any particular event sparked this change of heart ?.
the day i got disfellowshipped, someone called me at home and told me ' iwas so shocked when they said laetitia is no longer a jehovah's witness'
i was shocked cause this was the first time i heard what was actually said in those cases. that's when i knew i belonged to an organization because how could they tell me i didn't belong to my god anymore. i knew i would never go back.
how many of you who have left the wto and haven't become associted with some other religion have found that they feel a real sense of spirituality for the first time in their life?.
chappy.
although i'm not at all at the spiritual level i'd like to be, i am happy to be open and receptive, allow feelings within myself that i didn't allow before and starting to like myself for my qualities and accept my faults.
i feel a greater peace than i ever had before ....even though life is quite tough at the moment.so i know this feeling if nurtured can only grow.
i'm sitting here listening to "free to be... you and me".
it only dawned on me as an adult that this is a feminist's children's album!
unbelievable.
dorothée and chantal goya. 2 french singers for children. i used to watch them on tv with mouhth open and vacant eyes.
my dad used to get so angry because my parents would call my name 100 times but i was so engrossed i didn't even hear them yelling at me. hahaha.
super thread brought back some memories, nice way to start the day.
<< at some of the comments on this thread
a lot of us grew up as jehovah's witnesses.
we had no choice.
our parents made the choice for us.
i think it's easier to reach anyone child or adult by exposing to them mind control techniques
ex in cults they try to cut off association to people you knew before so you can only rely on them afterwards
then say ' you can't have non jW friends. that's bad'
they will put up a wall right away
if they are made to arrive to the conclusion on their own, they may struggle with the feelings it creates and it may be harder to contain than a wall of indignation at the other person's statement , but it may be a step closer to them getting ut of it eventually
it is no longer 'them against me' but rather 'why does this provoke a reaction in me and feel familiar.
even though we all know that cognitive dissonance is a b*tch, i feel it is more effective to take this approach.
a lot of us grew up as jehovah's witnesses.
we had no choice.
our parents made the choice for us.
sorry i have not read the replies but i will say this. having become a JW as a child and without my parents i feel it is important to warn children and would like to get involved doing a cult awareness program in schools. i know it is happening in france but more in universities i believe ( not quite sure) and it is probably happening other places.
i think it would be unfair to name the 'religions' as this could make those young children targets for ridicule or as different to the other kids. but for example a list of what to look for in a cult and feelings you may feel in one and to train the school counselor in dealing with those things.
it's an issue i feel passionately about. i hope i can do it one day and not lose sight of this goal.
question a witness in a very logical manner about their view of blood transfusions and blood fractions and see what you'll get.. ask a witness where in the bible it states that you can't talk to a disfellowshipped family member unless he or she lived in your home.. ask a witness why they need 2 witnesses to establish that a child has been molested but they don't need 2 witnesses to establish that a spouse has been unfaithful and that the accuser may now be free to "scripturally" remarry.. have a jehovah's witness prove to you that filling out a service report is necessary for a christian to have god's approval.. can you think of other proofs that the witness religion is totally illogical??
?.
minimus i never believed everything either. those who do scare me. there are some witnesses i knew(one of them my ex best friend of 7 years) that i would never be friends with again outside of the org. It's as if they would absolutely do anything for the org, no matter what.
i know there is a cult mentality but there is the person you are deep inside and i feel some use the excuse of the organization to do some evil things to others.
i would like someone to discuss some issues i have.
i understand all are welcome here, so i am sure some elders or former elders could help me.
i was a pioneer for 7 years, before that i was a regular auxiliarry pioneer for 3 years, i have been a witness for 17 years.
i was only saying to look at all the possibilities. Not all of us are angels here. i repeated a few times 'if that is the case' i wasn't saying you did but suspect it COULD well be. Gopher--thanks for bringing that out. I guess i just got kind of confused between her jumping through hoops to get back into their good books for the past few years and failed to see that she was not doing that at the moment anymore. inactive? I'm quite blunt but i sure don't want to cause you pain.I'm the kind of person that questioned my every motive while in the organization...and in life generally. The sister i mentioned earlier could one day be disfelloshipped and find this site and write her 'heartbreaking story' here. She's still a slanderer, liar and gossip who will put her own need for satisfying her vile tongue before thinking of the consequences it will cause her victims. (i was her main victim at our hall but she had others). And there are many of those. I'm not saying you are like her but that you should look at what you may have done to cause or contribute to your situation....if you feel you haven't done anything then forget my suggestion it doesn't apply to you. I'm not jaded by the trevorgate situation of this forum but by 'watchtower-gate' fiasco that is the organization. People have different motives and you may never know what they are. Is it reasonable to swallow anything a person tells you without being even able to make a comment that doesn't promote their cause? i don't respond well to emotional statements like ' well guess i should go back to the hall then?' or 'well you may be blaming me for it..' it's leading to these kind of posts where all i see in my post is ' I..I..I' when who cares about me?really we were talking about a situation you're facing. other posters have to defend their comments saying I I I too and in the end we forget what the hell we were ven talking about in the first place. I was just saying to look at your own actions. that's all. but really if i understand well now you just want to leave then you will find useful information to help you be strong in your fade away from the society. cheers.
i would like someone to discuss some issues i have.
i understand all are welcome here, so i am sure some elders or former elders could help me.
i was a pioneer for 7 years, before that i was a regular auxiliarry pioneer for 3 years, i have been a witness for 17 years.
i'm with you NVRGNBK
those finishing statements are quite odd!as if in one day she goes from desperately wanting back IN but within a 24 hour period we will see a miraculous rebirth...a totally recovered EXJW when for the most of us it takes months if not years coming to terms with what we think, feel, say and how we act with regards to the religion.
i would like someone to discuss some issues i have.
i understand all are welcome here, so i am sure some elders or former elders could help me.
i was a pioneer for 7 years, before that i was a regular auxiliarry pioneer for 3 years, i have been a witness for 17 years.
"I do not know why young adults are 'fading out' but they are,"
hmmm.
i do feel you are pulling our leg inactive.
sorry if you aren't but your reasoning is a bit strange to me or you're just putting those statements out there so we can all jump on them and say AHA! or be gullible and say pooryou boohoo...
i haven't called out troll but could this simply be a sad person's plea for attention...and repeating the good little witness comment ad nauseam for which you've been criticized.
there was a sister who was almost marked at the hall because she thought gossip was the way to make friends.That's how she kept the attention on her. May the people in your cong just see you as a dangerous person to be around..;a bit calculating and manipulative.(??)
Since we are putting out scenarios for your present situation, i don't think we should rule out the ones where you are the one being the cause of your own fate. That just would not be objective.
You have the anonimity of the internet.Be honest with ways in which you may have contributed or totally created that situation for yourself at the hall if that is the case. if help is what you truly want you may as well be honest.
i repeat:if that is the case.(just covering myself)
