Anyone look at this board while still an IN and ACTIVE JW? (page 2)

wannabefree

Mad Sweeney: my experience with this board is very similar to yours ... happened upon it doing a Google search a few years back, I think during the beginning of Silent Lambs info, looked around, found out it was a bunch of wicked apostates and got out as fast as I could!

sherah

Yes, i stumbled on JWD about eight years ago. I stayed up all night reading the threads. The doctrinal threads didn't interest me at the time, i was moved by the personal experiences everyone had within their congs. At the time, i concluded that WT was still being used by god but was run by imperfect people. So i vowed not to come back. Then 'new light' about the generation, heavenly calling reopening, no study groups led me back to this site. I lurked for 2 years and joined this year.

Terry

Around the year I was disfellowshipped I saw an ad in the Personals column of the L.A. times purporting to tell the "true story" of what had happened in Bethel Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I remember wondering what all that could be about. That was circa 1978/79.

Naturally, there was no Internet then. (Al Gore hadn't invented it yet:)

The only "Apostate" literature around that I was even aware of was 30 Years a Watchtower Slave (which I had read and found ridiculous).

There was the occasional booklet or pamphlet by a mainstream church decrying and disputing the doctrines of JW's. I read them and threw them away so obvious was the bias.

Fast Forward to around 20 years later. Now there was an Internet and a World Wide Web.

It never ocurred to me to look anything up (!) about Jehovah's Witnesses.

Why not? Gee, I thought I KNEW EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO KNOW already!

I sniffed around the Bible Students who still teach Pastor Russell's Studies in the Scriptures.

I made some contacts and spoke with the faithful remnant. I found them admirably pathetic.

I posted on the CHRISTADELPHIAN discussion group and discovered how almost identical they are to JW's in many way.

About 6 years ago it was Randy W. who showed me JWD and posted a Topic Header that posted MY STORY.

Discovering an actual Discussion Board of Ex-JW's was like the scene in which Robinson Carusoe first meets Friday. It was a miraculous encounter.

But, I can't imagine that more than 1% of any active JW's would ever in a million years read an Apostate's writings. It would be like sticking their head in a lion's mouth. The fear and Satan bugaboos connected to such a treasonous activity would overwhelm them with guilt.

Only a damaged JW would have the courage or motivation, in my opinion.

Coffee House Girl

I would never have even dared to think about reading apostate websites, I was one of those "loyal" jerks who would even scoff at my jdub friends who emailed me newspaper articles about JWs- I would think they were bordering on apostacy for reading "worldly" slants on the ORG.

Now that I swallowed the blue pill - I found this site a month after I stopped going to meetings & I am so thankful for everyone's insight and supports.

Thank you all for sharing your personal stories, you have no idea how much you have helped me see the real "truth".

Soldier77

I guess technically I'm still "in" and the elders still consider me "active" although I've been doing the fake hours on the reports for the last 3 months! I'm still attending the meetings, although it doesn't take much for me to not go. I actually study any of the literature with a much more critical eye looking for changes to doctrine and any mind-control tactics being used.

I've started my fade and with the circumstances that I'm in at the moment I can get away with it and pass it off as being "stumbled and weak" in their eyes.

I did find this forum through google though, I was in one of my study modes and wanted external information about the year 1914 and how it relates to the end etc. Link pointed me here and I've not left! I've had doubts about the authenticity of this religion (now recognized as a cult) for years, but I'm glad I'm young enough (low 30's) to recognize things and plan my escape. I just hope I can bring as many of my still "active" JW family members as I can out.

lesabre

i'm haven't gone to a meeting since june of '05. i call myself "inactive" to JW's who i've stumbled upon. i scrutinized some of the "apostate" stuff and none of it ever sank in. (mainly cause the only things i read were people complaining about things they weren't allowed to do, even adding a few things that weren't true) BUT after praying really hard asking for answers, i stumbled across jwreform.org and THAT got the ball rolling for me because it didn't seem like it was written by converted trinitarians wanting to get people out. lol. so, here i am!!!!!! (that was 6 months ago i think)

pirata

Yes.

Got curious on Wikipedia one day. Saw all this history I never heard of. Verified a lot of it in the proclaimers book. Looked at Blood Transfusions topic, saw ajwrb, suprised at alternate take on the scriptures and blood. This hit home since I personally knew a witness who died waiting for the EPO to work. Noticed reference to Franz, googled CoC, found a few chapters. Read them.

Shelved everything to the back of my mind; Needed time to absorb all the new information.

Later, KM article came out telling us not too do independent research. Made me wonder why 2 or 3 getting together to study does not have the Lord's spirit (as the scriptures say they would). Decided that if it's the truth, then it can stand up to argument. Started Googling teachings that we have that just didn't feel quite right. Found JW facts. Faced the facts. Found freeminds. Read every single life story. Found this board. Learned more about the organization and JW teachings than I had ever known before.

Still in, learning, absoring, exploring and learning to think "outside the [JW] box".

av8orntexas

I came to this board as a lurker, waaaaaaaay back around what ? 2000...... 2001 ?? If I recall it was actually pro-dub, and the 'apostate' site was H2o or something like that.

Well I left for a while, came back around 02/03, and I thought it was still pro dub, and I thought all the 'apostates' here were full of SH^&, LOL

Well after that, I actually remembered some of the things I read, but never came back. But they remained with me. Then, when stuff started rolling down hill in late 06, early 07, I REALLY started lurking and reading. Actually agreeing with what I read. I could relate with alot of the experiences on here. Then as of late, I actually broke down and got some internet access at home ( yes...........I have entered the 21st century with the rest of you,lol )

Long story short, I attended, my last convention in 2002,but I was on again, off again. I went all out 2004-2006, actually doing it all, mics, mag room, service, talks. Then the wheels fell off late 06' early 07'. But the whole time I would peek in here.

And here I am now.

JimmyPage

While an active dub, I googled the name of a CO who rubbed me the wrong way, found a thread about him here, and have been addicted to this board ever since.

R.F.

I looked at this site a couple of times soon after I was baptized. I thought everyone here were a bunch of evil apostates of course. I didn't lurk here again until a couple years later. I found myself checking it out regulary and withing 2 months or so I walked away from the religion.

Anyone look at this board while still an IN and ACTIVE JW?

Share this