EXPOSING THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY ONLINE.

by Vinny 35 Replies latest jw experiences

Vinny

Thanks for the nice replies.

I have received almost to 50 e-mails now from that DA letter being published in just two days. And Several from current JW's.

I will post some of them, without names.

I just wanted to let you know I was impressed by your insightful letter.

I truly believe that many Jehovah's Witnesses are "in the truth" only out of fear.

Fear of losing their families.

What an enormous motivator that is!

I noticed in my Kingdom Hall that many were just going through the motions.

It became apparent to me that the only reason was to maintain their family ties.

There are many places on the Internet where people are sincerely looking for the truth.

I believe the Internet is the place which is "away from he who is acting as a restraint".

The Internet is where the; "earth came to the womans help and swallowed up the flood (of lies)".

The Internet is the; "place prepared in the wilderness".

Regards

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I have just read your letter posted on News Blaze and wanted to send a short mail to say how well written the letter is. I agree with everything you have said and have a similar situation although nobody knows why we no longer attend as a family.

Best Wishes.
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Are you the author of the letter to the editor published December 9, 2008 online by News Blaze? If so, I want to express appreciation and regard for your courageous and respectful address to the Watchtower Society regarding honest research on certain of its doctrinal positions.

I pray your thoughtful and diligent research—and willingness to share it—will not be lost in the bureaucratic and hierarchical society at Bethel, but instead will move honest minds to rethink and appreciate the favor you are doing at your own great expense.

Following Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice is not easy. Indeed, it is a burden we can expect to bear as followers of the Christ, our Master.

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Thanks for responding. This is great info. you have put together and I am so glad that you covered the dumb strawman argument they love to use regarding taking alcohol into one's veins as well as the issue of accepting blood fractions. If it is wrong to take blood then it is wrong to take ALL blood and it also irks me that, considering the large volumes of blood that must be spun down to obtain fractions, they do not donate any to replenish the blood supply.

As far as I'm concerned, this is just one more way that they take from society without ever contributing anything to it and I believe that all stems from their belief that this world and everything in it is doomed anyway so why bother. So, meanwhile, people die and social conditions continue to deteriorate and a wealthy organization that claims to be God's only visible organization doesn't feel the need to provide any relief from any of these problems. In typical cult fashion, they would rather sit back, with their US v THEM mentality and hold the rest of the world in derision and every one of these groups thinks that they are the only ones who are better than everyone else. Go figure.

I would be happy to publish this information on our website, giving you complete credit in any form you prefer, of course. There is quite a bit of info. up on the blood issue, but there are many points here that are not brought out in the present info. I esp liked your points about 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Galatians 5: 19-21 and I like the way you returned to your point repeatedly and made that point stand out each time. Good work.

You can take a look at the site in the link below. There are two pages there dealing with the WTS & JW beliefs. If you like the format, let me know if you would allow us to place your article there. I think it would be a very good summary to come at the end of the other blood info. that is up, sort of as the final word on the matter. This is definitely info. that you need to have as many people as possibly have access to and it is obvious that you put a lot of work into it, so think about it. :)

God bless,

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Hi Vince,

I read your story with great interest.... I'd like'd to communicate with you and ask you a few questions... would that be okay?

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(Not my real name of course, still a JW, but not in spirit)

I also think that it contains some of the most clear explanations of the Societies problems that I have ever encountered. Reading your heartfelt words was almost like reading my own thoughts. The worst thing, as you mentioned, is that we have nobody to turn to, for fear of being labelled an apostate. How many other brothers and sisters must feel this way? Many hundreds of thousands, of this I am convinced. The recent change in the Group Study arrangement has had a subtle effect on many, as it is clearly in contrast to everything they have been taught over the last 40 years.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to publish your letter, and to give you a massive virtual hug of friendship!

Take care,
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Ps. your photos are stunning!!!

Read you letter with great interest. I really liked what you had to say and give great credit in researching you question and obtaining your answers. I hope that you will take this example and spread the word with your story to help the lost Jehovah's Witness. I wish there were more Jehovah's Witnesses that would research their own question and find their own answers. This Organization needs to be exposed for what it is. Most of the Witnesses that I have met have been wonder people that have been indoctrinated into a religion that is organized and ran by a man, or body of men for the sole purpose of the organization and not of it's members.

Great Job and God Bless!

