Apostates' Idealised Image of their Time as a Witness

by slimboyfat 40 Replies latest jw friends

  • MerryMagdalene
    MerryMagdalene

    Slim,

    I think it is a mistake (possibly an intentional one) to try to divide apostates into the "bitter" ones and the "idealistic" ones. Most of us have a mix of memories, some bitter, some sweet, and things have seemed to change down through the years in the J-dub environment... So?

    ~Merry

  • zen nudist
    zen nudist

    memory is a tricky thing, only the memories with strong emotional contents are easily retreived after a while...the rest are still there but become like those dreams that you struggle to recall right after waking from them...

    in trying to track down my life, I have come up with about 3 weeks out of 44 + years, what happened to all the rest?

    perhaps I am just in the matrix after all....

    but anyways...

    most of my childhood memories from very early are nothing but horrible accidents which apparently left enough of a trace for later recall, no doubt because as a child I often thought of them over and over again.

  • GetBusyLiving
    GetBusyLiving

    Slim, my experience as a child doesnt change that 'the truth' isnt the truth. The years leading up to 1995 were different for me in my personal experience, my pespective. In a way it sounds a lot like how things were for the older witnesses leading up to 1975. Ive read experiences of the meetings being exciting, a sense of camaraderie that doesnt exist today. For me, after 1995 I started to doubt things more because of the false prophecy.

    GBL

  • upside/down
    upside/down

    Slim-- get used to it YOU'RE an "apostate". You directly disobey DIRECT COUNSEL to not use the internet especially sites like this. This is blatant and willfull sin, and I'm sure you hide it. This makes you more like Achan or David. Jehovah will get you for this. The FDS is J's mouthpiece and when "Mother" speaks you'd better listen.

    Now do the right thing, either come off your high horse, or join in (your being here means your actually already "in")

    Welcome, fellow "apostate". Doesn't that feel much better?

    u/d

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    GBL,

    The point is that your sentiments are very common among Witnesses, and I am looking for a possible explanation. What do you think of my proposal above?

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee

    Interesting point and question. Some things I think might answer you

    • I think many people need to justify the time they spent in servitude to a cult. It is hard to realize how much you gave up for so little gain
    • Some people may have actually witnessed the changes in the org and see the differences in policy over the years as well as the constantly changing rules and how that has affected the r&f.
    • Before 1975 (well before any predicted end of any cult) the org was able to rally people into a common cause before the end. This often contributed to a greater bond (us vs them thinking) which helped people feel more connected.
    • Without the predicted end the r&f are more like the Jews wandering in the desert. Stricter controls are needed to maintain control over the masses.

    (No folks I'm not back yet. Just a pop in on my friendly neighborhood computer.) Lee

  • GetBusyLiving
    GetBusyLiving

    The explaination is simple Slim - I was a naive braindead cultist. I didn't question anything because I thought my parents had it all figured out. All the world was neatly set out and all I had to do was attend meetings, get my 10 hours of field service a month and comment every now and then and I was paradise bound. The truth is not so simple. You must already know this stuff dude.

    GBL

  • JAVA
    JAVA

    It's not that unusual hearing people talk about "the good old days." I guess it's easy to remember the good, and not accent the not so good. When I was new in the Tower, and thought everyone at the KH was kind, and had everyone's best interest at heart--those were good times for me.

    As time went on, the blinders came off. The good times turn into okey times, to bad times, and finally into abusive times. My "good old days" lasted about 6 to 8 months.

  • jaffacake
    jaffacake

    Slim,

    I know what you mean, and I agree with most people's thoughts on this. But I have similar sentiments about my Catholic childhood and my Adventist teen years.

    The thing is, everyone I know, athiests, agnostics, those heavily into poitics everyone from whatever background feels the same. The old folks who say when they were young, during the blitz, they were so happy then. No money or food but life was just fine. Its just nostalgia. We all look back to younger days and look back with an element of rose colour spectacles.

    Even if we are looking back to the bad old days, we think of them as those good old bad old days.

    I don't think its just a witness thing.

  • Nosferatu
    Nosferatu

    I enjoyed that brief time when the food at the conventions was paid for by "voluntary donations". The kids were all lined up (including me) getting all the free Cott cola and potato chips they could carry!

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit