What was "it" that opened your eyes? (page 3)

doofdaddy

Definitely the change around the generation of 1914.

It is also easy to prove to current jws if they have the wt CD. Just research "generation" it's all there in black and white.

Changed my life.

tetrapod.sapien

hey man, welcome to the forum! stick around and post lots!

Is there any key point that "stands out" in your memory as pivotal in the opening of your eyes?

yes, it was learning about the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. this was the first thing that clued me into the fact that the WTS was full of shit, as they had been lying about it and the genesis creation account for their entire history. after i discounted the genesis creation and flood accounts as mythological rubbish, it not only threw the entire JW doctrine into a tail spin, but the very concept of xianity into a shadow as well.

hope this helps,

TS

yaddayadda

it was learning about the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

LOL, thats a new one.

tetrapod.sapien

LOL, thats a new one.

ya, i know.... it surprises me that more people have not had this expereience. especially considering the WTS has painted themselves into a corner doctrinally. when you follow the logic from biology, and what we know of natural history, the watchtower doctrine falls apart, because if there was no garden of eden, and no original sin (all just a bunch of hairless apes), then it obsoletes the need for a savior, and turns imperfection into perfection (as good as it's gonna get). also, if there were not two humans at the time of the supposed creation account, but many different cultures already spread over the earth, then i could have descended from any of those other cultures that had not been cursed by joe hoba for sinning in the garden. so how do i know that the "ransom" (lol) is even applicable to me gentically? i don't. and chances of me actually descending from a population of homo sapiens around the time of the garden of eden, is much better than me descending from a turkish couple named adam and eve. ha ha ha!!

somehow i see now why not many jw's have gone down this path. it involves big words like anthropology. but it goes to show, that the whole 607/1914/GB/UN/Blood paths are not the only paths out of the WTS. there are some that involve science. those other paths were but second thoughts to me. i basically got to skip them, and perhaps this explains why they still don't interest me that much. :)

TS

DannyBloem

What tetra sais is exactly what happened to me.

1) it is very clear from science that the flood did never happen. jesus testified to this, so that did make jesus not very credible.

2) all the effidence does point out that evulution occured (or at elast partly) and that humans are older then the 6000 years, taht not all animals ete grass etc. for the flood.
So there was not a single Adam and Eve 6000 years ago, so there was no original sin, so no messiah needed, so no paradize.

This is not a small doctrine like 1914 or so. This is the basis, that I discovered was not true. Where is almost nothing left without it, so that is an eye opener enough.

I could have lived with the 1914 mistake, the UN issue, the child abuse cases etc. And still believe most of it, and still be a believing sheep. I )like many others) never believed that FDS was without error anyway.

zagor

Like so many people, I'm (very carefully)trying to convey the obvious "truth" about the WTB&TS to some of the members of my family. Is there any key point that "stands out" in your memory as pivotal in the opening of your eyes? Or any particular point that may have opened the eyes of your loved ones? Anyone ever try a "de-programming intervention"? (just kidding... I think?) Thanks, Gordon ...May God guide us in all things and never let our ignorance mislead our brothers.. Amen!

It wasn't one thing but many. For years there was that nagging, scary feeling of total lack of any love everybody was preaching about. Then I've witnessed how easy it was for elders to doctor the "truth" to iron out anything they wanted then dig through the bible to find a scripture that would legitimize their decision. (yes, just like the "worldly" lawyers do when exploiting a loophole in da law my bro)
Then their meddling into issue of education. Just think about it, few old men who never had to work for living are tailoring policies for all of us living in the real world.
Then I’ve witness young people dying as direct result of wtbs policies on blood or any blood product. (Think of young mom who leaves husband with two toddlers and dies as result of wtbs stance)
(Then there is of course Bulgaria and decision to allow transfusion so that wtbs can save its heavy ass)
the last nail in the coffin was whole NGO thing.
My, subsequent return to complete my degree was my vehicle of departure. I've regained my love of science, which they've tried to erode in me for all these years. So WTBS, take this, I'm actually now preparing proposal for my PhD. How does that sound for a lad your crupy elders used to kick around????

wombat

Sunspot....

Thanks for Dr Lifton's article on "Thought Reform". It's certainly chilling reading. I'll keep it.

ellderwho

For me, "Beth-sarim" that the org would actually build a house for the prophets return. Laughable to the enth degree.

Like my 7yo says "your--ah... goofy goober yeah.... (Spongebob movie).

coffee_black

There were a number of things over the years that bothered me. I tried to "wait on Jehovah"....but eventually couldn't ignore the obvious.

First thing that got me thinking was: My dad died in 1978 of kidney failure. He was on dialysis for a number of years...eventually it wasn't enough. He could have had a transplant...I remember the discussions we had. Mom finally explained that due to the society's position that it would be canabalism, it was out of the question. Two years after his death the society changed their position to make it a matter of conscience. When that came out in a "Questions from the Readers" column, I was stunned. I stayed in for another 10 years, but my eyes had started to open.

When my daughter became a teenager she kept asking where the love was. I had always taught her that, just as Jesus said, love is the identifying mark of His followers. She kept asking where it was. Instead, she saw the gossiping, backbiting, two faced behavior of nearly every jw she encountered.

When my son was about 7, we had an elder's son his age over for a visit. They were outside in our front yard playing when a neighbor friend of my son came over. This elder's son screamed at him, telling him that Jehovah hated him because he wasn't a jw and that he would die at armageddon. My son was horrified...and the poor non jw child started crying. I heard the commotion & went outside. My son comforted his friend, while I brought the elder's son inside while I called his father to come and get him. I began to wonder what kind of religion would teach a child to hate. I began to see the subtle ways in which this hatred is expressed throughout the organization. I knew it couldn't be "the only true religion" when it was infused with such hatred.

It took a long time for me to give myself permission to really examine my belief system and the organization that shaped it. Once I started, it was like a house of cards....Once I started looking, I found the false prophecies, changing teachings, lies and all the rest. Decided I couldn't be part of such filth.

Coffee

mark hughes

For me it was realising that if I didn't go to the KH I could watch football down the pub with my mates on a sunday afternoon. FANTASTIC!

Also more recently the cover-up of child abuse sickens me. How could elders think that they have the right to decide if these people are guilty or not? Also realising that the bible is just a few stories put together over a period of time.

What was "it" that opened your eyes?

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