Biggest mistake of my life

by SixofNine 27 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  JustTickledPink

  I am not sure I would call it MY mistake. I was 11 years old, under the influence of my parent. I was still a child. Just as I didn't make the choice was vehicle our family purchased, what city we lived in, what laundry detergent my mother bought, I also didn't have the choice of what religion I was.

  I still do not believe that children can be made accountable for a life long committment when the courts of our land still say that children are under the care of parents. If at 11 years old age I had gotten a gun from my mother's gun cabinet, under my state's law, she would be prosecuted as she was the adult who was supposed to be in charge of the weapon.

  It's not my mistake. I was not an informed adult. But yes, a mistake it definitely was.
• 

  Midget-Sasquatch

  Mine too. I was either 19 or had just turned 20. Over time I no longer cared to remember exactly because its the point where I betrayed myself. I was made to live as a dub from age 5 on and really never liked it. I found out some of the bunk in the dub past in my teens (the multiple end dates, the many myths in the Bible).

  But I really wanted to experience the spirituality so many others talked about which I never felt. I fooled myself into thinking that I could become a changed person with that step. If I put in the effort and follow what seemed like the positive teachings of the dubs, I'd feel it. I could easily gloss over the current errors in eschatology, because I wasn't going to serve for any soon to arrive "paradise". That path never brought me closer to God and then I later read CoC. I suckered myself and from then on have been living under the Sword of Dfing. I killed my integrity with that act (If I had any to).
• 

  Fleur

  Yup, no doubt, huge mistake.

  I was 12.

  ~essie
• 

  Dustin

  Yeah, I got pressured into it when I was 12. It was supposed to be the most important day of my life. If I had a time machine, I'd set it for when I was 5 years old. Then I would tell my parents I wanted none of the crap that is the JW religion.

  Dustin
• 

  Simon

  yup, that about sums it up.

  Ironic isn't it that those who don't do the things that they are supposed to are treated better?

  I remember several sisters in our KH who go pregnant to 'worldly' men (unmarried of course) and yet were welcome in the KH. People who had never broken any of the rules though were ostracised for asking questions.

  What a mixed up bunch.
• 

  Scarlet

  Totally sums it up. I was thinking about this earlier today that I am 27 and techiniqually I have been a baptized JW longer than I wasn't. I was baptized at 13 years old. I wish I would have never done it. I have to say it is they only regret I have in my life. I guess though if I was never baptized I probably wouldn't have met my husband so its not all bad I just didn't have a childhood.
• 

  ACEofCAD

  I was 15 at the time when I did that. Kind of funny now, since the reason that got baptized is because one of my younger sisters was getting baptized. Being the oldest I could not let her get baptised before I did. lol Oh well
• 

  kaykay_mp

  Holy crap 6 o' 9...I can't believe how much you just said in three sentences. When I was DF'd @ 18, my immaturity and lack of social skills made some people think I was retarded. No foolin'. ( I have grown ALOT since then). My stupid jokes and lame sense of humor were so sad. I was a DORK!!!.

  Gawd! I feel the same way you do. My sense of humor got sharpened when I was in the military. Come to think of it, I started doing lots of stuff in the military, like cursing heavily, getting high, and premarital sex (all of which I am very good at now). I was such a pathetic dork when I left at 18 that I still got ridiculed by my people I graduated high-school with. laters kaykay_mp
• 

  onacruse

  Call me weird, but:

  When I was baptized, the vows I expressed from my heart involved only dedicating my life to (Jehovah) God and Jesus. Perhaps a bit more than some (the "weird" part ), I took those vows very literally and very seriously.

  So where does that leave me now?

  I no longer believe in a "Jehovah," but I do believe that there is a Prime Cause. And insofar as my "dedication" to that Prime Cause, it remains the same: Honesty between It and me (read "myself"), and all others. I've dogged the realities of that for many years, and for that self-denial I'd have many an apology to offer, if apologies were necessary. I know that no apologies whatsoever are required from me to the Prime Cause.

  Which leads to Jesus, as my supposed "ransomer." There is no need for, or value in, a ransom to save me from something for which I am not responsible. It made me what I am, with all the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations therein incorporated. To summarily dismiss my best efforts as a limited conscient being would therefore be to dismiss Itself as a competent creative Being. Thus, no violation of my vows about Jesus: as useless as an appendix.

  Self-honesty is the only "ruler" of life.
• 

  candidlynuts

  i'm still socially retarded. seriously ..my social life consisted of baby showers , weddings, tupperware parties for 40 yrs. ugh.