To the Household of God that is Israel, and all those who go with... may you have peace!
Perhaps this apology is LONG overdue, and hwile it should not only come from me, but from all who took part at whatever point in their lives, I hope it will have some positive impact on those who may need it:
On behalf of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of whoever they are now… of whom I was a former member, I apologize. Sincerely. I am sorry for the loss of time, family, joy and life.. that you suffered under their rule over you and/or your loved ones. I am sorry that, while existing under their guise of being the "truth," of having "love," of being "righteous," they deprived you of the very "fruits" they told you you would receive by being a part of them: love, joy and peace being among them.
I, too, was among them at one time, first adopting their "holier-than-thou-we're-better'n-everybody-else-our-way-or-the-highway" attitude, which turned from "wait[ing] on 'Jehovah'" to correct the wrongs I saw manifest and rampant (i.e., hate, hypocrisy, greed, slander, hate... hate... hate).. to later being subjected to their very unloving acts. .
I understand you anger, your chagrin, your devastation… at the loss of time… the loss of family… the loss of joy… the loss of life, technically and literally, that you have suffered. I understand the questions you asked yourself (and some are still asking): how could I, my parents, my friends, etc., not have seen through it? How could I have been so WRONG… have allowed myself to be so MISLED? And I pity those who have not yet even come that far!
But what you are missing, dear ones, is the truth that that Organization was NEVER approved by God; it never COULD have been. How do we know? Because:
1. It calls itself "the truth." Yet, it is an imposter, because there is only One Truth.
2. It touts itself as God's "visible representation" of God's "earthly organization." God has no earthly organization, dear ones; His "house" is spiritual. And the last "visible" representation was the temple at Jerusalem, which was destroyed. Since then, His presence has been INVISIBLE, and manifested in a "temple" made, not with hands and of stones, but in people
But, like all "religion," that Organization has a purpose, a very DANGEROUS one, one that many of us have unknowingly allowed ourselves to fall victim to and which, if we knew the TRUTH... would reject as soon as possible:
Their purpose... is to draw you AWAY from God! How so? Because the most likely conclusion that you will come to once you realize that THEY are not who THEY say they are is... is that if they are are not "it," then there is no "it" - there is no God. Or, if there is a God, He cannot be known, defined, because they could not truthfully define Him for you.
Both views, dear ones, are NOT true. The truth is that there is a God and He can be known. In fact, He is not far off from any of us! There very purpose, however, is to "injure" SO greatly, that in your anger, your chagrin, your devastation, you WILL do what the Adversary has accused you of and either curse God to His face or deny His existence.
Please, I implore you, if this is where you are, stop and think: am I, because of the falsehood of these institutions, their wickedness, their hypocrisy, their hate, their lack of knowledge, willing to give up my faith in God altogether? Am I willing to prove them right, that unless you go through them, God cannot be known at all?
When you leave a religion, dear ones, it is absolutely true that there is no where else to go away to. There is, in truth, only a whom.