(((joy and j2L))) Sorry to hear you're all having a bit of a time of it lately
The point you make about JW's being heart damaged is a very good one.
When I first started studying I was shocked at some of the comments made about others who'd left and the way people can so easily be ejected from a JW's life and heart.
As time passes and you get to know how it all works I saw that there were usually two different camps amonst the society members.
Camp one will be seen as spiritually soft and will tend to put the teachings of Jesus before the society and will eventually be labelled as weak or will fall away- they get genuinely upset by the plight of others who were disfellowshipped and still spoke to them and worried about them because they were alone.
Camp two will become harder and harder as they 'progress' or should that be 'regress' into the org.They seem to take a certain pride in their hard-heartedness and see it as their badge of honour, almost proof that they can serve this equally hard god with equally hard christian principles without getting 'emotional' about it all. Their steadfastness as they call it- their adherence to bible principles, no matter what the concequences to their family is incredible to witness.
They seemed to forget that when the apostle's were arguing over doctrine they were trying to BE christian by debating- now there is no more debating-the christianity has gone from one of inclusion to one of exclusivity.
If their hearts are so easily shut up when they are ordered to cull their feelings by the laws of the society, then I can only imagine that the love they professed to feel for others who were still in good standing was'nt genuine and therefore worthless.I have witnessed character assasinations and people's reputations ripped apart, people who were once very close to them-it's sickening to hear.
Perhaps that agape love that was talked about so much is'nt love based on principle after all- but a cover for love based on WTBS's rules.
