I have been here seven months now, and I find it very rewarding to see people getting better by learning here that they are not alone, and that there are many people here willing to give them very thoughtful advice helping them get through a particuarly difficult siuation.
Why Are You Here?
by larc 76 Replies latest jw friends
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Had Enough
Hi larc:
I'm really glad you started this thread. It's a question I've wanted to ask for awhile now.
My husband asked me that and I explained my reasons to him but I wanted him to see the reasons others have for being here...some to help, some to get help, some to do both and some just for the fun of it.
I posted my reasons in another thread by Amazing about Making a Difference but I'll repost them here too for those who haven't read them in that thread.
Why do I continue to come here?
Since I started coming here, I've been learning things about the history of the borg's beginning teachings that I probably never would have found out on my own. I was too ingrained by the typical controlling methods of the borg to even think of searching out if they were right. I totally, unquestioningly believed. That which I couldn't and wouldn't follow (such as shunning) left me feeling defective, rebellious, unworthy of God's spirit.
Reading 'Crisis of Conscience' was the beginning of the opening up of my eyes. I realized there was so much wrong with the borg and then since coming here, I have read so many others express these same feelings, I could see that it wasn't "just me"...maybe I wasn't just rebellious and unworthy.
So forthe knowledge I have gained is the first and foremost thing bringing me here and keeping me here. And every day it seems, there is something more brought to my attention that I would have never dreamed the GB would have done, to deliberately mislead us in creating their own "doctrines" or rules. It truly flabbergasts me to find out where they have twisted someone's words to mislead us to believe these people agree with the borg on "blood", or "creation" and others.
It has been an amazing outlet for me to formulate my thoughts and to be able to express my emotions that have been on a wild rollarcoaster ride ever since I started on my road of discovery. To be able to have an opinion, or question, and to have freedom to express it is gratifying and therapeutic. That freedom is intoxicating.
Then a building-up of my self-esteem, from the borg-induced brow-beatings, has resulted from the interchange of thoughts with posters here and "meeting" others in the same boat as I am in.
It also encourages me so much to "hear" someone express their appreciation and gratitude for something I've said. That just urges me on to keep on digging away at learning more myself. I want to be able to help anyway I can to make others that are "lurking" here to feel the same freedom I feel.
I guess rather than having a need for revenge,I have a sincere hope that the borg will have to face up to #1.their deliberate misleading by their "couching" or twisting words which can only be called what it is...LIES...and to...#2.the lives lost as a result of their rules on blood and neutrality...and to...#3.the lives ruined by their dogmatic stand on protecting molesters {for only one reason..to protect their image}.....
...NO I really want to see them brought to their knees for all of the above reasons. Too many lives have been severely damaged or lost because of the pompous desire of control of a few.
I hope we'll all feel the gratification of seeing a profound affect on the borg, like a significant drop in numbers, as a result of the exposure of their skeletons on the internet and in the media.
I have a long way to go to overcome the waves of absolute sadness that overcome me when I think about, or talk about, how deeply it hurts to know how many years of my life have been wasted believing and trusting so naively in the purity and holiness of our self-proclaimed "spirit-directed caretakers".....BUT I am so grateful for the people here, who are committed to helping so many of us over and over, with information about the deceitful, deliberately misleading teachings of the borg.
I know I have so much life to live yet and I've gained so much for myself from this board, I want others to experience that same freedom I've found, and I hope that others will benefit from being here too.
Had Enough
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jezebel influence
In case anyone cares..
I am here to listen ,as others can seem to find the words to what I am feeling inside,about God and Life.
I am addicted now and have to limit myself or I might forget to give my kids lunch!
I am finding there are so many new posts everyday that I have to skim read and sometimes I will write a post with my baby on my knee,but he only sits still for 1 minute tops .I am in this a taker not a giver,so thanks all for giving!
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Monica
Larc,
To me, this board is like a huge never-ending book of (mostly) true stories. I really like reading everyone's opinions and personal experiences. There a lot of really knowledgable people here and there are also a lot of kind-hearted people.
I have to admit, that I am kind of shy and reserve myself from posting. I think because of two reasons: 1) there are lots here smarter than me (kind of intimidating) and 2) by the time I read and get down to the bottom of a thread, many have already said what I would have said or what I thought. (not to mention that I usually have a baby or two hanging on me like Jezebel)
And just like Jezebel, I have to limit myself sometimes. It's easy for me to get carried away and want to read it all! Sometimes things are re-hashed, but I think that's okay, because I think there are new people here all the time reading this board.
