I am still a JW, what shall i do?

by nevaagain 29 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  nevaagain

  Hello, i know this board for about a week but didn´t dare to register and post something, to let the cat out of the bag ... i am a JW :) I was shocked after I read through some of the topic here. Honestly, I haven´t seen any apostates in action until I started visiting this board.

  A little bit information to my person:
  I am 21 years old and I live in germany. You can say I am a JW since birth but I got baptised on the age of 16. I got to service once per month to have my two hours every month and the only meetings I attend are the ones at Sunday because I "work" the other days. My father is an elder too. Other then that, I still believe that the JWs have the right religion but prefer doing other things instead. I have many good friend within the JWs and i don´t want to lose them. I read carefully the posts about the UN scandal and i am going to ask my field officer. He spended his whole life working for the JWs and his life isn´t bad either.

  I know here aren´t much JWs, but I would like to know why elders or other heavy weights left the JWs. These people were closer to the organisation. (Like Adam was when Eve sinned)

  And from the former JWs here (or even apostates) even though you aren´t a member of the JWs anymore, do you still believe to some points and what do you have to offer to me, because if you have then don´t keep it as secret :).
• 

  SixofNine

  I can offer you the real life, real truth, real love, and well, reality. Can your religion do that?

  BTW, how old are you going to have to be before you stop sucking up to elders.

  Also,

  (Like Adam was when Eve sinned)

  That is the stupidest thing I have ever read, and I've been on the net for quite a while.

  Welcome to the forum, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.
• 

  jayhawk1

  I don't hate Jehovah's Witnesses. I left last year, because I was lied to. An elder's wife yelled at me, and they did not like the fact that I have a beard. Even though they approved my wearing a beard. My dad took his life because of the years that went by and no new system. And this is just to name a few problems. I don't like the stuff I read from their own publications about 1975 and the cover up that came after it. It does not matter to me if you or any body else is a Jehovah's Witness. But don't ask me to believe the same as the any more. Now I get messages that I am stupid like the woman who sent me a hate letter. So we found her page, and I put it on my signature. My main problem is with the shunning policy.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford

  Here is the page of the dumbest Jehovah's Witness I have ever seen.
  http://hometown.aol.com/onjehovahside/
• 

  Mum

  You don't seem to be experiencing doubts, just discomfort with the unrealistic JW lifestyle (I use that term loosely). If you leave the JW's, it is likely, probably inevitable, that you will lose your JW friendships. You have a world of friendships as well as knowledge, experience and ideas to gain, however.

  Take it slowly, step by step. I recommend that you begin by reading some good books and/or articles on philosophy, history of Christianity, psychological self-help or any other subject that interests you. You might join a club with people who share a common interest where you can go once a week, once a month or whatever, and meet other kinds of people.

  Above all, keep an open mind and go slowly.

  Are you saying that the hours quota for German JW's is ony 2 hours? I've been out of touch for 22 years, but I thought it was 10 hours in the US.

  Regards,
  Mum
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  jayhawk1

  Ask yourself, would a loving god destroy 99.9% of the world. Any idea how long that would take to deal with. Look at the world trade center, look at how long it is going to take just to clean that up. Do you expect Jehovah to destroy 5,994,000,000 people? This and the above statement are just a couple of things to think about.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford

  Here is the page of the dumbest Jehovah's Witness I have ever seen.
  http://hometown.aol.com/onjehovahside/
• 

  larc

  nevaagin,

  If you want to read why one elder left, read the Silent Lambs cite shown at the bottom of this page. If you want to know why one Bethel worker left, read Rany Watters' story on FreeMinds also at the bottom of this page. If you want to know why one member of the Governing Body left read the book, Crisis of Conscience.
• 

  Frenchy

  Dear Neva,
  I have many times heard people tell me that they believe that ‘it’s the truth’ while being less than ‘whole-souled’ in their approach to their faith. I have never quite understood how someone can believe that this (the JW religion) is THE true religion, and thus accept all its teachings and requirements, and then just coast along. How does one justify not doing anything about which he is convinced is THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? I respectfully submit to you that you may not be as convinced as you think about ‘the truth’.

  I was baptized in 1961 and still, technically, in good standing with the congregation although I seldom so much as attend a meeting. I still live in the same place I have for the past thirty years and although I served as an elder for many years (as the P.O. for over a decade) no one has ever come to me and asked me why I no longer seem interested in ‘the truth’.

  Individual elders, C.O., and D.O.’s (and perhaps as high up as the governing body itself) are just as much victims of this Great Illusion as are the rank and file. The higher up you are the more you are told what to believe, nothing more. You are never privy to what is really going on unless you are within the upper echelon at Brooklyn and no one there is talking to anyone. Any and all information that comes from that circle is carefully screened and filtered and bleached and pasteurized for the consumption of everyone down the line.

  -Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it-
• 

  pettygrudger

  What is it that you want? What would it take to be better? Is there a specific question within your post that could be answered?

  I guess I'm just a little confused. Everyone on this board has left for different reasons - some more traumatic than others.

  I left because I never was "good enough". My self-image was so low by the time I left, it took years to even begin to think of myself in a positive way. When I had finally scrounged up the strength & mental stability to begin once again looking at my spiritual side, I took a long hard look at the JW's - the good and the bad - the truth regarding this organization. What I discovered astounded me.

  I still believe "some of it", but am slowly filing it in with any other religion that uses the bible to control its people. All their false predictions, their lack of love, the mind control about what their members can even read, it all adds up to something other than what Jesus said to expect.
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  OhHappyDay

  Hi Nevaagain and Welcome very warmly.

  I'd like to discuss your questions privately.

  You can mail me if you want so.

  Happy Day!!
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  DIM

  there are many reasons why my wife and I are leaving. Two versions of the Live Forever book, changing what was in the publications when it is transferred to CD-ROM (very 1984'ish), double standards for elders and elders' kids, double standards for movies, half of what we believe is not based on biblical teachings, WTS views towards women (my wife is prettier and smarter than me!), I could go on and on, but its time for some more coffee...