This was basically my second year out of the organization - we mark our leaving January 2004. I came across this site and began posting here one year ago today. [edited to say this week not today]
I have found many here to be truly a blessing from God - no matter your individual views of Him. I have grown intellectually by association with all of you. I have begun to get a grip on how to go about life outside the only religious home I had ever known - Jehovah's Witnesses - having been one officially for 30+ years, and in reality all my 50 years.
I have gone thru all the grieving stages here - the anger, denial, self esteem issues, etc. You have all been a wonderful source of encouragment, and of tremendous help in finding resources to overcome the pain of leaving this cult. I have gone from calling it a confused Christian religion, then a 'high-control' group, to calling it what it truly is, a cult.
I suppose that most of what I have learned here is available elsewhere. But, not the people! I will not name names of all those whom I have come to admire and respect, for I would surely miss someone important. One of the most valuable experiences has been fencing with the apologists that show up from time to time. It has strengthened my personal faith and committment when I see just how assertive and mind-controlled these people are - and how I was just like them only two years back. I see that they cannot defend thier faith in the Watchtower organization, and nothing has made me so aware of just how wicked it is that the Watchtower has created such mind drones, unable to defend a single doctrine well, and never without using simplistic and misleading Watchtower think. So I thank them too - some still post here, or lurk, and I hope that someday they will see the fog lift too.
So thank you all. I know I have contributed very little of value here - but it has been of great value to me to see such a free minded forum after decades stifled in my thinking and growth by the Watchtower empire.
May God bless. IF you don't believe in God any longer, may you still be blessed for what you have done to help former slaves of the borg here.
Cheers.
Jeff