Quite the opposite, I feel much more blessed, genuinely at peace with my self. I occationaly bump into old 'friends' and family who are still doing it and it's like a slap in the face, they're not happy, like they are in a daze. I understand why, but I don't think they want to see it that way. How about you ?
be wise
JoinedPosts by be wise
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19
Blessings or our Imagination
by JH inas a jw, we were always told that god was blessing us, because we were doing his will.
jw's saw god's hand everywhere in our lives.
if we had good news, a good job, good health, it was because god was blessing us.
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Starting my own congregation
by Huxley inisn't it great to wake up on sunday morning and not go to the meeting!
i love it.
no hurried underlining of the wt study so it looks like i studied, no stifling ties and lame-ass suits.
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be wise
It's great when it all becomes such a distant memory you can't even remember what it was like. Although, now i'm posting on this site it's bringing some of it back and I'm realising how lucky I am.
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Am I helping?
by be wise ini was brought up as a jw and i always thought it was full of small mindedness, in it's simple, simple explanations for life.
i was the youngest in a family of 5 brothers and sisters, and i am very proud that i am the only one out of my family that has had the guts to really question everything i've been taught for well, all my life, because my family are pretty hardcore about it, as most are.
we're not a close family, most are not because once the religion is taken away no one views you the same, this makes me sick just thinking about it.
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be wise
In reply to nightwarrior, I just basically stopped going to the meetings. Nobody really talked to me about it, yes this is very strange because the elders they usually come down on you, a few elders spoke to me but not for long because I was very unresponsive, I mean I'd had enough of them, of it all, 2 of my brothers had been disfellowshiped and I listened when they told me I shouldn't be associating with them but that's what brought me to my senses, I felt this can't be right, it's not normal to be like this. I was always very independantly minded, even when I was very young, I was just misguided. I think this is why they probabley didn't approach me again because I would have told them what I thought. I never really had any respect for the whole thing, especially the elders and so on because they don't care about people they only care about if your doing what the organisation says you should be doing, in my experience they didn't care about how you were, it was like if your coming to the meetings and doing your service then they don't want to know you and they just put on that mask smile when they see you and that's it, it's only when your not doing it they dig their claws in. The reason why everybody struggles with it is not because of so-called faith, but they will tell you that. It's because it's a fantasy and so if you don't go for a while you lose it, why, because your not being bombarded with that depressing jargon they reel off so effortlessly all the time, relentless. Actually, that makes me feel so glad I came to my senses, thinking about it now, I can't believe the amount of mental strain they put me under, I was so young, it wasn't fair, but that was then. I just feel sorry for those who are going through this at the moment that shouldn't have to. If you are still going and you are reading this, my advice is just listen to your instincts, what your mind is really telling you and nobody elses and that's basically it.
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Am I helping?
by be wise ini was brought up as a jw and i always thought it was full of small mindedness, in it's simple, simple explanations for life.
i was the youngest in a family of 5 brothers and sisters, and i am very proud that i am the only one out of my family that has had the guts to really question everything i've been taught for well, all my life, because my family are pretty hardcore about it, as most are.
we're not a close family, most are not because once the religion is taken away no one views you the same, this makes me sick just thinking about it.
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be wise
I'd like to say thankyou for all the above, you've really made a big difference to me. Thanks again.
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Am I helping?
by be wise ini was brought up as a jw and i always thought it was full of small mindedness, in it's simple, simple explanations for life.
i was the youngest in a family of 5 brothers and sisters, and i am very proud that i am the only one out of my family that has had the guts to really question everything i've been taught for well, all my life, because my family are pretty hardcore about it, as most are.
we're not a close family, most are not because once the religion is taken away no one views you the same, this makes me sick just thinking about it.
