis, the witty uncle. Mouthy, the loving grandma (no offense meant.. hehe). Celtic, the crazy cousin. Xena and Bisous, the... partners-in-crime sisters. The list goes on, with countless other members. But just like any family we may have very different views on things, but at the end of the day, we still love each other.
An interesting comment was made by a member in chat recently, who was feeling down. Another lady in chat told him that we care about him, to which his reply was "I am just a name on the screen". Although the fact that we may never have met this person in real life may be true, that does not mean we cannot feel for him! I already love and care about many members here, even if we have not interacted... and this is because no matter what, we are still a family.
If there is one good thing the organization taught me, it is how to love my brothers and sisters, even if we have never met. This board is a true blessing to us all, in that it has provided us with a beautiful place to come; where we will be understood and accepted, no matter what.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Simon and all the moderators for the effort they put in to make this place as enjoyable as it is. You, my friends, are beacons of light in this dim world.
Thankyou all.
FMZ