I have been reading this website for months now. I am a born in who holds absolutely no animosity toward ANY Witness.
I have had weeks and weeks of trouble trying to log in, but I'm here now.
Long story short, I am one of 4 children who were raised as Witnesses. My two older brothers left at a very early age, but one is now studying and one is active. I have another brother who was raised as I was who has faded for about 10 years now.
I am about 40 and have been df'd for 8 years now. I always thought I'd go back, but have had trouble reconciling so many of the thing I believed with what I know, and what I have learned.
I was a pioneer for a while, very active in everything Witnesses do (ie: talks, field service, quick builds etc....)
A quick rundown of things I have seen: a virtual wife "Swap" involving 2 witness couples; A member of the Annointed getting PR'd and divorced for adultery; An elder leaving his wife for another married woman in the cong. ( his wife then committed suicide); An elder getting convicted of investment fraud (appointed while stealing money from investors); An elder appointed who, before becoming an elder committed fornication and hid it until after the Holy Spirit appointed him as an elder. He and his wife were DF'd but are now reinstated; An entire body of elders removed; A pioneer giving a part on the assembly about how happy he is to pioneer only to commit suicide the following weekend.
These and more are things that have happened in congregations I have been associated with. I knew the people involved. While I absolutely love Witnesses, they haven't cornered the market on love and Christian living.
Even the ones mentioned above, I don't hold resentment toward. I believe in forgiveness and I am not their judge. However, when an organization seeks to invoke God's name, and to speak for him and tell me that elders are appointed by Holy Spirit, I look at the evidence.
One thing in particular I have began thinking lately with regard to the Faithful and discreet slave "Class":
Witnesses point to how unexplainable the trinity doctrine is ( I am not a trinitarian). They point to John 1:1 and say (from the Reasoning book): "Also, verses 1, 2 say that in the beginning he was "With God." Can one be with someone and at the same time be that person?" (Pg 416)
I have no problem with this logic. It makes sense to me. However, when it comes to the faithful and discreet slave, they do a complete 180 degree turn and use stilted logic by saying that in Matt. 24, the Faithful and Discreet Slave is the annointed remnant on earth at any given time, but the domestics are the individual members of those remaining ones. So by the same logic they use to dispell the trinity doctrine, you could say: "could a slave be over the domestics and yet the domestics and the slave be the same person?" It makes me crazy to think about.
One other thing. I was reading the Watchtower for the congregation when the article said something to the effect: "the preaching work will be complete during our 20th century". I remember sitting on the stage and thinking "how can they say this?"
Sorry to take so long, but I have been wanting to post for literally months!!