Ok, so here's the situation. I am 24 yrs old. Married and have 1 child. 8 months old. I was raised as a JW and was baptized at the age of 14. Few years ago, I met my now husband and got really weak. I decided to stop going to meetings and fell away. I dissasociated myself from the congregation and that was that. More recently,...probably since my son was born I am feeling very depressed and just high strung. I want to go back to the meetings and become a full time witness again. I want the promise of the new system for my son. I want us to all live together forever happy. My husband does not want to raise our son as a JW. We have talked about this and he of course has concerns. He doesnt seem to care about me going back. Im just very very nervous and dont know how to go back to the hall. Especially where I am living now isnt the hall i grew up in. I have no car, and dont know where to start. Where DO I start?? where do I go from here?? HELP PLEASE!!!
fell away.......wanna come back...please help.
by Tiggerchick1012 34 Replies latest jw friends
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formerout
Tiggerchick1012,
This may not be what you want to hear, but I would recommend not going back. It sounds like their guilt is still a factor in your life and it is not healthy for you. I can understand that you want to help your child to have hope. I have four kids myself.
Their living forever hope, while sounding nice, is not real. I would never have thought that I could be happier after being away from it and giving it up but I am happier than I ever was while I "believed" the paradise earth thing.
Talk to your hubby about it some more but it may do you well to read a couple of books about not being a JW anymore.
Whatever you choose to do, take care,
Brad
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StinkyPantz
Start by researching the Watchtower Society and not blindly accepting everything you were raised to believe. Good luck!
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obiwan
I couldn't in good faith recommend you to go back....If only for your child. The cycle has to be broken at some point. The angst your having now, at some point for some reason your son will have. If I had a child, I wouldn't want that for him/her.
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Happy Guy :)
I want the promise of the new system for my son.
I notice that you did not include your husband in this statement.
What makes you think that the JWs can deliver this "promise"? They have repeatedly shown themselves to be the "false prophet".
What makes you think that your husband is unworthy of being included in a new system?
On another note, based on your comments of being high strung and also the other extreme depressed, I wonder if you are suffering from post partum issues? Maybe it would be a good idea for you to share these behaviors with your doctor?
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geevee
You MUST read Crisis of Conscience, by Ray Franz. Does that book ever open your eyes to what REALLY goes on. Read, read, read. You are making a good start to not going back by learning from this forum.
I am very new here and am finding out so much that I didnt know and plenty of issues that no one I know would have even heard about. You need to get counselling by a professional....not an elder, and work your issues out properly. -
obiwan
You MUST read Crisis of Conscience, by Ray Franz. Does that book ever open your eyes to what REALLY goes on. Read, read, read. You are making a good start to not going back by learning from this forum.
I am very new here and am finding out so much that I didnt know and plenty of issues that no one I know would have even heard about. You need to get counselling by a professional....not an elder, and work your issues out properly.Well said geevee, well said.
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gypsywildone
Funny that I am up, I usually sleep great, but somehow the heat in our bedroom was turned up too high & I woke up roasting, & we are waiting for it to cool off in there :)
Anyhow, you are not weak, just do some research. What good will it do your son to teach him gloom & doom & death & destruction? Just love your family & yourself! You don't owe anyone else anything more. There is so much more love & beauty in life than to try & run the watchtower treadmil, believing salvationn is as good as your last meeting attendance & "service" time!
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formerout
Tigger,
Just another side-note...... shortly after my oldest child was born, 10 years ago, my brother told me that I needed to start going back to meetings so that my son didn't die at Armageddon (since I was the head of the household). While his intentions were good, it shocked me into realizing how screwed up my view of God was, having been raised as a JW.
So I can relate to your feelings about giving your son hope, but like others have said, research first and you will realize how false that hope really is.
Brad
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coldfish
It is natural for you to have spiritual needs and to want instill spiritual values in your child. Being a Christian isn't synonomous with being a JW. You can raise your child in a 'normal' environment that won't stunt him socially and at the same time instill in him Christian values and the basic gospel message - that being of Christ dying for our sins. Christ's death is the only way to eternal life, membership in a church or organisation doesn't give that life, only faith and acceptance of Christ is what saves us.
There are great childrens bible stories books around, I know you will probably first think of the yellow My Book of Bible Stories. Don't limit it to that book. There are many many good children's books for teaching overal bible knowledge, visit a Christian bookstore and you'll be amazed.
All the best