How can you be raised in the 'truth' and not be one

by Satanus 40 Replies latest jw friends

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  whyamihere

  Well my Dad was not an Elder! My Mother not a pioneer! We went because we had to.(going through the motions) I did not have a book study growing up I had been pretty much left on my own to raise myself and help my 3 younger brothers. My mother was never happy with my Dad kids life etc etc etc. She blamed everything on everyone else. She and my Dad would drink their problems away. I would have to dig out beer bottles out of the washing machine to do my brothers and my laundry.

  The only time I ever made my Mother happy is when I went to meetings. I did it because I got my Mother to love me and pay attention to me for the first time in my life. So I did it for that. Sometimes in life you do for others and not for yourself. I believed in it because that's all I ever knew and I was told to believe in it.

  Apple does not fall far from the tree. I am just glad I was kicked away.

  Brooke
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  Dustin

  I believed for a long time. Then I woke up from my nightmare. Glad I did.
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  hamsterbait

  EASY!!

  We are not the honesthearted ones. It does not happify us. We are stiff-necked, stubborn. Unwholesome. Prefer to tell ourselves the facts as opposed to 'truth'. NO, we are not truthseeking ones hungering and thirsting for witlessness. We doubt the 130 year old promises of 'grand blessings' at hand...

  HB
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  LongHairGal

  I am grateful I was not raised as one but I can see how some are raised in it and want nothing to do with it. Unless you keep children in a vacuum (which dubs would like to do) they are going to see how OTHER people live. They will see other laughing, happy children on the block, in school, etc. with their families doing things they cannot do and they will greatly resent it. Also, if the home is the scene of terrible fights (whether one or both parents are dubs) they will hate the religion and feel it is the cause of the misery.
  
  As soon as they are old enough they will be out of there!
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  Tuesday

  The reason I didn't believe....that's kinda tough. I always had both sides of the coin shown to me because my father was an apostate. But for the most part I always just knew I wasn't going to be a witness, pretty much from the time I was about 9 or so. The rules just didn't make sense to me, when I was a teenager I really started questioning and there was just no answer that would suffice to my questions. I think I just am not a person who puts blind faith into anything, and that's a requirement to being a witness. So I left, then again I never really thought I was in. When I left I'm sure alot of people saw it coming forever, it wasn't too much of a shock.
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  TheListener

  LisaBobeesa, what games did you dad play with you to help you learn critical thinking? Any examples would be helpful.
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  btafly

  My dad is an elder and mom is a pioneer. I was always getting in trouble because I argued and questioned everything that came out of my parent's mouth. Because of that, I was always the one in trouble, I was haughty, argumentative unlike my brother who was pretty much perfect. He's now a missionary by the way. Deep down I always knew I was making valid arguments, but I was made to feel so guilty for having them. I see now that being that way was truly a blessing because I am now able to see the organization for what it is. I am now teaching my children to always ask questions and never believe anything just because mommy or daddy (who's still a witness) tell you to.
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  GentlyFeral

  Well, we were liberal parents - for Witnesses - but we were believers. I studied with the kids as often as I could get them to hold still.

  My son, at about 12, once asked me, "What if time travelers went back to Ancient Israel® and forged the original manuscripts?" He was serious - and at the time it occurred to him, he was also upset. But it was his way of asking: What if the Bible itself is wrong?

  My daughter recalls, when she was about eight, being able to read the Bible Stories book by herself and thinking: "This is interesting. I wonder what else is out there?"

  So as near as I can make out, my kids were never able to wrap their heads around the idea of "One True Religion"?.

  Gently Feral
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  Satanus

  GF

  You may not have beaten them . The bible sez your suppoz ta beat em wif a rod in order to teach em the ways of the lawd.

  S
• 

  freedom96

  Some people are naturally independent, and think for themselves. Others do not allow themselves to think different, for fear of consequences.