How did you find JWD?

sweet pea

Prompted by the thread about JWD v WTS I wondered how many of you found JWD via the internet or friends/partners? What were your first impressions?

I found this site through Besty (husband) once my faith had crumbled after reading www.jwfacts.com. I posted the day I found the site and have found it a great help in coming to terms with the experience of leaving and being an ex-JW.

How was it for you?

What-A-Coincidence

Holy Spirit directed me here.

Google being Holy Spirit of course .... lead me to waters of truthiness.

Free

It was right there, The day I had the courage to look.

Bring_the_Light

I "think" I've "seen" this site a few times over the 10 years I've been out. Somehow I didn't read enough to realize how amazing it is. My confidence in my decision to leave didn't really need help, but I've often "wondered" whether I'd have been happier being a moron. Meeting lots of happy non-morons has been very healing. I bring most of my pain on myself, I don't like being comfortable, there is too much to do, solve and wonder about in this world. When I get a little "too" uncomfortable or lonely, I wonder whether the simple people I left behind me are "happier" than I am. I sometimes wonder whether I care or whether some nice cozy lives and the pretended life would be a better place.

I also didn't really think about my JW upbringing much until I got out of the Army National Guard (6 years in). Not dying gloriously in battle and very sure that my "save the world" path wasn't all it was supposed to be, I fell into a bit of a quarter life crisis (I'm 27).

Quarter life crisis made me look backwards and think about where I have gone, what my options (being not dead and no longer planning to go to war) are. I got the notion to run around and find people from my past. I was mostly thinking about going back to school for a PhD or something. I wanted to rule out "the normal" life (meaning JW or equivalent type ambition, ignoring the call for something "great" to do with my life).

Short answer, went to a couple meetings, was shocked by the level of insanity present. Met old friends, was shocked at level of brainwashing. Got really agitated about the Jehovah's Witnesses "problem", went to a meetup.com group and they told me about "JWD".

Long way to get around to "some guy told me" when in reality it was all necessary to actually "find" JWD, because I'm sure I've "seen" this site before. It comes up first (after a few Borg traps) if you search "Jehovah's Witnesses".

Bring_the_Light

Gopher

I found Randy's Freeminds site first (www.freeminds.org), having seen a reference to that website in a newspaper article about the WT Society back in 2000.

After reading Freeminds for a while, I saw it had a link to this site. I lurked, joined, and have been hooked ever since.

White Dove

Sweet Pea,

You look just like Karen, a friend of mine. I wished that she would read some of this stuff and turn around.

White Dove

Same as Free. It was right there. All I had to do was open it. I dared to open it. I lurked for the shortest time and then joined when the fear abbated some.

sweet pea

So far, the majority seem to find this site by consciously searching for it alone.

Bring The Light - boy do I wish I'd found out all this stuff when I was 17!! You sound like a brave thinking man - I'm sure deep down you know you would not rather be a happy moron - life's much more fun as a rollercoaster of emotions!

White Dove - tell her you've met someone who looks like her and send her to my profile..... :-) You never know, she may surprise you one day. I hope so.

Quandry

After my daughter (teen) was treated horribly by a JC and df'd for normal teen things after being accused over and over of fornication, which she did not do, I went to the computer and typed in Jehovah's Witnesses and abuse. I was so surprised when the many web sites were shown. It was like the flood gates opened. I can't remember the first site I visited, but eventually read FreeMinds, and found this forum.....

sweet pea

Quandry - sorry to hear your daughter got a rough deal from the elders - how is she today?

A big thanks to Randy for all his tireless work on the Freeminds site - Randy, you are helping so many people!

How did you find JWD?

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