How many years before you left did you realise it was not the truth?

by jambon1 27 Replies latest jw friends

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  jambon1

  I was only in for 10 years. However, I never feel that I 100% believed it all, even at the point of baptism.

  I think after the initial period of 'love' shown on the part of the brothers, I must have only been a baptised brother for about 4 years when I knew it was all wrong on so many different levels.

  I remember a sister saying to me "once they have got you under the water, that's when you see the real way they treat you". She was right. It all changed after baptism. I was more aware of the politics, the gossiping, the immorality, etc, etc.

  And that's not to mention the way I was treated by those in 'respected' positions.

  So for me, 6 years of torture! Toward the end it was unbearable. Knowing it was just a lot of b/s, yet sticking it out for various reasons.

  So, how about you?
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  sweetface2233

  I was raised as a JW and never felt it was the true religion...so 28 years of TORTURE!!!!!
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  OnTheWayOut

  I had strong doubts since late 1995, but coddled those for 10 more years.

  Late 2005, I took those doubts seriously. I shared my views with my
  Dad (non-JW) by Summer of 2006, so I had made up my mind that it
  was not the truth by Spring of 2006. I finally broke all meeting attendance
  by Spring of 2007. SO- Just one year.

  But I certainly wasted those 10 years getting around to addressing doubts.
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  jacethespace

  Well i was never very sure so i spent about 4 years studying and attending meetings and being an unbaptized publisher before getting baptized in 2005.The elder i studied with seemed to be getting more stressed as i took my time and kept dropping massive hints in the end like.The end is coming soon you cant sit on the fence over and over that crap was told me, theres no sitting on the fence.So i think i realized quite quickly it wasnt the truth.
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  bite me

  I wish I can get my friend to see that it's not a true religion. I still don't know where to start. I don't think there is any amount of literature or talking I can do that will convince him in his own mine that he should try to see for himself that he's being spoon feed information that is not necessary true.
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  kifoy

  About 2-3 years after I left, I think...
  
  kifoy
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  VoidEater

  1972, the last time I was molested by an elder - but being 12 at the time I couldn't stop going to meetings till I got older and my dad disassociated himself (as WBTS tells it), which gave me more permission not to hang around the hateful control freaks.
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  blondie

  Too many. I kept thinking it was some odd individuals or a bad congregation. It took awhile to realize that the whole organization was rotten.
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  Lady Lee

  Immediately after I left I went back to school so there wasn't any time to do some research on the WTS or JWs. I was most definitely a walk-away believer

  It wasn't until I had been out for 10 years and a friend asked me about the JWs that I started to do any reading about it. Once I started looking and reading . . . well my eyes were opened.
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  megsmomma

  I don't know that I still believed it all...but, I still felt like I would die at Armegeddon till after I researched it all about 7 years after I left.