Why...

Tez

Did you take to the 'truth' in the first place? Maybe this subject has been covered before, remember I am a 'newbie', I just wanted some reason to have a quality of life and hope for the future? How about you? Look forward to reading your reasons.

the_classicist

Born into it. Rejected it. And it's been covered before, but who cares?

JamesThomas

Hello Tez, welcome to the forum.

I just wanted some reason to have a quality of life and hope for the future?

I was raised in it from about four or five. It never really clicked with me, but being a timid and not too awfully bright Little guy I thought something was wrong with me. I was in my thirties before I started to wake up.

Your reason of "hope for the future" is common. We often are so lost in the minds commentary and story about life that life passes us by, and so hoping for better becomes part of our commentary and story. But you see, life is now. Life can only be lived now. Past and future are abstract concepts that are sometimes helpful tools, but they are not the actual sweet essence of Life. Sadly, it seems, our wise religious leaders are not yet aware of this, and so feed the focus on the future.

j

jgnat

I never "took" to the JW's. Except to marry one.

Recently I very much enjoyed a book called

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

This book builds on my beliefs I have carried for some time. First of all, I evaluate any belief system against, "Does it work?" If it doesn't, I dump it. Second, I have declared war against entropy. I love to create and grow things. I won't tear down. I believe in the individual's power to make a difference. Third, I am a better person when I work outwards, helping others. If I allowed myself to, I would drown in introspection and self-pity.

Here's a quote from FLOW:

"...it is necessary to invest energy in goals that are so persuasive that they justify effort even when our resources are exhausted and when fate is merciless in refusing us a chance at having a comfortable life. If goals are well chosen, and if we have the courage to abide by them despite opposition, we shal be so focused on the actions and events around us that we won't have the time to be unhappy. And then we shall directly feel a sense of order in the warp and woof of life that fits every thought and emotion in to a harmonious whole."

Yeah, I know. I'm a geek.

PaulJ

Well I get baptised so I feel I can answer this independantly (Mum)- it answered all my questions. I say this but I never bothered to look deeper at things, I just believed what the FDS said, and at the time and under those circumstances- it made sense.

I remember saying once that even if the 'truth' wasnt true, what have lost by being a JW? Ive got friends etc. Im not on drugs etc. BUt I now pleased that Im out, knowing I havent got to fit someone elses mould.

greendawn

I also got deceived into thinking that this was a religion and society with serious and wholesome spiritual leanings and activity something I was looking for at the time, but soon realised that it was only a deceptive surface, there was no real brotherly love and affection and the FDS was consistently lying to the R & F, the 1975 affair, the GB wanting to exercise all power and paying only lip service to the annointed, the dictatorial attitude, distorting the WTS history, etc