Vince,

Hello. My name is ++++. I live in ++++ City and am a former Witness like you. I just read you very well thought out letter to the elders. I want you to know that I appreciate so much your honesty and refusal to overlook policies and ways of thinking that are clearly faulty. While there are many Witnesses who will shun you for taking this stand, I hope that you know that there are so many who will be there for you in your continued search for truth.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss my family and friends who are still Witnesses but like you I cannot ignore the issues. So thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with others.

I hope you and your family all the best.

Take care,
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All the best,

Vinny
Vinny

Neonmadman Says:..."Just for the record, the post, "Who Are Jehovah's Witnesses" was plagiarized from the WT tract of the same title. No attribution was offered; the poster simply attached his own name to it as if he had written it himself. I've found this practice very common among JW's, most of whom are incapable of generating an original thought of their own if their lives depended on it."

**** I never caught that. Good eye there! Just copy and paste up a tract with nothing original.

That's pretty pathetic.

vinny
rebel8

I am really glad to hear that your road to the truth began when you read a revealing comment posted under a news article.

I spent a lot of time posting comments like that. I know I helped a number of people, but I always wondered if there were others who read the posts and ended up finding out the truth. I'm glad to know it does happen in some cases.
Finally-Free

Hey Vinny,
I didn't read your entire post yet. I forgot my glasses at home and my eyes are crossing, but I'll read it in full later.
Just wanted to say I had a quick look at your site, and there's some very nice artwork there! I'll be checking it often. I also liked the rollover effects on some of the buttons.
W
StAnn

Vinny, what has been the outcome with your family? How is your son, the one whose mother died? Are all of your family members out of the Org now or just some?
StAnn
Open mind

Vinny,
I am not a fan of many of the posts you have done here on JWD.
Having said that.........
THAT WAS ONE HELL OF A GOOD LETTER!
Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to put it together in a way that a still-believing JW might actually give it a read.
BTW, I didn't take that little jab at the start of this post just for meanness sake. I think your letter deserves as many views as it can get.
Good work and thanks again.
om
Vinny

Here are a couple more replies. As we can see, so many people are in the same place.

I want to sincerely congratulate you on the magnificent photos I just saw on your website. I know how it feels to live in an island. I was born and raised in ++++, and if you are a fan of islands you may know it has its own beauty as well. I've always dreamed about going to Hawaii and my trips are usually through photos like yours. One day my dream will come true, I hope.

I want to tell you how I found your website. I was reading your letter of dissasociation on the internet. I want to introduce myself; my name is ++++, and I am also a Jehovah's Witness. Inactive at this point, because of the many things I have come to analyze through the years. It is very rare to find someone who used to be part of the Organization as educated and articulate as you are. I couldn't find a hint of bitternes in your letter, but hurt and dissapointment. I can relate to that. I just want to say that I found your letter very encouraging for those of us who still live with the guilt of having left. You know how deep our convictions and teachings can be in us, and how difficult it is to go on with our lives without thinking if we are doing the right thing. I've read many things and have thought about them a lot; your case against the blood policy is what I've always felt, as well as having to turn in a service report for our hours in service. You know your letter, so I will not mention everything, but I want to tell you I agree with it 100%.

I hope you and your family continue to be well, and I hope your son is happy and full of life now that he is with you. That story touched me deeply. I hope that you read this email, and would love to receive a response back. I don't do this often, but I would like to keep in touch with your wife's permission. People like you encourage me to go on and to live my life to the fullest.

I live in ++++, that's many miles away. So greetings from ++++ and again congratulations on your website and hugs and much support to you and your family.

Sincerely
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Thanks so much for the response. I am glad that the majority of your family have followed in your steps and decided to think for themselves. That is so sad about your one son though. I'm sorry, I know it is hard. It is amazing to see the hold that the religion has on people.

I absolutely share your views on their beliefs and can see clearly how wrong they have been. It's tough because I do see positive aspects to the religion, but for me the negative outweighs the positive at this point. While I haven't been branded "an apostate" I feel the effects of shunning as you do. Initially I was disfellowshipped at the age of 30 for mistakes that I made. I was hardly an unrepentant sinner refusing to repent. I simply made some human mistakes. Despite this I was df'd. All I wanted was the elder's help. Instead I got their judgement. The funny thing is that at the time I though that was what Jehovah wanted. I had been raised as a Witness all my life and believed that if someone was df'd it was because they were "wicked" and clearly lacked a good relationship with God. When I was systematically shunned by everyone it just felt so unnatural, unloving and actually had the opposite effect on my spirituality. I just couldn't get my head around it. So I made the decision at that point to stop going to meetings for a while and really see for myself if it was the "truth".

