the governing body constantly tries to impose its will on jehovah's witnesses.
they really don't want you to do anything but society approved things.
everything is "bad".. we can see this quite clearly at this point.
Totally felt controlled.
I was a convert, and used to having my freedom... once I became a witness it was a though I had been thrown in a cage and the door locked.
Every move we made was watched and commented on, it seemed. I couldn't take it anymore and that's the "MAIN" reason I left. I could no longer live in box.
Freedom is worth it to me.
Cas
i always felt like i was not a "spiritual" person because i loathed going in field service.
i'm not even sure why i loathed it.
i am very outgoing and can talk to anyone, anytime, about anything.
I totally hated it...
I never felt like people wanted us there, if they did why on earth would some hide ?
No one ever acted like they were glad to see us.
Plus, I always felt we looked like fools in bad weather.
Cas
we had a few that would start coughing if someone wore a fragrance.
they would make a big deal about anyone wearing cologne and say such ones were not loving and considerate.
some elders would recommend that witnesses should not wear any cologne or perfume, if they loved their brother or sister.
I am very sensitive to cologne, perfume and hairspray.
I become physically ill when I'm around any of those things and begin to experience stomach cramps, nausea and headache.
Same for me.
I never expected people to stop wearing it tho. It was my problem, if I couldn't handle it I would move to another seat or, if nothing else... leave.
I certainly wasn't making it up or doing it for attention. I envied people that could enjoy such things, especially scented candles and soaps. I always felt deprived in those areas.
Cas
one thing this site has made me reflect on the baptism practice in jw land.. many of us were raised in the religion, thus you were given the pressure early on to shoot for baptism as a goal.. i remember feeling bad because i waited until the ripe old age of 14 to take the plunge.. looking back, i realize that when i was 14, i didnt even know what my favorite color was, let alone have enough knowledge to make a life altering decision.
yet, growing up in that climate, i would say anyone who waited past their early teens to get baptised was viewed with great suspicion and was likely to be viewed as "bad association".
kids who took the dip at 8-9 years of age were viewed as "wise beyond their years" and the like.. how old were some of you when you were baptised, and what are your feelings on the matter?.
"28"
I was in such a zone...
Cas
i have a few discomforts with the wbts, but it's mostly my own attitude, not that i'm bitter towards the religion.. if you're anouther 'not bitter' soul, please give me a shout out.. dy .
I also don't feel bitter...
I do feel I was duped and I do have the usual regrets felt by most of us, on the other hand, I didn't have any family in other than my daughters, both of which left with me.
So, nothing to leave behind except some superficial friends.
I've since married a wonderful man and I'm happier now than I've ever been... I also cherish my freedom !!
Cas
so far, no one has really bothered me.
i always wonder why.
then i read of how some are always getting calls and visits.
I've wondered about that also, I haven't seen or heard from any of them in ten years now.
I do know that at the time I started to fade, 11 years ago, that my situation was so unique to them, that they literally didn't know what to do with me.
I was actually told that by the PO at the time, so I guess they just decided to leave me alone.
Lucky me...
Cas
i have come to realize that this religion is based almost solely on performance and that is the most dangerous.. i always felt that as a person or jw (while an active witness)that i was always just as good as my last assignment, comment at the watchtower meeting, feild service report.. this left me with a huge identity crisis in the borgorg......... i really didn't know who the hell i was?.
did any of you feel similair?
.
Being a convert, one of the first things I noticed was how the whole thing was a "Numbers Game".
a wisconsin man won top prize in the "world's best liar" contest.. the burlington liars club gave its top award to 58-year-old public health inspector jerry legro of sun prairie.
his lie: ""i just realized how bad the economy really is.
i recently bought a new toaster oven and as a complimentary gift, i was given a bank.".
We miss you at the meetings...
when you people were witnesses, was there one thing (or many) that really told you non-jw's were not that bad people after all?
was there anything other people did to you that got you thinking or, better yet, feeling that you hadn't been told the truth about us?.
thank you for your answers..
I wasn't born in, so I knew "worldly" people weren't bad.
Same here.
I really didn't have any Bible knowledge prior to learning the witness way of life and trusted way too much.
What I did notice in the door to door work, when talking to ones of other faiths, was that they seemed sincerely happy and satisfied with their beliefs. They also seemed warmer and more friendly, these were the people who were out helping the poor and needy, doing things for others was a way of life for them.
Surely, people like that were not worthy of death over a mag. rejection.
Usually, I would walk away from such ones feeling like something was wrong with me and my chosen faith, "Why didn't I feel as confident and satisfied as they seemed to be" ? Why wasn't my "Faith" out helping others, instead of trying to convert them ?
Cas
ok, here's my current list:.
i just finished the greatest show on earth by richard dawkins, and am almost finished crisis of conscience by...some guy.. currently in hand, i have:.
the power of myth, joseph campbell and bill moyers.
"Journey of Souls" ... and getting more confused by the minute
I read that one a few weeks ago.
BTS
I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, Burn. Maybe in a pm, if you have time.
Cas