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be wise
I was brought up as a jw and I always thought it was full of small mindedness, in it's simple, simple explanations for life. I was the youngest in a family of 5 brothers and sisters, and I am very proud that I am the only one out of my family that has had the guts to really question everything i've been taught for well, all my life, because my family are pretty hardcore about it, as most are. We're not a close family, most are not because once the religion is taken away no one views you the same, this makes me sick just thinking about it. I've got a disfellowshiped brother, so i've experienced that side of it, because when the elders said i shouldn't be talking or associating with him, I was so weak mentally, because of what i'd been bombarded with constantly, I didn't. I lived with that heart renching guilt for a long time. The thing is it's so blatentley obvious when your not in such a twisted enviroment, yet to them it's so normal. That's what I find so amazing, I was your typical very young brainwashed jw and somehow I found a way out entirely on my own. It has been a lonely experience but worth it all. What makes me laugh is that my dad used to think it was ok to beat us if we did what he thought was wrong and then put on his suit, such a saving grace are them suits, well that's just personal experience but I also have experienced the underlying unbalanced attiutude that all jw's have. The thing is i've been on my own with this for a long time. I was very depressed as a jw cos that's how they made me feel. I'm 23, i'm at college and at the top of my class studying music and feeling pretty exellent compared to before, I have ambition and drive something that was sucked out of me for a long time. I'm really glad that there is support out ther for people like us, namely websites like this. I have read some bitter rubbish but also some people who have it worked out as well and have helped me. I was just wondering is there anything more we can do as well as just writing comments. I am not interested in studying doctrine, i've had a lifetime of it but I think it's important that I do something to help others like me.
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Just WHO Are These Girls?
by Englishman inkeep seeing 'em on classic fm tv.http://www.bond-music.com/.
i mean, wow!
all that violin stuff whilst they are stood in the sea...... .
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be wise
All art is dying in place of commodity and what sells, it's all becoming bullshit. But they are fine things to look at. It's just a shame there isn't room for much else. Let me see that picture again.
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The State of the Union
by Marvin Shilmer ini am an american, and so is my president.
this is an iron no speech can hold.
it can only be experienced.
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be wise
What is it with Americans and their president and country. Some of them are the most brainwashed and gullable people of all.doh.
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Did you want to...
by shera in.
when you were told you were going to be df,did you really want to be?
(before you found out the dirt on the wts?
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be wise
Look, we all know that there's much more invovledthan that, for example family and a way of life only that you may be only used too. Sorry, nobody likes a smart arse. Although by saying the word arse I've probably switched off most witnesses to listening to what I've even said.
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Deep virgin talker
by be wise inwhen i read things on this site i just cried because it reminded me of the extreme attiutudes of such people that i haven't been exposed to in such a long time.
i've been through as much shit as the next person but i am not bitter.
a lot of it comes down to individuals perceptions of their beliefs.
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be wise
your so right
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Deep virgin talker
by be wise inwhen i read things on this site i just cried because it reminded me of the extreme attiutudes of such people that i haven't been exposed to in such a long time.
i've been through as much shit as the next person but i am not bitter.
a lot of it comes down to individuals perceptions of their beliefs.
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be wise
When I read things on this site I just cried because It reminded me of the extreme attiutudes of such people that I haven't been exposed to in such a long time. I've been through as much shit as the next person but I am not bitter. A lot of it comes down to individuals perceptions of their beliefs. Bored yet. Although a lot of it is portrayed through their books etc as their common belief. All I can say is don't let this make you bitter against god, if he exists, truth or anything else. You've got to learn to start afresh, leave it all, all, behind and start your beliefs from scratch, that's what I did and it was the hardest thing and the longest thing I ever did but it was worth it and I am very happy or as happy as you can be in such a deleted up world. If you understand what I'm saying and have a loving heart please take all this on board and then you'll really be a believer in love and life. The fact is you were looking for something that was an ideal, an impossible unbalanced, extreme view of the world. And anyone who is expected to follow something without questioning it is very stupid or disolutioned indeed. Pardon my spelling. All the best.
Edited by - Englishman on 29 January 2003 5:58:6