Resigned

by Franklin Massey 50 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Judge Dread

  Too bad the Org. will not allow you to be as honest with them, as you have been here.

  That is the problem.

  They created it, but will not solve it.

  Will they even admit it?

  I feel for you, brother, because I've felt the internal turmoil.

  JDW
• 

  godrulz

  I trust bold steps may facilitate others coming out, especially loved ones.
• 

  wobble

  Well done, and keep us posted as to what happens in your life from here.

  I too was born-in, 61 years ago. The one thing the JW/WT religion did for me, that they often talk about but don't really mean, was to build in me a Bible trained conscience. They would rather you just had aWT dictated and ever changing conscience.

  My conscience would not allow me to continue with the religion, so I walked away cold turkey, over threee years ago.

  Many family and loads of "friends" still in, but I would not go backward, I have moved on and continue so to do, and I become happier in so many ways with every stage. Family keep in contact, but we are not welcome at weddings and celebrations, I guess we are such a spiritual danger !

  I may have caused this by at first being too keen to show up the errors of the WT, I have moved on and will not talk relgion with them now, unless I was forced to say something.

  Keep following your conscience my friend, use your freedom for good.

  All the best for a free future. Peace and happiness to you.
• 

  TJ Curioso

  Franklin, yours words express exactly my fellings about my process in stepdown about the elder thing.

  Me too resignate sometime ago, and I'm feeling so much relief and happy. My conscienc bother me too much to continue to be a elder.

  You do the right stuff.
• 

  sizemik

  I wanted everything I believed as a JW to be right. But I was wrong and I had to face it.

  Yeah . . . I can relate as well Franklin . . . the role you're being asked to play while "knowing what you know" is a huge strain.

  The fact that you gave it every chance is honorable . . . as is your decision at this time.

  Eventually we realise we just can't "unknow" certain things. The road ahead could get bumpy . . . so I wish and hope the very best for you.

  Glad to have you here, friend.
• 

  Aussie Oz

  When as a MS, my faith and love of god was gone

  i too prayed, studied harder than ever, went door to door more, talked to elders etc

  it worked zero.

  I did not discover the lie then, but i knew i could no longer call my self christian either.

  Good to be happy eh!

  oz
• 

  Doubting Bro

  FM - Congrats on the decision. I can tell you that anyone who has been in your position can totally relate to what you went through. I know it felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders when I finally resigned. Brace yourself on being treated much differently by members of the local congregation. Your wife may be treated differently as well. I never believed that would be the case until I went through it myself.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  I would also like to acknowledge those who called me out as a hypocrite when I first joined the board. I thought I could stay in a high role of service and somehow be a source of balance and refreshment to those who were being weighed down by the pressures of conformity and never-ending increased service to the Org. That plan wore me out quickly and caused more mental and emotional turmoil than it was worth. In retrospect, I feel like I wanted to use the "power" of my position for some sort of good. But it was hypocritical to pose as one thing while secretly harboring my own plans behind the scenes. That brings no good to anyone. So for those who felt that I was living a lie and should step down...I was...and I did.

  Franklin Massey, I understand your thinking completely. For years, I thought I could influence things from inside better than anyone could from outside. And I think I did so on a local level. But I don't think any one individual will have any influence at the top. Only $$$ (loss of it) and membership (loss of it) will maybe open any eyes. Once they see that they are losing control of the majority of believers, they might be forced to make some logical changes. So far I don't think the exodus has been sufficient to sufficiently awaken the sleeping monster. As long as more come in than go out, they'll still call it increase. Especially, if they only quote the number of increase (and not speak of the DA, DF, Faders, Inactive).
• 

  OnTheWayOut
• 

  Glander

  Good move, Frank. My first step towards eventually being DF'd for apostasy was my resignation as an elder. The process in my case took about 3 years.

  G