It was amazing that after a week or so of not going to meetings and continually being "fed" by them I started to see certain things clearer. Teachings that at one point made sense didn't seem to as much. I made the decision to move from Atlanta back to New York where I had lived before. I felt that it was best to get away from my family and friends for a while. My thinking was that if it genuinely is the truth then I have nothing to fear from researching on my own. That was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

Initially I started researching disfellowshipping as it was effecting me significantly. While I did see that the bible instructed that the "wicked man" was to be removed from the congregation, I saw that there were so many other policies surrounding disfellowshipping that to me were clearly unbiblical. It became clear to me that the organization was misusing this biblical command. However, in my studying I came across other information that I had never though of. Much of this is what you outlined in your letter. When I saw the hundreds of false predictions, the changes in medical policies, the psychological control mechanisms used, the misapplication of the blood issue, their association with the UN, the misuse of disfellowshipping, the incorrect use of the name Jehovah instead of Yahweh combined with their obsessive use of the name, the false interpretations of the 144,000, the faithful slave, the anointed...... the list goes on and on.... It became abundantly clear that the majority of the teachings which are unique to the Witnesses are in fact untrue. This was absolutely shocking to me as all I had ever known was that organization.

So when I broke it down to what I actually did still believe out of their teachings, it came down to belief in God, Jesus, the bible and rejection of some obvious man-made teachings. This left me with the basics of Christianity. It became clear to me that I was simply a Christian, not a Jehovah's Witness. There is a freedom in the simplicity of that. No man made traditions and procedures, no one forcing you to believe something. You are left with the bible and your relationship with God. And that is enough for me. It is also enough for God as can be clearly seen in Jesus' teachings.

But here is where the tough part comes in. I absolutely love my family and we have always been so close. I have many friends that I miss so much. But the thought of returning to an organization that is that controlling, manipulative and simply wrong sickens me. So I made the decision that I cannot return. This is just perplexing to my family as the are convinced it is the "truth" and feel that I am signing my death warrant by refusing to return. They also think that I am just being stubborn and want to live a "worldly lifestyle". This is where they are completely wrong.

At this point in my life, I am at a better place than I have ever been. I have repented and "turned around" from the sins that I had initially committed. I read the bible more than I ever did as a Witness. I actually study it rather than just accepting what the Watchtower tells me to believe. I have a better relationship with God than I have in my whole life. I can see things clearly because the bible is clear. The message is simple. Yet despite this fact my family will not have anything to do with me because I will not get reinstated. When I try to explain my thinking to them they refuse to listen and feel that I have been brainwashed by the "world" and "apostate thinking". It is maddening. But I would feel that I am going against what the bible tells me to do if I were to return. I would be allowing man to take priority over God. This is something that they will never understand.

The point of this long email is that I wanted to thank you for being so open and honest and sharing your story with others. I have met so many ex-Witnesses over the past 3 years who have seen the problems with the organization and are not afraid to speak up. That is so important. Hopefully others will see that it is just a man-made organization, not God's organization.

So I wish you all the best. Take care and stay in touch.

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Vinny

More E-mails Recieved:

I have recently come across the letter of disassociation you posted on a website. I know it is a traumatic experience you must be going through, but you have just undertaken a real big step in your life(In the right direction). I would like to offer a hand of support to you, in any way that I can. I don’t drag around any beliefs to convert you to, but I do bring support, hope, and maybe some insight into various questions you WILL come across ….. and believe me, it can be scary, de-motivating and lonely.

A little about myself:

I am a 30 year old, married man. Who has a wonderful caring wife and a beautiful 3 year old daughter. I never officially sent a “letter” to the congregation, all though my intentions were made verbally. The reason why I did not send the letter is another story (It was typed and ready to go). I was 20 at the time, and had been brought up and baptized as a witness. I served as a pioneer for a short time, as well as various other duties in the congregation. Things changed in my life, I questioned my faith due to the issue of disfellowshipping … something I could not come to terms with (A dear friend was DF’d). One thing led to another and we are 10 years down the line … and life is wonderful.

