by booker-t 67 Replies latest jw friends
I would even go so far to say that many JWs have a much greater quality of life than some "apostates." The truth (small t) hurts, doesn't it? As a general rule, the "louder" the apostate, the more likely they are psychologically disturbed and miserable.
Wasnt someone looking for examples of cognitive dissonance and what someone suffering from CD might do or say to establish cognitive consistancey?
The organization has succeeded for years in keeping df'ed ones quiet and not discuss our experiences. They have also succeeded in not letting people discuss: doubts, questions, research things using sources other than the WT publications, or find evidence for 'rumors'. The WT must now step up and search for a way to allow members to have freedom of speech, freedom of information and freedom to leave if they choose to. The internet will eventually demand it of them.
The internet allows us to share experiences, realize that we are not alone (the WT wants us to think that we are all alone in the world), and eventually heal.
Jez
Bashing is when you indiscriminately attack peoples beliefs irrespective as to the empirical or other forms of evidence laid before you; whereas I class what the majority do on this site as challenging, debating and generally trying to come to terms with their past belief systems.
Its all part of getting on with your life and some take longer than others; personally this board has been instrumental in my breaking down my belief system and starting afresh.
A good thing overall...do you have any suggestions as to why this should stop?
To bash or not to bash, is that the question?
There is some truth in what you say of course, Booker-T, and I am sure there are many exJWs who have moved on - it's not really THAT unusual. And yes, most of them will not be on a site like this.
What this simple line of reasoning does not take into account is how much processing is involved for any given individual, and that would reasonably be dependent on their previous experience with JWs and current ties such as family and what not. We have to recognize that there is a broad range of JW experience for different individuals.
I agree that bashing in itself will not help you move past it, but then again if you don't process the stuff in some way it is just hidden baggage waiting to resurface at some later point. And I say "in some way" because I don't think it is necessarily something that needs years of therapy, it all depends. So you can very well be stuck in both cases, in the one you are absorbed with the anger and all that, in the other you totally ignore it, maybe compartmentalize it in your head and just does not deal with it at all.
No doubt it is easier for some to come to terms with their experience, but when you think you can just apply your own experience toward everyone else in the group then that is just naive thinking. That would be like a therapist going "Well I'm a psychologically well adjusted individual, all you have to do is exactly what I do and voila! Your problems will be gone!" Clearly the skillful thing to do is understand the exact issues in the mind of the individual, making statements of generalization only goes so far. Sure, in principle it is good to move on, but the question is HOW does one do that? Everyone will be different. Some seek out others in this process, some don't. You MAY be able to move past it on your own, but there has been enough cases where people discover years later that they haven't moved past it after all, simply because they just ignored it.
Good post Mark!
I would even go so far to say that many JWs have a much greater quality of life than some "apostates." The truth (small t) hurts, doesn't it? As a general rule, the "louder" the apostate, the more likely they are psychologically disturbed and miserable.
I swear, Brandon. If you ever come up with an original thought I'll probably fall off my chair in shock upon reading it. If it's so great being a brainless half-witted witness, go back and be happy.
D E N I A L
J
Well living is the best revenge and I gloat that I kill the enemy besides
There are a whole lotta Jdub perpetrators out there,that i've gone after that are squirming
A google search of my name shows :
Results 1 - 40 of about 38,500 for " Danny Haszard - 0.33 sec. ( About this page )
I'm too busy getting on with my life to bash or be bitter.
We all "pays our money and takes our choices".
I will tell it like I see it, however.
Bradley:
Would that be subjective anecdotal evidence?
I stop when they stop.
That's a fair way of putting it only recently they were calling the apostates "a good for nothing scummy dross", in their watchtower mag.
