just got done with a 3 hr.
argument with my family.
the essence of the conversation was that since im not going to the meetings, aka: in the organization, im not a good person.
The only way to win with the JWs is to stop arguing and start living. When you let them know they have absolutely no control or say in your life and that you are going to be happy, productive and positive, they have no choice.
It's not about debating and winning, it's about having the final word on what you are going to do with your life.
i was called an apostate because i knew the "new arrangement" before it was announced.
this is so funny because this change directly affects how the local elders were screwing me over.
pm me if you're interested in details.. brzfst.
If I was in, I wouldn't let anyone know I knew the information.
i was raised a jw, by an inactive jw mom.
looking back, and reflection on my childhood, causes me to wonder.. i honestly did not miss the holidays, for example.
i never had them, so nothing was taken away in that regard.
I definitely think it can retard social growth, you have a lot of group-think, you are not allowed to interact with others based on your own personal development and decision making. A lot of child psychologists and developmental psychologists realize how important it is to go through certain stages in your life, in order to form a healthy personality and have friendships and relationships that teach you and allow you to grow.
In a religion such as JW, those types of freedoms are not allowed, everything is pretty controlled, from who you interact with, the friends you choose, how you socialize with "the world". It is an US vs THEM ideology and repression that can do so much damage. A lot of exjws are socially retarded and have to go through the development stages again, many are very introverted, have anger and paranoia issues, have problems making friends, may have hypersexual ideas, in just my very outside observation and limited research, I have seen these reoccuring themes.
That is not to say it has to be like that, I have also seen pretty well adjusted ex jws too, I think it really depends on how your family interpreted the religion in their household and how strict they were, but I will say that I have never heard of a jw that was born and raised in the religion that didn't have any social issues once leaving. I think you will have some and hopefully with friends and support you can overcome it.
on friday , i had finished working where i used to live about 60 miles south .
a witness lady who used to be in one of my old congregations was working the check out line at the grocery store.
naturally she recognized me , and she saw i was buying a anniversary card for my daughter and her husband.
Flipper, that is the exact response I hear from fam members whenever this conversation topic comes up, with is infrequently. They make excuses for the issues in their religion, but don't do the same for other religions. It's hypocrisy.
The just can't seem to separate the man-created religion from "God", it is one in the same for them, which has a lot to do with their defenses.
please sign here............................ why do we even care?.
.
Yes.
ok, so a recent post about the godfather got me thinking what a massively sheltered life i had growing up, .
and all the classic r rated (or otherwise offensive to delicate jw sensibilities) movies i must have missed.. i am not easily offended now, and am open to pretty much any genre.. i have a lot of catching up to do, so i could use some help-.
what are your all time favorite movies, "inappropriate for christians" or otherwise?.
Notebook- with Gena Rolands & James Garner tear jerker movie
Every time I watch that movie, I boo hoo like a baby. I love that movie.
ok, so a recent post about the godfather got me thinking what a massively sheltered life i had growing up, .
and all the classic r rated (or otherwise offensive to delicate jw sensibilities) movies i must have missed.. i am not easily offended now, and am open to pretty much any genre.. i have a lot of catching up to do, so i could use some help-.
what are your all time favorite movies, "inappropriate for christians" or otherwise?.
The Exorcist and the Poltergeist, scared me to no end, but boy was it fun.
I suggest watching them at night when the moon is full, and light a few candles for effect. I promise no demons will visit you.
when prophecies faila sociological perspective on failed expectation in the watchtower societyby randall wattersfrom the bethel ministries newsletter may/june 1990 (now the free minds journal) .
few aspects of the jehovah's witness movement are more fascinating to the outside observer than their predictions of the end of the world.
yet the predictions themselves are just the surface ripples of a much deeper current in the lives of the movement's adherents.
My personal experience is that there are those that are so indoctrinated by the this religion/cult that even a flat out lie, incorrect belief, change in doctrine that is a complete 180 from before, will somehow be justified in their mind. I have talked to my own family and even when confronted with things they know make zero sense, they fall on "trust in Jehovah" and they continue on.
They use defense mechanisms in this religion like no one's business.
(circa 1973) i would never have known or realised at that young age who he really was.
i just remember our family vacationing over the christmas holiday's in big bear california, it was always quite snowy in big bear during the winter.
we went out for breakfast at the local "log cabin" restaurant and there was marlon brando, family and all, having breakfast.
I thought he was just amazing in "A streetcare named desire" and absolutely gorgeous.
i remember reading...i think it was ray franz's book (how is ray anyway?
) that the gb said that the sheep "couldnt be trusted" to do anything voluntarily and therefore they couldnt stop the reporting arrangement because nobody would go.. since the statistics clearly clearly clearly indicate that going door to door doesnt work and in fact the number of hours spent bringing just one person into the organization amounts to like 8 hours a day every day for a year...youd think the society would get with the times and eliminate that method.
and...jesus never went door to door anyway.
No, I can't say as I would have done it. Maybe once a month on a street corner if it was part of the organization, but not otherwise, I have never understood counting time either.
This just reminds me of when I was working on this initiative to get inner city kids in college and taking the SATs, I went to a few communities in this country and we literally walked up and down streets and stood on street corners talking to the young kids about the importance of staying in school and studying math and science and it was FUN! A group of us would get up and talk and we had pamphlets and books and afterwards we would sit together and have a big breakfast, but I believed in what I was doing and the people and kids I talked to were inspired.
When you feel forced to do something, I don't think anyone enjoys it, when you do something because you love and believe in it, you will enjoy it.
