Frog, (and whoever would like to read)
Interesting question you posed to me. First, I have to say, we have choices. There is definately a choice to give up in our belief in God and Jesus Christ becasue of men in the orgainzation.... or we can chose to find out "personally" what it is really all about. Yes, we had a ton of "Watchtower bible knowledge, but really very little true bible knowledge. We knew all about Jesus and Jehovah, but never really knew Him personally. Sort of like a best friend. He was more like an ALL POWERFUL BEING... rather than a creator that loves us and wants to be friends with us.
Bitterness???? Well... to be honest, after I was disfellowshiped I didn't have bitterness, because contrary to you good folks, I still believed it was the truth and that it was MY FAULT that I was out. So I had quilt.... not bitterness. I had quilt over what it did to my mother and how it broke the family apart. I can still hear my mother calling me the whore of the devil in fits of rage. I had quilt for my young children at the time. Guilt that they would now die at armegeddon.
So, I spent 16 years living with the quilt. ...acknowledging there was a God that had power to bring about a new world, but not liking Him. In 1996 for some unknown reason, I decided I wanted it right with God at all costs. At the time I didn't even know if that meant going back to the kingdom hall. I began by reading the bibile. Just reading it fresh for what it was. I was SHOCKED at how different the things were I was reading from what I had been taught my whole life. This quest lasted over three years..........and yes..........I am one of those "born againers" (gasp). Yet I cannot deny what happened to me on an airplane as I was reading my bible. It all came together for me. I didn't have to earn God's love or my salvation.... rather it was a gift from Him to me. All I had to do was believe in His Son... love Him... and mostly trust Him. No more earning God's rewards from door to door work and all those meetings. I accepted Jesus as the one who forgives my sins and gives me everlasting life.... not the organization.
Mind you... I didn't have the answers to all my bible questions all at once....but rather.... I finally had a FREE MIND.. to think for myself and read the bible for what it was saying, even if it was different from what the organization had taught me. I was freed from the guilt, and I finally not just liked God.. but loved Him. The heavy load they put on my back was lifted.
When you acept Jesus as your best friend and really know Him (and that can be done).... you begin to think more like Him. You understand the love you quoted from Corinthians, and with that love comes compassion. The very compassion Jesus had for the lost. After all.... isn't that what those in the organization are....lost? So... bitterness was replaced with compassion for them. We hurt badly over what this false religion has done to us.....and God feels our pain!! He wants us to come to HIM... and that includes us that are out of the organization and those that are still lost in it. That is why thru God, not the organization you can have that peace that transends all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) You don't know why you finally feel at peace.....as there is no reason to have it... you just do.
I know we truly felt we would survive armegeddon if... and only if... we were one of Jehovah's Witnesses... but the bible does not say that. It says we have life if we believe in Jesus.
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE (Jesus), for there is NO other name (including Jehovahs Witnesses) under heaven given to men by which we MUST be saved."
Romans 3:22 "The righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ (not the Watchtower Society) to ALL who believe.
Titus 3:5 "He saved us NOT because of the righteous things we had done, but because of HIS MERCY." (Jesus mercy.. not JW works)
1John 5:11 "He who HAS THE SON has life." (not he who is a JW has life)
John 8:24 "I told you that you would die in your sins if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be." (The Watchtower claims we die in our sins if we don't believe THEY ARE THE ONES THEY CLAIM TO BE)
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the light." (funny they call themselves the truth when Jesus says HE is the truth!)
Romans 10:9 "Confess with your mouth, "JESUS IS LORD", and believe IN YOUR HEART that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved." (not confess with your mouth and heart aligeninece organization.)
I could go on and on...but can you see how they have taken the place of our true savior Jesus. Just put their name in any of those scriptures. It is a true form of blasphemy.
If you don't believe this... ask yourself.. Why can't gold_morning go into a kingdom Hall and be talked to when I have confessed my sins to God..changed my ways and love Him. Why do I need to be aproved by elders as to whether I am saved and acepted by them/Jehovah... when it is Jesus that is our Judge and savior. It is because the organization and Jehovah are spoken of in the same breath!!
All I can say is... pity them.. help them... love them.. and get rid of that heavy yoke of unworthyness and quilt. We don't have to "give" up.... we just have to "look" up.
lots of love and support,
gold_morning
ps....my email address is gold_morning and I use yahoo. Feel free to write