How much influence did the internet have on you leaving the organization?

by The wanderer 64 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Gordy

  Very little. Without the internet, I would have left the organization through suicide. The internet opened up the resources and information that gave me hope, and showed me that such a drastic action was not necessary. So, the internet did not necessarily get me out of the organization, but rather, it saved my life.

  Similar in a way, with me. I had attempted suicide, diagnosed Acute Clinical Depression, gone through a Judicial Committee etc, given no help or support. Learnt about WT teachings etc etc from books. But the Internet showed me that I was not the only one who had been through such things. That I was not alone.
• 

  greendawn

  None because I left in the 1980's, however I wish it had been there because it would have cleared out many issues there and then. Overall the information age and IT has cost the WTS many members, it is a wonderful tool.
• 

  The wanderer

  Thank you all for such powerfully
  <br>emotional stories and experiences;
  <br>some of which fused my spine
  <br>with fear.
  <br><br>Respectfully,
  <br><br>The Wanderer
  
  <left><a href="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n158/wanderer_04/castro.gif" target="_blank"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n158/wanderer_04/th_castro.gif"></a>
  </left>
• 

  Zico

  I haven?t left yet, but I am going to leave, and it?s only because of the Internet. I didn?t even look at apostate websites originally, I was reading our Wikipedia entry, and seen the 607 criticisms, and then couldn?t help but do more research. That led me here, I asked a few questions, and then watched some of those 'debates' where the JW apologist gets destroyed by the Ex-JW when trying to argue pro-607. Seeing they couldn't argue it, I got very confused, and then I read about the Mexico/Malawi issues. Then I knew it wasn't the Truth.
• 

  XBEHERE

  I haven't officially left yet but mentally I may as well be. It was actually television in the form of that Dataline NBC special on JW pedophiles that really made me question the org, however the internet has and continues to keep me resolved that it isnt the truth and I have no need to feel quilty about how I feel. The internet was a wealth of information that has answered a lot of questions. I really respect those who left in the 80's and early 90's... without the info on the internet.
• 

  plmkrzy

  I already left once before so it didn't really have any influence on me leaving but it did keep me from going back. I almost went back until I started researching on the Internet.
• 

  foreword

  I left the org. before Gore invented the internet. However, I've discovered a lot of truths through it in the past 10 years.
• 

  Seeker4

  Like Kilroy2, I went to the local library to research JWs on the Net, and a lot of my questioning was because of the 1914 generation change in 1995. The Internet was a huge factor in my leaving for a couple of reasons:
  
  1). I saw that I was not alone in questioning a lot of things about the WTS. I realized that thousands of other people were bothered by the exact same things for the exact same reasons. It confirmed that I wasn't just reacting out of pride and arrogance like the WTS wanted us to believe.
  
  2). There were massive amounts of material online when I decided it was OK to research my questions. TalkOrigins was very important, and eventually these discussion boards. It only took a few minutes to get the proof needed to reject WTS doctrine and teachings.
  
  S4
• 

  RR

  None whatsoever. Former Vice President Gore hadn't invented the internet yet, when I left!

  RR
• 

  aniron

  Whats Gore got to do with the Internet, is this some American in-joke ?