hi sacolton,
i was raised as a protestant, but my parents were`nt really church goers. as a child i attended the sunday school which was based on the christian faith. so really speaking, until the age of 20 (the time as someone knocked on my door ; ) ) i wasn`t sure whether god existed or not. i more or less followed the average way of a church member, without any, or hardly bible knowledge.
the jw brother who knocked on my door that day, left a blue book behind called "creation or evolution". i think i read that book in one night. although i had no real interest in biology and science, it did one thing though: it changed my life completely. not in a day, weeks or months, but gradually. since reading that book, i was totally convinced (still am) that god is a reallity. i know this might not be very popular to say on this board, but i`m trying to be honest.
funny enough, the last book i read was from the author richard dawking, with the title "der gotteswahn" (i dont know the english title). although he is a convinced atheist and a very clever scientist, the book itself had the opposite effect to me, which means it supported my belief in god even more!
apart from this board, which i joined yesterday, i do not have any contact to any other ex-jws. it`s not that i don`t care, i just happen to live in a tiny town with hardly any ex-jws i know personally.
talking about former jws: one of the most weirdest things i ever experieced in the truth, was what happend to that brother who initially studied the bible with me. he was such a devotee, a special pioneer, an elder and a very recognized brother (later on he was one of most influential member in selters, germany). well, to make a long story short: he left the org and joined the catholic church. if you would have knowen that guy, it would have been the last thing you would expected from him. until this day, no one who knew him ever grasped how that could occur.
take care, adrianoblue