I guess I should do this in some beginning way, I am new here and still learning my way around the site.
I was raised in a divided household, and my mom taught us in secret. When my dad found out the insuing religious wars pretty much marked me for life. But I was imprinted with the WT. So upon turning 18 I got baptized. I was a good JW for about 4 1/2 years.I served where the need is greater, I pioneered when I could. I quit a promising acting career because it didn't jibe with witness "law".I "acted" (pantomimed would be more like it) in a drama at a big Assembly. I really did my best to conform in every way.
I started having some real doubts about things. Contradictions and the like. Counting time seemed rather unscriptural. So did offering other literature besides the Bible. Then, I met and fell in love with a man who was a committed Christian, but outside the normal church experience (he'd been there and done that) we immediately clicked in spiritual things. I always had a relationship with God and believed in the name of Jesus, so we had a really good starting point. He never pressured me, he even tried to go to a few meetings with me...he was as bored as I was!
We decided to get married, and since I had continued to go to meetings, nobody knew him or why I was getting married so quickly (someone suggested I better not turn up pregnant to my mother!) But I had known him for a year. Because of all the religious issues, we got married in my mom's house by a JOP. Many witnesses came to the invitation only (yikes!) reception. Contrary to what many of them supposed, my husband did not become a JW. I stopped going to the meetings I could no longer stomach. That's when the shunning started. My mom sent me the article on shunning and then proceeded to follow it.
Through time and events, my mother and brother (an elder)now talk to me, but it is quite perfunctory. I know it pains my mom very much...but I tried to explain, I didn't leave Jehovah, just the meetings. As you can imagine, it didn't help. She has remained aloof and doesn't really know her grandchildren as we live far away and she doesn't like to talk on the phone or write letters.Convenient.
I spoke to her on the phone once, and she'd had a really bad mamogram. After I hung up we prayed and I told God I would tell her we prayed for her, if the next one came up completely clear. It did. I told her , and her answer was, "Oh, that was nice."
So I have spent years studying and learning about the serious problems in truth that the Witnesses have, while all the while strengthing my faith in what really is true.
That's my story in a nutshell. Glad to meetcha all.Thanks for listening.