There are pluses and minuses to a religous community. The gossip and judgement are sometimes unbearable. The feeling of togetherness can be nice though. My thought is this. Togetherness should not be manufactured through lies and intimidation. The org is shady and corrupt. Look at their veiled real estate business dealings. Always explained away as "furthering kingdom interests" (whatever that means) and "wisely utilizing dedicated funds" (like saying dedicated funds automatically legitimimizes their activity).
I think the mind has a way of romanticizing the past when we are having a down moment. We tend to see the past through rose colored glasses. There is nothing rosey about watching people die from declining blood transfusions or seeing them commit suicide from the pressure of living the JW "never good enough" life.
It takes time to build strong bonds and friendships. Be patient and stay moving. Exercise, meditate, bond with nature, play with the kids. Laugh too loud and kiss too long.
Better to have a small tight group of friends you can count on than 8 million that will throw you off the boat and watch you drown if you make a wrong move.
