It was gradual for me. But being away from the pressure of family, being exposed to a complete different culture, and, best of all, having a high-speed Internet connection, made all the difference.
What made you think?
by greenie 26 Replies latest jw friends
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LouBelle
I had my first unsettling feelings about the faith when I was 17, but that passed when my mother told me Jah reveals things in his due time and I should be like Mary & hold these things in my heart......29 came along and then it was lightning bolts and thunderings. I was df'd in 6 months. It all just became so very clear to me then.
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BabaYaga
I had to leave when I saw people disfellowshipped for bogus reasons when they needed help the most. The ones I saw disfellowshipped had never made any friends outside of the organization, they had no support group outside of the congregation. They lost everyone, family, friends, even workmates (and their emotional and physical health suffered greatly for it.)
I knew that was not making a loving god happy. I knew it, I could see it, why couldn't the elders? The irony is... because I left... I thus invited that very same loveless shunning into my own life...
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life is to short
Having three pedophiles in my hall.
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feeling good
My mother committed suicide and oviously I was seriously depressed, and I smoked secretly for about a month. ( used to smoke prior to being a witness. ) I felt bad and talked to the elders, then they had me talk to about 5 elders and decided a judicial meeting should be made. I was pubicly reproved you gotta keep Jehovah's name clean. But I hated the questions why did you do this, what were the circumstances, do you think you are going to smoke again? what will you do so that you won't do it again. One of the brothers said I need to humble myself and get help before it escalates to smoking. I wasn't going to the hall as I was emotionally exhausted a few who would call me said they worried about my spirituality, and they only loved me when I was at the hall.
I wanted real friends who love me.
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DrJohnStMark
About this secret smoking... My older sister told this and it has been confirmed by the younger one: When still JW, my younger sister had visited her at her home and at one point said that she needs a walk outside - for smoking which was the real reason but she could not tell, for obvious reason. Some time after that my older sister had done the same thing, leaving the younger sister to watch the babies. Needless to say, they had some serious fun afterwards, when they realized what had happened. This also might make you think...