ARENT WE ALL A BIT BITTER?

by josephus 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  onacruse

  Lately, I'm thinking more and more about Eccl 3:

  1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
  2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
  3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
  4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
  5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
  6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
  7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
  8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

  Pain, anger, and venting have their proper and healthy place...the laughing, healing and peace cannot come to us otherwise. Whatever stage we are at individually, well, that's where we are for however long it takes. IMHO, most of us (incl me) do not stay in the "negative" phase any longer than necessary; it's just not natural. Also, we all try to salvage what we can from the past, and for some of us that entails fond memories of our now lost JW friends (like teejay said http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=35666&site=3)

  Whatever we can keep, whatever we need to throw away....is for each of us to decide for ourselves.

  Craig
• 

  jack2

  Good points made by all, and I think it is a valid question that was raised too at the outset.

  Onacruse makes a good point - that people here are in 'various stages' in their feelings about this religion and religion in general. Many are understandably angry, like Tesha. Others just 'hang out' here and find it to be enjoyable, and in actuality they hardly ever post things that appear venomous to the WTS. Some post excellent research topics and try to give others something to think about, another point of view besides that espoused by the Society.
• 

  biblexaminer

  When the Watchtower stops detroying people who just want OUT, then we all will stop trying to put a noose around the necks of the Governing B's...

  Edited by - biblexaminer on 1 September 2002 7:17:9
• 

  neyank

  I don't think I'm bitter.

  Actually, I'm kind of sweet!

  Ok. So it wasn't too funny.

  As far as bitterness by those that have been fooled, abused, mistreated, lied about, lied to,ect...ect...ect, I think they have a very good reason to be so.

  Especially those that still have family in.

  neyank
• 

  Lady Lee

  Some people mislabel justified anger by calling it bitterness

  I believe even God would be justifyably angry with what the WTB&TS does in His name.
• 

  SYN

  Josephus, that CULT took away a very large part of my social education, as a result I had to work really hard to be confident and be able to talk to strangers. They wasted huge amounts of my time and forced me to live in constant guilt and fear.

  And you want me to be glad about this? NAH!

  Sure, there are some sort-of good things about that CULT, but that's like saying that Hiroshima was more roomy after the bomb hit it.

  Get your priorities straight here!
• 

  Big Tex

  But isn't that what Simon created this forum for? Isn't this supposed to be a safe place where we can all vent? Josephus, you're right that many, if not all here have been hurt at some level by the Witnesses, but we're also human beings with feelings and emotions. But you're wrong if you think that people won't react when struck. It's difficult to say this without sounding condecending, but if you do not feel angry or bitter, then good for you. That's wonderful for you. But please, do not then sit in judgment on others who are not in the place where you're at. I was angry and bitter for years, and one day I shared with my therapist my concern about that, and she told me "You need to feel what you feel, until you don't feel that way anymore." I believe it is the shared experience we all have, the commonality of our dealings with the Witnesses that brings us together here.

  If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? -- Merchant of Venice, Act III, Scene I