This is an internet board. As such, what makes it relevant, cool, or otherwise, are the people who choose to make themselves a part of this particular community.
Internet forums of any stripe have regulars, visitors, curious, lurkers, and of course, trolls. JW internet communities are no different.
Many regulars who are here used to be JW's, and left for one reason or another. With very good reasons. Other's got kicked out, shunned, and need support. I sincerely hope to any lurking JW that you don't mind if "we" apostates (who resent being called evil just so you are tricked into not listening to what we have to say) support them.
I will be the first to admit that former JW's are EXTREMELY sensitive when a JW, or a JW troll (I realize there is a difference) gets on here and insists that things with JW's are going well, when in fact, they are not. For example, many of us have had to deal with the many pedophiles running around right now. It gets good people angry.
And yes, MOST former JW's on this forum are GOOD PEOPLE. Just because we don't underline our WT in 10 minutes for show before going to Sunday meeting to keep up appearances doesn't mean we aren't good people.
Some members of this board feel that trolls are here to make us apostates look bad. Yet, I would be willing to bet a good amount of money that you are lurking, and reading this, because you know, you have seen, you feel, that something just isn't right.
So these trolls want you to think that apostates are idiots. Please.
I credit you lurkers with WAY more intelligence then that.
I hope that in time, you lurking JW's will expand on the freedom that allowed you to come here, that you will conquer the guilt, and that you will consider the information here, and esp on sites like freeminds.org and learn about your religion, the way JW's insist on showing everyone else the negative on their religions, at their doorstep.
In reality, the work I used to do as a missionary and pioneer was to make apostates out of everyone else, insist they read our literature only, while not reading their literature about us.
JW's aren't allowed to listen to apostates or read critical literature for one reason: There is a lot, a TON in it that contains disturbing truths about JW's, the history, the lies (lots of them) the failed prophecies (every one of them).
Here is a fun one JW lurkers. Go to the library, and find which date is the fall of Jerusalem's destruction, 587/586 BCE or 607? Does one independent source verify the date of Jerusalem's destruction in support of JW dogma, and the related date 1914?
If you find it, pass it on to me, and I will be back in a Kingdom Hall.
More could be said, but the truth of the matter is, its really up to you, how honest you are, and how much crap you want to put up with. That part is up to you.
But most JW's who leave actually DON'T come here, most just learn the truth about da troof and move on. Others come here. You are more then welcome to do your own thing. Doing your own thing is the one thing that scares the Governing Body most of all. I mean, they baptize between 2-300,000 a year, and it takes 10 years to gain a million more members. Look at the yearbooks and you do the math.
Wishing you lurking JW's peace. And please understand why "we" here sometimes go after JW trolls. They aren't here to talk, just stir up crap. But like I said, I think you are smart enough to know that.