Regarding your son …. You did the right thing! Don’t let anyone make you think differently. Your take on blood, is completely justified ….. my wife helped me get over that particular issue.

Well, as I said before. If you need support, someone to speak to … bounce ideas and thoughts off of. I am here for you. (You are part of a group of really understanding people now … the sheep that left J)

Best and Kind Regards,

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Thank you for responding to my letter so quick. Like I told you, your letter inspired me somehow. When I read that more and more people feel there is something wrong with the Organization, I feel less and less guilty about leaving. Your reasons for leaving have an emotion to them, a sincere tone, very rare to see in those who have taken that step. I can't say I am as sad as you are about making that decision, but we all have different experiences and experiences is what makes us who we are. Is how we look at those experiences and how we want to apply them to our lives what makes us who we are. I have struggled with many mix emotions, and still do. I just hope I can get passed them, and feel good about myself, and wish to come to terms with Jehovah, hoping that he understands my feelings.

How do you feel about JW's belief that if we are not with them, then we will face the same fate "worldly" people will face if they don't turn to the Organization and come to be JW's? I would love to know your thoughts on that. I will write to your wife for sure. I know internet friendship is not something people of our age do very often, but sometimes is easy to get to know somebody by the way they write, and you certainly gave me a very peaceful feeling about you.

Thank you for your email and I hope to keep in touch.
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Jehovah knows your heart better than you do, but remember too, that our hearts can be treacherous.
He will lead you in the right direction, if you allow him to do so.

I realize that there are many who are disappointed & perhaps disgruntled with decisions that have been made in the past.
How often though is it that "Pride goes before a crash..", so humility is essential & sometimes to recognize that discipline coming from Jehovah, through his appointed channel, can be beneficial in the long run,"Jehovah loves those that he disciplines..."
Having a truly humble attitude is vital to real repentance as "Jehovah opposes the haughty ones.."

Sadly, those who leave Jehovah's family, as did Satan & the other angels that followed him, end up in a much worse position than had they stayed loyal & faithful to Jehovah God. Wasn't it pride that really was the cause of Satan's rebellion in the first place?... He didn't want to submit to Jehovah's way of doing things. Look at King Saul as an example of one who wanted to do his own thing & the very sad consequences that resulted not only to himself but to his family as well. Even David, whom Jehovah loved dearly, paid a severe price for his wrong actions & ignoring what he knew was right.

I don't believe there is one mature brother or sister in Jehovah's family, that would ever want to see a fellow brother or sister disfellowshipped or dissassociate themself, if it were not a serious violation of Jehovahs stated law or governing princple.The very reason for this action protects the congregation from being just like the churches of Christendom with all of their permissiveness & condoning of what we know is wrong.

Never expect that there will be perfection in an an association of milllions of individuals. We are imperfect humans, but JW'S are striving to put on the Christlike personality to the best ability that they can, with Jehovah's help.
I do pray that you, as a former brother in the truth, will seriously reconsider your choice & realize that the people that Jehovah is using at this time in history, are the best available to accomplish his purpose, despite all of our faults. Jehovah looks for the good in his people, just as he did with the Jews.

Don't let the mistakes that have been made in the past & probably that will still continue until the end of this system, stop you from seeing the reality of the Kingdom as the only sure hope for mans future. Satan wants the victory over you and thousands of others too & he delights to slap Jehovah every time a brother or sister abandons the way of the truth. Vinny, don't give him the victory, he is a murderer & has no love for mankind whatsoever. " Oppose the Devil & he will flee from you!.."

Please be assured that your brothers here in Australia, would love to hear that you are associating once again, but more importantly that your Heavenly Father, Jehovah God & His Son, Christ Jesus would welcome you back as did the father, in Jesus beautiful illustration of the prodigal sons return.

I remain open to your response, but not to be clouded by the negative opinions of those whose faith has suffered shipwreck.
Prayerfully read the book of James & see the need to once again join with your brothers in the beautiful islands where you live.

With Christian love & greetings from down under!

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And Here Was My Reply to the Above:

Aloha++++!

Thanks for your thoughts and concern.

However, ++++, you avoided all of the issues themselves. Just going into Witness talking points without addressing the facts as they truly are is not very effective. Is like a doctor telling a patient who has a broken leg to eat more vegetables.

He will lead you in the right direction, if you allow him to do so".

