i remember when i joined the jw's about 18 years ago, i was single just like today, and i never really wanted to marry a jw.
i would have liked to get married, but not with a jw.
i believed in their religion, but that was the spiritual side of me.
While there may have been girls I was attracted to or flirted with, I don't think i would have married one. I don't believe i would be happy with someone who must go along with the status quo. I never saw myself doing the traditional jw life; service every saturday, meetings every sunday, and being an elder was definitely out of the question.
I think even at a young age I knew that I would someday leave. I was just too damn curious.
last friday night sucked big time.
i just don't know whats wrong with me.
i have many worldly friends that would like to hang out with me but i just didn't feel like calling anybody up.
Being around worldly friends is still very taxing on my emotions. When I'm around them I feel very self-conscious, over-analyzing. Then I get pissed off at myself for being over-analytical. At the same time, there are old jw judging feelings that often bias the situation.
So on one hand, i feel it is a lot easier to hang out with witness associates. But i must admit, that even that is feeling more and more like a lost cause.
I don't know......
I have this crazy notion that worldly people know the world. I don't really understand that last sentence but its there in my mind and it controls my interactions when i'm around worldly associates.
Are worldly people just as unsure of themselves as I am?
last friday night sucked big time.
i just don't know whats wrong with me.
i have many worldly friends that would like to hang out with me but i just didn't feel like calling anybody up.
Last friday night sucked big time. I just don't know whats wrong with me.
I have many worldly friends that would like to hang out with me but I just didn't feel like calling anybody up. It's like i feel that i don't belong with the witnesses or with them.
It seems all the people I have met outside the witnesses have been unambitious. I just don't feel i have much in common with them. I think there nice, all right people.
I don't know maybe its just a part of fading process !!
i still keep in touch with many witness associates (am not disassociated or dissfellowhsipped---trying to fade).
anyways, so a witness that i am not acqainted with sent an email out to everybody about one of his work days.
i thought it was pretty funny so i will post it below:.
NO harm done Aunti Jane.........it's all good
i still keep in touch with many witness associates (am not disassociated or dissfellowhsipped---trying to fade).
anyways, so a witness that i am not acqainted with sent an email out to everybody about one of his work days.
i thought it was pretty funny so i will post it below:.
Read the first paragraph !! I am going to change the thread title, it is probably misleading !!
i still keep in touch with many witness associates (am not disassociated or dissfellowhsipped---trying to fade).
anyways, so a witness that i am not acqainted with sent an email out to everybody about one of his work days.
i thought it was pretty funny so i will post it below:.
I still keep in touch with many witness associates (am not disassociated or dissfellowhsipped---trying to fade). Anyways, so a witness that I am not acqainted with sent an email out to everybody about one of his work days. I thought it was pretty funny so I will post it below:
Had something kind of funny happen today - I had to deliver scaffolding
(with my job being a rental center) to the St. John's Lutheran church
here
in town. I get the eebie jeebies going into churches. They have all
these
crosses up all over the place. The building smells like old oak wood,
there
is a candle burning on the podium along with chalices, goblets, and
other
things they use in all their pomp and circumstance. They even had
enough
instruments on the platform to form a small band. Each side of the
stage
was just filled with pipes from the organ. Anyway, my father went
along
with me and we set up the first scaffolding but soon found out it was
too
small. The "pastor" of the church decided to return it and go with the
larger size up on my recommendation. So no problem - just had to tear
it
down, load it on the truck, and bring out the other size. We got it
all set
up and everything. I deal with these "men of the cloth" on a
semi-regular
basis around town. Some know I'm a Witness and others don't but I
always
treat them with respect. The zeal of many of these people is to be
envied -
it's just that zeal is misguided. I've known Witnesses who seem to
hate
these preachers, pastors, reverends, and you know, with the attitude
some of
these men of the cloth carry it's no wonder. I do not sympathize with
their
religeous beliefs but I do respect them as a human beings and with that
attitude, many times you can have a very nice Biblical conversation
with
them. I've often outright told people that I won't argue religeon with
them
but that I will share in a good biblical discussion assuming we won't
agree
on everything and I won't "preach" at them. You would not believe how
much
truth you can share with others and how many times they really get to
thinking hard over what you say when they are assured you aren't going
to
"preach" at them. It's wonderful. Oh yes, many are still devout
members of
Babylon the Great due to Satan's subtle snares so we gotta be twice as
subtle, seasoned with tact, and go from there...
Even so, I whistled Kingdom Songs as loud as I could in the church and
heard
it echoing off the walls. It was my way of saying, "So there." and I
left... :-)
hey everybody, .
who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (i hate that word !!
) associates.
A lot of good posts !! Thanks to everyone.
Rebel:
I like what you had to say. Very thought provoking.
Thanks also to Just tickled and to everybody who can simpathize with this issue !!
hey everybody, .
who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (i hate that word !!
) associates.
Were all your friends as well
THANK YOU NEW WORLD !!
WHEN I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE JWS I THOUGHT THAT MAKING FRIENDS WOULD BE EASY BUT WHAT I FAILED TO REALIZE IS THAT IT IS HARDER WHEN YOU LESS THINGS IN COMMON WITH THEM.
ALL OF US HERE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON !!
hey everybody, .
who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (i hate that word !!
) associates.
THAT SUCKS, ELSEWHERE !!
For me I think a whole lot of the problem lies in the control I continue to let the jw's have over my mind and personal judgement. I think if I erased the jws from my mind (hypothetically) then I wouldn't view people as a threat so much.
However, with the jw mentality and programming I always seem to have a hard time seeing people as more than just insignificant satan worshippers. THERE I SAID IT. THE LONGER I AM AWARE FROM THE JWS I CONTINUE TO BE AMASED HOW CRAZY MY THOUGHTS ARE !!
( APPRECIATE THE PROBLEMS YOU'VE GIVEN ME, BETHEL HEADQUATERS GOOD JOB !!!! )
hey everybody, .
who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (i hate that word !!
) associates.
Hey everybody,
who has experienced this : ever since leaving the jw's, i've been trying to make "worldy" (I hate that word !!) associates. I think I have done a pretty good job of leaving my comfort zone as I have visited other churches, met and hung out with other students from school, etc...
However, my relationships always feel awkward after the the 1st couple of times associating with them. IT'S LIKE THE 1ST FEW TIMES ASSOCIATING IS OK. ITS A NOVELTY. IT'S SOMETHING NEW. FINE. BUT SOMETHING WITHIN ME WON'T LET THEM GET ANY CLOSER. I hate to admit it, but I think i have some trust issues. RIGHT NOW AT LEAST.
