by kid-A 74 Replies latest jw friends
I was assimilated at birth... 
(http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/7/94433/1.ashx)
I think it's less likely for an adult convert to leave, because they had found the Jehovah's Witnesses for themselves and were not forced into it...
but on the other hand, once the adult convert learns the "truth about the Truth" its easier for them to leave because they may not have as many family ties...
I was sort of born into it because it's the only religion my parents showed any interest in. Bat at 18, and dis.fell. at 40 for voting (JW spouse turned me in). Guess I fall under the "born into it" group.
At 18 I was looking for answers, and god knows, cults have all the correct answers. Been out for about 19 years, went to college, found a real job, remarried -- life is much better on this side of the Tower.
Yeah I was born into it.
Even as a young child, I would not want to go to the meetings and it would raise hell in the house with my mom yelling at me and my dad "not a j dub" looking on quietly. Then when he got tired of the crap he would turn on me and make me go, to shut my mom up .
I always hated going to someones house and try to force religion on them. I married in the troof and both of us faded away. After 11 yrs, my wife abandoned me and the 4 children.
Talk about trauma!! Of course all the j dubs were yelling at me " if you had been going to meetings, this wouldn't have happened".
I needed a wife and a mother for my children, so when a young jw girl moved 75 miles to meet me, we dated and under the watchful eyes of the elders "I hate those bastards" we finally married. What a stupid foolish thing to do. I should have found some kind mature loving WORLDLY woman.
So now I have all of my many relatives and hers all in the borg and judging us. I tried to fade and it did work for a while.
Then under the pressure of my wife and all the relatives I caved and went to meetings regular avoiding door to door as much as possible.
Then 1975 was approaching and I felt, What the hell. Maybe they know something I don't and so I did attend more meetings and the door to door crap I so hated.
Then (they asked me) to be an elder. I turned it down as I doubted my ability. My wife loved the thought of being an elderet and pushed hard to shame me into doing their will.
They threw the old "sin of omission" thing and talked me into being an elder. They didn't know that I was an elder with many doubts and a strong dislike for most all of the elders.
Moved to another state with a letter of recomendation to the new elders. Met them and almost puked at what I saw and refused to stay in the position of elder.
This of course put me in a seat right next to satan and the long drawn out inevitable hate I had for the jw's religion and the equally inevitable hate the elders had for me finally ended my marriage my contacts with relatives and a couple of my children.
I blame a lot of this on the wounds (my mom and my ex wife's suffered) in life that kept them in the cult and a large amount on my own STUPIDITY and lack of common sense due to being kept in a religion as a child, that prevented me from learning from social contacts with, THE REAL WORLD.
My moms mind and my and both my jw wives minds were saturated with LA LA LAND THINKING and tons of guilt and shame installed in our minds by the wbts and the molestation both physicaly and mentally done to these three poor women.
Sorry that I went in to so much on this thread, I started and it seemed to just pour out with out my knowing. Along with the tears.
Outoftheorg
dis.fell. at 40 for voting (JW spouse turned me in).
That's the first time I've ever heard of someone getting DFd for voting!
That's the first time I've ever heard of someone getting DFd for voting!
Yep, it happened. Central Congregation, in Dayton, Ohio. I wasn't attending meetings during the time, and the local elders couldn't wait to meet with me about this sin. I wrote a rather interesting letter to the Tower a few weeks later, and never heard from God's Organization again. :)
Almost born in, only had one birthday. I was forced out because I found I like sex and wasn't married. I still believed though and even had a few bible studies a couple years after leaving.
I began studying other religions and other subjects that actually challenge you to think for yourself. Since I came to not really care at all about anything related to the WTBTS, I only heard vague rumors about recent changes to policy. I still didn't think of JWs as a cult. But as I found that so much has changed, just in the last 14 years, with regards to their stance on things (and yet other things haven't), I consider the WTBTS a corrupt organization and the Witnesses horribly misled.
outoftheorg
Thank you for sharing your story. It was very moving and really shows how difficult things can be for those raised in the org. I am grateful that I had some years in the world even though they were very strange years. I hope your life is better now.
Eva
A possiblity that might be skewing the survey could be that adult converts who have left don't need these boards to work out cult related issues.. maybe they have just gotten on with things easier.
GBL
or they maybe be too embrassed to admit to falling for the fairytale
"It seems to me that people born into it or married into it will have a more difficult time leaving because they will by default have family in the bOrg."
I would think it's the other way around. Those of us who were born into it had the longest exposure to the bullshit & were more likely to see doctrinal flipflops (a.k.a. "new light"). We also had no choice about our involvement; it was forced on us.
On the other hand, those who converted as adults actively chose to be dubs. Seems like they would be less likely to leave.
Dan-O, of the "third generation dub but bailed out at 17" class
