Did You Ever Think The "End" Was Going To Happen In Your Lifetime"?

by minimus 55 Replies latest jw friends

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  Crumpet

  Liberty, thank you for your warm remarks

  Crumpet made some great points. When you think everything will be destroyed and you will never have a future you make different choices in your life than "Worldly" folks who plan for their futures. I hope Crumpet will have time to recover and live her life to its fullest now. She is a beautiful young woman who deserves her true love and children.

  I hope that I "catch" up like you have! If it takes a bit longer I'll still be grateful as its better than not getting there at all!

  I do have a pension plan now, modest, but better than my parents have, which is nothing and they are only 10 years off retirement!

  I am paying off all my debts so that I can save a buy a small property, be it ever so humble, it will be something of my own, unlike my parents who own nothing having only worked enough to survive until Armageddon all their lives.

  I am learning to drive, slowly but surely so I can broaden my horizons.

  It takes a long time to undo the ravels of knots that JWism ties your brain up in, but its not impossible, thank goodness.

  Thanks again Liberty - and i hope all the joy and fulfillment you deserve continues to pour your way.
• 

  Liberty

  Hi Hondo,

  In answer to your question, I think alot of it has to do with "magical thinking" a concept which skeptics fight on many fronts such as Astrology, witchcraft, UFOlogy, religion, etc.. Alot of the appeal of being a JW is convincing yourself that you are so special that you have been chosen to know and "understand deeply" in your heart a secret that the majority are not capable of "seeing" and it is up to you to convince them that you have a special knowledge which can help them. The powerless feel impowered by such knowledge and as an added bonus all of their problems will be solved with the fulfillment of this special knowledge. If you just believe hard enough (magical thinking) you will never grow old or die and all your dreams will come true. This is a very powerful "drugfree induced euphoria" especially in the newly converted. Doing God's will also means being in constant contact with His energy so you are now associated with and tapped into the greatest power in the Universe. JWs are not the only folks seduced by this faulty mode of thinking since fanatics and kooks abound in every wierd belief system, JWs are bit different in that they don't have a clue that they are really "out there" whereas many of the other "magical thinking" kooks are a bit more self aware.
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  Liberty

  It was my pleasure Crumpet. Never forget what an interesting life you have lived because of your "odd" background. Despite the fear and pain you have a wealth of experience that not many "Worldly" folks will be able to tap into. Use those hard won experiences to your advantage. I am a better father and a better person because of all that has happened and because I got started late I think I appreciate everything more. It may not have been the best path to take but it was MY path after I flushed Watchtowerism.

  I am not a natural skeptic but after being duped so badly by the Society I am now very cautious and skeptism is my new religion and I try hard to apply my "bull shit meter" to everything I hear, read, or want to believe. I do not want to be fooled again and thinking clearly for me takes alot of effort. I am now free to study and question anything I want and I make better use of this right because I know how it feels to be restricted. Nothing is off limits now to critical thinking and I love that there is no limit to knowledge seeking and that what we think we know or believe is always subject to change. You will be able to adapt to change more quickly now that you have lived through having the rug pulled out from under you. This " Wicked Old System of Things" is really kind to ex-kooks like us. You will do fine.
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  wiegel

  nope, not after 1975, that did it for me, just figured they would get the "right' light eventually - didn't push ahead with my own "revelation" - what a dumb ass.

  trudy
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  LyinEyes

  Answering your question .."Did you ever think the "end" was going to happen in your lifetime?"...........in the words of Naepolean Dynamite...........................Heck Yes!!!!! Gossssssssh!!!!!!!

  I was so sure that my oldest son would never go to school,,,,,,,,,,he is a senior now!!!!!!! Dohhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
• 

  mamochan13

  What a great perspective, Liberty! What you say is true, and it can really help with healing if you try to see your life along those lines, rather than as wasted years.
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  Big Dog

  I was always worried that it might come. I was raised in the borg which I despised pretty much from day one, but I was always worried, maybe they are right and I'll never get to _____________________ fill in the blank, as a young boy it would change weekly from fly fighter planes, to being a professional football player, to whatever I wanted to be that week that wouldn't be around in the new system.
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  mamochan13

  I've been thinking about this question, and I believe now that I must have never really bought into the idea, although it certainly affected my life profoundly.

  My mother believed I would not go to school in this system, and she's now a great-grandmother. She never planted any peonies because they take 3 or 4 years to bloom and she figured there wouldn't be time. First thing I did when I bought a house was plant all kinds of things that take years to develop - so obviously I was not a complete convert!

  Fortunately my non-jw dad made sure they saved for retirement, and both of them are now enjoying a comfortable life because of it.
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  Hondo

  Thanks Liberty, great response. Then I guess these thoughts of being the most "blessed" people in the world are reinforced during the myriad meeting JW's attend weekly. In my case I was at sea (I'm Navy retired), the kids were in school, and the then wife was perhaps feeling a bit despondent, maybe depressed, and they came knocking, said the right words and the rest is history. My ex-wife, exhibits the traits you mention in your response. She feels she knows something, has a special connection that no one else has. Oh well. I guess they all can sit at idle while the rest of us move forward. Thanks again
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  minimus

  1975 was supposed to be the "beginning of the end" of the system of things. By 1975, everything was supposed to have started----the Great Tribulation to Armageddon......In my teen years, I used to get into arguments with certain family members that had a tape of Fred Franz (which I heard) saying( just about) that the endwould be here according to Scripture and Bible chronology. I ALWAYS pointed to "NO ONE knows the day". I was an apostate before I even knew it.