When I got a computer 5 yrs ago, I had been a non-jw for 6+ yrs. I remember punching in "Jehovah's Witnesses" in a search engine and I was shocked that 8 or 9 ex-jw sites came up 1st. I still believed a lot of what was taught by jws and I felt funny going to the ex-jw sites (it was kind of scary to me). I still carried around a lot of guilt and fear. But on one site, there was an article that caught my interest and after I read it, it led me to another, then another. Before long, I was exposed to the fraud and it helped release a lot of the guilt and fear I carried around.
I think these boards are wonderful and are helpful to those confused and also those who are feeling like they are alone. The many topics are important too, because different people respond to different things. (it would be nice to see this board get away from the racist topics though) Anyway, I'm just rambling, but these are the reasons I am here and why I think these boards are important. I feel badly sometimes because I feel like I am here taking and not giving. (too shy though -- SORRY and thanks to all for the great reads!!)
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larc
Monica,
You might be shy, but you send a good message, and you should write more about how you feel, in my opinion. The one thing that came through to me in your writing is that you are an honest and sincere person, and that accounts for a whole lot in my book.
Welcome to our family.
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tergiversator
I am here because it took reading other people's experiences and research online to get rid of that last niggling little fear that maybe the witnesses had something after all. I want to be one more voice saying that they don't. (Which is also why I have my small little web site.)
I loved the great debates of yestermonth when there were large hot-headed debates on religion and witness doctrine and organizational history and mistakes and moral dilemmas like capital punishment, because even though tempers flew they still felt like good clean debates. I am not so happy about the current set of topics cluttering up the board, perhaps because they are more general and refer to issues which society as a whole gets passionately and irrationally inflamed over. But I guess it may simply be that, though we once were all witnesses, now we are returning to where we would have stood on the controversial issues had we never heard of the witnesses. And I would be hard pressed to say that is altogether a bad thing, preferring honest ugliness to deceitful hypocrisy. (But only just.)
I do think that there are far more good things about this board than there are bad. People need a place to come where people will understand what they've been through, and I hope that I can help them, even a little bit, with my words. A lot of people here, more than I could name in my previous "compliment a poster" post, have helped me.
Plus, it's something to do when I need a break at work .
-T.
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Cowboy
I came here to communicate with others that I have something in common with.Like most of the rest here ,I spent a large part of my life as a JW.Until I found this site I had almost no one to share those feelings with.It is a unique experience,and it has shaped all of our lives to some degree.Whether we like it or not it's part of us,and here we can find people expressing it in all sorts of ways.
As I've said before-this is the first time I've experienced so many intelligent people expressing themselves so openly(maybe a little too openly).But it's a lot of what makes this place what it is.When you've been brought up to be a blind follower,debate is a really cool thing.
I agree with others(Slayer,for one)that it's getting to be too much however.I think some of these things start with someone just trying to rattle cages...Hope it calms down soon.I read about other sites burning out-I don't know how that happens,but I hope it's not happening here.
I haven't posted a lot yet because I'm out of practice in writing out
my thoughts,and I haven't found many places I felt I could contribute something useful.My time will come,however...Finally,I think I'm beginning to make some new friends here.If I've learned one thing ,it's that you can't have too many friends(not counting WT "friends")-unless of course,you've got more friends than you've got cold beer(that's easy to fix,though).
'Nuf Said
Cowboy -
joelbear
Larc,
Thank you for starting this discussion. It has reminded me that there are quality people here who are simply interested in reaching out to those of similar background.
That is what a discussion board such as this should be about. A safe place to come and share our thoughts.
Hopefully people who need this and want this won't leave but will keep coming back.
hugs
Joel
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peaceloveharmony
hi!
i come here to hang with my new friends i love this board and am definately addicted to it! lol.
i want to thank everyone for their posts and contribution to the board. i don't post a whole heck of a lot but really appreciate you who do post.
and the chatroom has become my favorite place to chill out with friends.
hugs and kisses to all!
love
harmony"Power doesn't mean you're acting like a man, or you're a bully or a bitch. It's that you don't let people step on you"
-Sharon Monplaisir -
jurs
Hi Larc,
I come here because there wasn't any other place to go. My friends who are not JW's are good listeners and are interested in hearing about JW beliefs ect. but I don't want to over do it and bore them to death. I left the org May 25th and it was rather sudden. I needed to talk to someone who understood and also wanted to talk. I can come here anytime and as often as I want and not worry about boring someone and feeling foolish about some of my former beliefs.
I also want to help others. Sometimes in the process I get a good laugh. ( my typing skills may even improve.)
jurs
Jurs