Mornin' Kwin (as I place a Tim Horton coffee in his hand)
you said
but I don't hate individual JW's. Many times however, I hate the actions they take at the direction of the WTS.
When I left the J.W.s I left in emotional steps, Kwin. There was a particular step in there I remember well and it really was "Hate"!.. now it is just as I quoted you above...Hating their actions and hating what I feel is the brainwashing of such a cultish organization.
I hate the cut off from family especially for my children who don't know their grandparents anymore. My youngest keeps thinking that she (grandmother)died a long time ago and I have to remind him from time to time that "No, honey she is not dead. She only lives a couple miles away. She loves us but can't because of the J.W. religion. She believes it is going against God to have anything to do with us." He is 9 now and only met her once in a grocery store, he can't really remember that..
It truly is the religion I hate now and not the people per se. It's the fanatical teachings, lovelessness disquised as love. Just bizarre unnatural punishment and discipline handed out in the name of God's love. The transing of young minds. The fear that is instilled. .. and I abhore that word "inculcate"! Just sends a chill up my spine and gives me goose bumps. How do you raise children who can think and reason and make good decisions if they aren't allowed to think, make mistakes, adjust their course. J.W. are eventually stripped of "free will" and imprisoned, from my experience.
I guess I just feel sorry for the people that are in it now.
Kwin and Heart2Heart, I applaud you in how you are raising your kids. To give them a sense of a loving god is a good thing and to know that you love them unconditionally makes my heart glad for you and your children. Believe me, when our kids get older they will make some major mistakes and they don't need us as parents carting them off to the elders to be disfellowshipped and for us to shun them in their weakest moments. We need to teach them to own and take responsiblity for their mistakes and success and support them through them. I'm glad your family is free of the J.W.'s
Our family looks forward to getting together with yours in the not too far future.
Special K