Second question: If you weren't roped into this religion by your parents... (page 4)

zen nudist

this reminds me of a recent scam I participated in and had the pleasure of making $80.00

In orlando florida there are plenty of booths which will tell you you can get free disney tickets or even $80 in cash if you are simply willing to endure a 90min time share presentation.

I had no intention of buying, but kept an open mind to the possibilities..... just like someone taking the JWs bait.... I attended my first meeting...

they carefully showed how what I would normally spend during vacations would be about the same as this deal, but I would be the proud owner of my own week's worth of luxury time share in a very plush and outstanding accomodation...and for a nominal fee I could even switch out to other such places around the country.....

their logic seemed right, their presentation seemed to make sense.... but when it came time to close, I told them I had to run it by my accountant... at which point I was treated to a thug who seemed straight out of the Soprano's who tried to muscle me and intimidate me into a deal right then and there.... I held my ground and blew him off....got my $80.00 but something bothered me so I got out my calculator [part of my cell phone] and did some quick math....

I do not know how they did it but they made me believe they really had a good deal for me...but when I did the math, I found out that it only became a good deal after about 40 years.... Their questions were very much like JWs -- how much is paradise [luxury condo] worth to you? and the works aspect [mortgage payments] is carefully hidden in flowery language.....

it was a most impressive con job.... but atleast you do get what they claim, even if its a lot more expensive and not nearly as good as they make it out to be.... where as with JWs, you are likely to discover that you wasted time effort and money for nothing.

sonofapreacherman

A straightforward answer to a stupid question:

For as long as I can remember, I have always been aware of my own mortality. No matter what my parents told me, no matter what the books and magazines said and no matter what those in the hall said, I knew that my time here was limited. While it might seem nice to pet a lion and live forever, I never really thought it possible. However, grasping at the edges of possibility, as a child I would pray for my parents to live forever because it meant so much to them. I guess that's why they joined.

So considering that the USP of JW's is everlasting life -- no I would not.

It would be the last brand of Christianity I would buy into.

Steve Lowry

Anyone who would (as an adult) willingly submit to Watchtower rule over their life (albeit a subtle process) is in my opinion the type of person looking to be controlled. I truly think there are these kinds of people who feel the need to be controlled by others. So, as an adult, no I couldn?t fall for such crap. I make my own way in this world.

As for your theory about JW?s being God fearing people based on the premise that they lead dedicated lives so as to "please" God. Remember, those who flew planes into the World Trade Center also thought they were pleasing God by their sacrifices. Nah, dedication does not a true believer make.

got my forty homey?

Hell no!

I was born to get busy and the busy isn't knocking on people's doors trying to sell them books!

I was forced into the Borg and for the life of me as I was growing up I could never understand grown people joining and then being told what to do by golf course cleaners, newspaper stand attendants and cold cut slicers. (elders)

ohiocowboy

I really do not think that I would have been part of the organization had I not been a child when my parents joined. The scare tactics and guilt that they use can really mess with one's mind. In some ways I am glad to have had the experience, as it has taught me humility, honesty, caring, and this has helped me along my journey in life-even though it is part of "THE WORLD", yes I am Worldly, Very Worldly at times!, but I think that all in all, if I could learn how to rid myself of all that negative energy and excess baggage from leaving the Borganization, and concentrating on the positive things that I learned to make me a better human bean, things actually just may work out....

plmkrzy

Would you have chosen this faith on your own? Why not?

no

The only reason I grew up believing that it was the one true religion was because I ...grew up surrounded by it.

If I was brought up another religion I would have probably considered that religion to be true.

Hopefully I would have walked away from it as well when I realized there is no such thing as a one true religious organization.

That?s a question I would ask myself. If I was raised in any other religion would I have the same views of "religion" as I do now?

A cult? That?s like asking a recovering drug addict to say I am a drug addict in recovery. Not an easy thing to do.

cyber-sista

Would you have chosen this faith on your own? Why not?

I did chose this faith on my own, but at a very low point in my life. During this time I was pressured greatly to join the Org and was promised many things that never panned out. I was lied to by the ones who studied with me as they didn't tell me the whole truth about everything. I was also taught to lie to others to bring them into the Org by lying to them too (thank goodness I wasn't very good at it and didn't bring anyone in during by 20 year duration). Remember when we were told not to give out too much info all at once because we might "flounder" some? Much of the knowledge is hidden from you until after you get baptized. I studied for 3 years before I was baptized (this is not a good thing in the eyes of the Org) they want to get you in and baptized by six months. My husband was not interested. I was told by the JWs that our marriage was santified through me. I understood that this meant my husband was in too. It was some time later that I found out that what was really taught was that he was considered to be pond scum because of not becoming a believer and that he would also be destroyed at the big "A". I was not told this beforehand--I truly believe it was hidden from me.. Thre were many other things I eventually found out doing my captivity in the Org...these were not good things and I could not be in denial any longer.

Purza

Interesting question and one my boyfriend asks me occassionally. He wants to know why my parents "chose" to be JWs after they were raised Catholic. I don't think I would have chosen it. I saw a counselor about 5 years ago and she said that she didn't think the JW life was right for me -- especially because I was trying so hard to conform to its standards. I should have listened to her 5 years ago.

IMHO I think it is difficult (if not impossible) for a single female JW to remain "chaste" until she finds a marriage mate. I think that standard of no sex until marriage is way to high and way to difficult to live by.

Second question: If you weren't roped into this religion by your parents...

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