I just thought I'd share a little good news (TM) with everyone. A couple of months ago I had to visit my hometown, and while I was there, I decided that I was gonna have a few words with my family about what I now believed. While I was being careful about choosing the right time, my sis just came out with it herself and wanted to know what the deal was. She's been having bible studies off and on for some years, and it seems is close to getting herself dunked. We had a discussion for over an hour and a half, and at the end I could tell she was upset.
The upshot of it all is that it's had quite an impression on her. A little bird told me that soon after our discussion, she as rang up my mum saying how she's upset, and she's got all these questions and doubts now. She said she feels really close to me, and my decision to give up being a JW has really had a big effect on her (maybe it's because I was the first one to start pursuing the truth, out of my siblings).
We discussed how if we use the bible to critique itself, it doesn't make much sense. I said how if Jehovah has infinite Love, Power, Justice and Wisdom, then the Genesis account would be different. Jehovah would've 1, protected his naive offspring from a manslayer. 2, He would've pronounced sentence on satan and acted immediately. I drew the comparison that modern day courts have better justice than Jehovah because when a murderer is sentenced, he goes directly to jail. I pointed out that satan is still influencing people's lives and bringing misery. 3, I reasoned with her that no matter what her kids did, could she ever pronounce death upon them if she were truly loving. 4, If Jehovah was wise, then he would've made sure that Adam and Eve weren't exposed to a manslayer, and that it was inconsiderate and unloving and stupid on his part.
Then we moved on to how if the organization were backed by god, he wouldn't have allowed his mouthpiece to lie. We discussed 1925, 1975 and the pre-1914 prophesying. Finally I left her with my thoughts on atheism, and how cold hard facts cannot be ignored, and that the WT lies about scientific things in their literature to suit their own ends. We discussed how a lot of faithful old witnesses had sold their houses, skipped college, worked in menial jobs, all the while thinking they would never die in this system. I told her I was sad for all my family, they're missing out on the only life they'll ever have. I said how it upsets me to think about them all just wasting their lives away, working for a bullshit corporation.
Finally, she was amazed how I was able to 'give everything up'. At this point I was quite frank with her and said that it saddened me greatly. I said that I dearly wanted it all to be true, but I couldn't live a lie, and believe a lie, what was the point? I said I wished that there was something after death, something to hope for, to comfort me as I grew older. I told her I'd felt empty and dead inside for years after finding out the truth about the WTS. I said I truly wished that I WERE wrong, and that there WAS something at the end of life. I said I hadn't left the organization for selfish reasons, just simply because I had done research and found out that it was all just the WTS' warped slant on the bible, and it was inaccurate.
Like everybody keeps saying, you have to plant little seeds. It really IS worth doing, sometimes there is a chink in the armour. I'm hoping that I've given her enough doubts to be getting on with, and postpone baptism. Hopefully in the next 6 months I'll be able to do my 'return visit'. Sometimes, even just by being absent from the meetings makes people think, and doubt. (If they have a decent opinion of you).
Right now I'm pretty happy, and it's given me a buzz. It's all good