Only this here proves God has never chosen the WT for anything. http://www1.tip.nl/~t661020/wtcitaten/part1.htm

Or, go ahead and justify this Jeff. A few mistakes here and there is a far cry from that huge list. That list tells it like it really is.

Otherwise forbidding vaccinations, forbidding organ transplants, making end of the world predictions that never happened etc etc etc would never have been published. And there are literally THOUSANDS of other things similar.

Now, you tell me, what have I done wrong? You can use all of the analogies and other biblical examples you wish, but you have avoided telling me what I have done wrong. No haughty spirit, no pride here. Just opened my eyes. Something you have yet to do Jeff. Your replies are really quite shallow and lacking true empathy. And you have avoided all of my specific arguments. How come?

There are so many God fearing people throughout the world's churches Jeff. But you and I were blinded by WT beliefs that they are all going to be destroyed unless becoming JW's. Amazing stuff to buy into here. : )

You tell me.

Thanks for taking the time ++++.

I wish you only the best!

Vince

I read your article and it brought me great sadness. After reading it I understand how you feel and why you feel the way you do. I recently was disfellowshipped due to my own fault for which I make no excuses for. Unfortunately, the realization of no longer being part of Jehovah’s organization may not have hit home with you as of yet. When I was disfellowshipped in July I was serving as a regular pioneer for 21 years and as the PO of the congregation. Since then I have never felt so alone in all of my life. To no longer be able to associate with anyone is very painful. Which I am sure you too will also realize.

I do believe the organization is fallible. Yet, even the apostle’s of Jesus Christ needed to be corrected for wrong thinking. To me it is obvious from the tremendous growth in the organization that it does have Jehovah’s backing. I hope someday I will be able to find my way back. I would pray for you but I know that my prayers are no longer heard by Jehovah. I would encourage you to call the service department and speak to one of the brothers there about how you feel and why you have taken the stand you have. Get their opinion. What do you have to lose or maybe the statement is what will you gain? If you need the number it is 845-306-1000. I wish you the best.

Agape,

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How sad... I have sent him several replies and experiences.

Excellent observations about Bethel!

Hello Vince. Thanks for the emails. I always enjoy hearing other people's opinions on the bible, spirituality etc. When you are used to hearing one very specific view for 30 years, it is so refreshing to be able to talk openly and share thoughts, even if at times the opinions differ.

It is so sad to hear that one man say that God obviously does not hear his prayers. That is simply a lie that the organization has convinced him of. I never once thought that if I prayed that he would not hear me. I think that God would hear anyone's prayer if it is genuine and heartfelt. There was a period of time that I did not pray, not because I did not think that he would hear me, but it was my own thinking that was getting in the way. At the time I felt hypocritical talking to him if I was committing certain sins. That is really because the organization continually promotes this "all or nothing" attitude. Either you are serving God as a Jehovah's Witness, obeying all of the rules, OR you are "worldly" or "apostate" and therefore serving Satan. This black an white mentality has disastrous effects on your spirituality. Now looking back I wish that I had prayed regularly even though I was sinning. Maybe he would have helped me to make changes quicker. Or to trust that he would take care of me. But instead I allowed myself to be black and white and felt that if I wasn't doing all I could that there was no point in talking to him. It took a long time for me to move beyond that thinking, but I am so glad that I have.

So for the one man who emailed you, I really do hope that he will realize that God will hear him despite his mistakes. It will take time though. And if he is continually being "fed" still by the Watchtower then unfortunately he will probably think negatively of himself unless he gets reinstated. Again, another lie. Actually one think that got me to start thinking about it all was what one elder said to me shortly before I was df'd. He said that even in a disfellowshipped state, my relationship with God could be stronger than ever. This thought was perplexing. So you are saying that I can be closer than ever to God (as many disfellowshipped ones do say) BUT you will not talk to me unless I am reinstated? That just did not make sense. If you have a better relationship with God, wouldn't it make sense that others accept that and talk to you? Nope, not if you are a Witness. This lack of humanity cause me to question things and I am so glad that I did.

