Hello everybody! I figure it's about time that I stop silently lurking around this community and actually add to the conversation, so here goes a first post. A little about me-I was born "half-in", that is, my mother has been a witness for the entirety of my life whereas my father has never been. I was an active part of the congregation (at least for what an unbaptized publisher can do) until I turned 18 and got an opportunity to attend a university (go school!). After my freshman year, I returned home to a somewhat nightmarish scene, where a large portion of the community that I had been a part of since my childhood completely ignored my presence solely due to the fact that I had a desire to continue my education (I will say, however, that this was not true of all of them, and that I received some genuine support from unexpected places). That was when I began actively searching for TTATT. After finding Crisis of Conscience, In Search of Christian Freedom, 30 Years a Watchtower Slave, as well as the innumerable stories on either this site or similar sites, I finally had the evidence to back the inklings that I have had since my childhood.
Anyways, back to the present. I am still a student and am always searching for more information on the history, actions, and motives of the WTBTS (as I think any of us with family still in are...), which is one of the reasons why I have joined this site. Besides that, it is comforting to see others that have gone through similar struggles, as it is certainly not a shared experience between my peers and I at school. I would like to say thank you to Simon for creating this hub for open discussion, thank you to Crofty for that page o' essays, and all those that have posted their experiences and struggles on this board. I will be chatting with y'all soon!
-iHunt