As for the idea of simply being a Christian, this took me about 2 years of being out of the religion to realize. One day I decided to start with the basics. What exactly do I believe? Well I know that I believe in God, I believe that Jesus gave his life for us, I believe in the bible, I don't believe that God would burn us forever in Hell, I do believe that Jesus promised eternal life if you followed him. Those are the basics. What did I reject? I did not believe in the Witness interpretation of the 144,000, I do not believe that the Governing Body are the "faithful and discreet slave", I do not believe that your eternal life or relationship with God is dependent on being a member of an organization, I do not believe in the many organizational procedures and judgmental thinking that goes hand in hand with being a Witness. So what does that make me? I guess it just makes me a Christian. Not a Jehovah's Witness. Just a Christian.

I was talking to my girlfriend (now fiancé) one day about Christianity. When someone would ask her what her religion was, she would respond "I am a Christian". When I was a Witness, if I was asked what religion I was, I would have responded (as all Witnesses would) "I am a Jehovah's Witness." When did being part of an organization become more important than being a Christian? But that is exactly what being a Witness is. It is adhering to thousands of little rules that the Governing Body has come up with. But this actually has very little to do with being a Christian. What did Jesus say would identify his true followers? Love. Not being part of an organization, not being obsessed with the end of the world, not counting how many hours you went door to door. To me many Witnesses have missed the point of being a Christian.

The Witnesses always say "Where else could you learn the truths about God? Only this organization has these life-giving truths." That is nothing more than a lie. I have met countless Christians who have found the same truths as they have. My fiancés family is a perfect example. They are Christian. They read the bible. They believe almost all of the "truths" that the Witnesses believe. Where did they get these truths? From the bible. Not from any organization. Simply from reading the bible and praying for guidance. What "truths" do they reject that the Witnesses believe? Well they reject the idea that God has one true organization being the Witnesses, they reject the idea of the Governing Body, they reject the many false prophecies about the end of the world, they reject the idea of dying rather than taking a blood transfusion. Why do they reject these things? Because they are not biblical teachings. So for the Witnesses to claim that they alone have the "truth" is nothing more than a lie. That can be seen by anyone who is not a Witness.

To me the simple fact that the Witnesses shun you and I is absolute proof that there is a shocking lack of love. It is the exact opposite to how Jesus acted. Their "love" is conditional. You are someone who believes in the truths of the bible, has a good relationship with God and is following Christ yet you are branded as an "apostate". I am someone who has a love of God, a closer relationship with him than I ever had as a Witness and am living according to the bible yet the Witnesses reject me because I am not reinstated. It is absolutely irrational. I happen to live in an area of New York City called Dumbo. It is right at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. My neighbors are the Witnesses. Directly across the street from my apartment is a Bethel parking lot. Two blocks away is the Watchtower headquarters. The dog park that I take my dog to is directly in front of 25 Columbia Heights. I see Witnesses every single day. It is shocking to see the lack of love shown. Elders who I used to pioneer with (and who would also be responsible for shepherding me if I wanted to return) will literally cross the street if they see me coming. Why? How am I so detestable to you that you will not even walk on the same side of the street? What reason do they have? Am I an unrepentant sinner? No. Have I rejected God? No. Do I worship the devil? No. I simply do not believe it is right to get reinstated into an organization that I do not believe to be teaching the "truth". And for this you will cross the street. It is a shocking lack of love. But being so close to Bethel has been a very good thing for me. I can see close up how robotic and un-Christian their behavior actually can be.

It's interesting, when I lived in NYC before moving back to Atlanta I was in the Brooklyn Heights congregation. If there is one congregation on earth that should be the very epitome of a loving congregation, it should be the Brooklyn Height congregation. It is located inside Bethel. It has (at the time that I was there) five member of the Governing Body, many former missionaries, many of the ones who write the Watchtower. When I was asked by family members or friends what it was like being there I would always say "Well it's very interesting... It is definitely a very organized congregation, but not very loving and warm as you would expect it to be. I would NEVER want to make a mistake there as the consequences would be very serious. " This feeling was shared by many. There were so many times that Witnesses would visit the congregation and comment on how unfriendly people were. Now looking back years later and being out of the organization it really makes perfect sense. That congregation in particular was run the way the organization was run (since the congregation in general was made up of Bethelites). It was very formal, there were very strange rules that other congregations would never enforce, it seemed very cold. It was run more like a corporation rather than a loving congregation. But I think that the organization is run the same way. It is easy to see this when you are on the outside.

You said that it appears that those who are disfellowshipped have greater pangs of guilt than those who disassociate themselves. I absolutely believe that is true. For the most part those who disassociate themselves are leaving because they reject a certain way of thinking or a particular set of teachings. But they are probably closer to the truth and have a stronger relationship with God at that point. They have rejected things that are clearly un-scriptural and cannot be a part of something that is effecting their relationship with God negatively. However many who are disfellowshipped have "sinned" (and I use that term loosely as you can be disfellowshipped for so many things that are not biblical sins) and feel guilty due to their sin. At times it is too much to bear. The result of this effects your relationship with God more than the initial "sin" that you committed. That is exactly what happened to me. I made mistakes and went to the elders for help. They felt that since I was a Ministerial Servant I knew better and a higher standard was expected from me. So they disfellowshipped me. I was so scared and alone that it pushed me into more sin. It took me a while to correct that but it also gave me the time to reassess the teachings of the organization. I am so glad that I did rather than just getting reinstated like they wanted.

Another thing that my fiancé was shocked by was the huge amount of ex-Witnesses who no longer believe in God. They have been conditioned to believe that there is one true organization and if you are not a part of it then God will destroy you. When they no longer feel that they can go back to the religion the result at times is that they reject the idea of God. How sad. But I have seen this countless times.

Anyway, I am all over the place with this email, but I think it is important to continually talk to other ex-Witnesses about our experiences and thoughts. So thanks again for your email and please do stay in touch.

Take care,
++++

You can definitely share my email with individuals who it might help. I'm always open to talking to others who are going through a tough time whether they are ex-Witnesses, current Witnesses who want to leave, or even Witnesses who want to stay. I really am not against the religion as a whole as there are some amazing people (and some basic truths) in the organization. But I am very against not thinking for yourself and having an organization dictate your thoughts. My entire family are all hardcore Witnesses who I feel pretty confident will never leave. And I am fine with that. If they feel that is the best way for them to worship God, then by all means do it. BUT I am so disgusted when they allow the organization to think for them. Clearly that effects our relationship drastically. I have sent them countless letters explaining my thinking but they feel that I have been "brainwashed by the world". It becomes pointless. On the other hand I have many other friends who are current Witnesses but they absolutely think for themselves. They reject the ideas, thinking and teachings which are clearly false.

I shared your DA letter with one Witness friend and it really got him thinking about the blood issue specifically. He was in town visiting me two weeks ago and we were talking about the blood issue then. He felt that the Witness take on it was incorrect. He had already made the decision that in a life threatening situation he would absolutely accept a transfusion. After sharing your letter with him and thinking about it for a week he decided not to carry a blood card anymore. Now I do not know if in the future he will remain a Witness or will leave. Either way I am fine with it. But he is willing to think for himself and make decisions based on HIS bible trained conscience, not the Governing Body's.

So if my email to you can be shared with others and it can help them to break the hold that the organization has on their minds, then by all means share it.

As for the subject of Atheism, I do agree with you. I think that the majority of members who consciously leave are doing so because their relationship with God is suffering. Once they leave they probably have a stronger relationship with him. I think that what my fiancé and I have seen is a lot of friends that I grew up with leaving and deciding there is no God. Of all the friends that I grew up with, not one is still a Witness. Many of them left when they were teenagers, others in their late twenties. Of these I have seen many who do not believe in God. But I do not think that the reason that they initially left the organization were for matters of conscience. So it is a little different than those who make a conscious decision to leave as an adult.

But because the organization promotes this black and white, all-or-nothing thinking, it leaves people in a bad place. Someone might leave the religion as a youth but later in life make the decision that they want to pursue a relationship with God. They see the positives in the Witness religion but they also see so much hypocrisy and false teachings. BUT they have been convinced as a child that ALL other religions are false and becoming a member of one will end with God's vengeance. This thought sticks with them throughout the years. They can't believe that a loving God would do that however they are afraid of looking into other religions. So it almost becomes easier to dismiss the thought of God. This by no means is across the board, but I have seen it many times over the years. Anyway, that's my thinking on it.

Well hopefully your emails and my email can help some people out. I believe it will.

Take care,
++++

I wanted to share one thing that happened to me. Your wife's story reminded me in some small ways of it.

My sister Whitney married a Witness from Canada in 2005. They had some issues with his green card and could not live in the U.S. At the time they were both pioneering in Barcelona, Spain and decided after the wedding to move back there until the green card issues could be sorted out. Less than one year into their marriage he found out that he had a very aggressive type of cancer. They moved to Germany temporarily for treatment. This was right around the time I was disfellowshipped and my entire family made the decision to stick closely to what the organization instructs about associating with me. This was really tough on me because it emphasized the loneliness that I was feeling. So they fight the cancer for 9 months in Germany. Throughout this time everyone in my family took trips to visit them and show support. I knew that there was not much that I could do to actually effect his treatment but I desperately wanted to show the emotional support.

Weeks would go by and no one would update me on how he was doing. I would hear updates from my non-Witness relatives. My sister was the only one who would occasionally call me to tell me how Nils was doing. Months and months go by. I kept telling them all that I wanted to come over so bad just to see ++++ in case he died before I could say goodbye. They said it wouldn't be appropriate. How is this possible? How in the face of death can there be such a lack of love. But I continued to respect their decision.

It gets to June of 2007 and one Friday morning at 10 I receive a call from my dad saying "++++, it looks like ++++ has taken a turn for the worse. He probably only has a day or so to live. If you can get to Germany today it could be worth it, but otherwise I wouldn't bother." I was so unbelievably hurt. I dropped everything going on in my life at the time and found a flight later that afternoon. I arrived in Germany the following morning, hopefully in time to see him one more time.

I arrive at the hospital around noon. At this point I have not seen or even really talked to my family in over a year. I spent a few minutes talking to my sister, mother, brother etc. They were all very nice. But this is the part that made my mouth drop. I go into the room to see ++++. His mother, father, sisters and their husbands are all in the room (all JWs). I go up to ++++ and give him a hug. I have just travelled across the world to see their son and not one of them would say hello or look at me in the eyes. They would talk to each other yet ignore the fact that I am standing right there in front of them. People, come on!!! Your son is dying and you are so stuck on your ridiculous rules that you cannot even acknowledge my presence?!!! It was probably the most hurtful thing that I have ever experienced. I had never felt like less of a human being than that moment.

He died the next day. I was so glad that I could at least see him one more time in his life. The entire time I was in Germany not one person in his family greeted me even once. Finally the day I was leaving I approached them and said that I was so sorry for their loss. They would not respond to me. It was absolutely shocking.

It was this trip that convinced me just how unloving the organization can be. I know that they felt that they were doing the right thing, that God would be proud of them for shunning me. But it was concrete proof that true, unconditional love does not exist as a whole in that organization.

The one thing that I did think was so interesting about spending time there was the way my family reacted. Up until this point they had shunned me completely. However they now had an "excuse" to see me, a family emergency. The entire time I was there they associated with me as freely as if I was not df'd. When we were not at the hospital we would be at a restaurant eating or at the pub drinking. We would talk about spiritual matters, we completely caught up. They kept making the comment that "I was the exact same ++++ except I seemed more open and honest." Interesting. Before seeing me they literally though that I had turned into an evil, "worldly" person who had no care for anyone or anything.They saw the exact opposite in me. But they were doing the very things they have been commanded NOT to do by the WT. Eating and drinking with a disfellowshipped person. Even worse, talking about spiritual matters. That in itself is reason enough for them to be disfellowshipped. But they justified it because it was a "family emergency".

This clearly showed how they were just blindly following the rules. They found a loophole and took full advantage of it. The trip was a lesson for me in the control that the organization has on people's minds. On one hand Nil's family would completely ignore me while I stood beside their son. To me this was the opposite of what Jesus had commanded. The on the other hand I saw my family who were willing to take full advantage of the situation because they technically had an excuse.

The entire point of this story is that Witnesses do not think and act for themselves. They do what they are told. It made me so sad when I read what your wife was told by her daughter-in-law and it reminded me in some small way the hurt that I have been through. I know you have experienced the same thing. But I am glad that we have friends across the earth who really do understand the difficulties of the situation. Like you said that Ashley can be supportive but cannot fully understand the hurt that we feel.

Thank you for forwarding the emails to others. It was nice to see their response.

Enjoy the rest of the day!

++++

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There are many, many more like these!

Vinny
Sunspot

Vinny, there is no doubt that your talents in writing are being used to expose many more sincere ones to the evils of the WTS, to see their paths lightened by the real truth and are being led out of them as they heed Jesus' call.
2 Cor 6: 17 "So, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor"
Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Wow Vinny, that's impressive!

EXPOSING THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY ONLINE.

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