Thanks to Those That Went Before Us

by OnTheWayOut 35 Replies latest jw friends

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  OnTheWayOut

  I want to say thanks to those that have blazed the trail for others to become former Jehovah's Witnesses.

  Many were disfellowshipped or disassociated, some stopped going to meetings before "faders" existed. Many had no internet or any way of gathering with others who left the JW's. They were mostly on their own. Later, the likes of Randy Watters and Ray Franz gave many a sense of a group conscience with their efforts and writings. I don't want to leave out other important writers and 'pioneers' of getting out. But no matter how hard I try, I would not be able to list all of them. Others can add a special thanks to anyone they think of on this thread. A special thanks to Carl Olof Jonsson and James Penton for their trailblazing books. Thanks to all those who went before us.

  Thanks to Barbara Anderson for realizing important truths and bringing them to the attention of others. Thanks to the people at Silent Lambs for their efforts to reveal problems. Great changes that were needed seemed to come from whistle-blowers with much to lose. Thanks to all of them that went before us.

  In finding the internet community, I stumbled across many websites and youtubes. Thank you to all those that went before us with exposing the truth about 'the lie.' I already mentioned Randy. There's also our friends at jwfacts and JWN itself. There were forums before this one that didn't last but did a tremendous job of revealing treachery in Watchtower literature and in the organization. Thanks to all those that went before us.

  Within this forum, many were a great help and are no longer posting here. Garybuss was one who helped me immensely, Johnny Cip was another, but there are more. Thanks to all of them.

  Many who were here before me are still here. Thanks to all of them. I could never remember every name, but Blondie stands out. Because this is not a popularity thread, please don't try to name everyone who makes a difference, but feel free to mention the most helpful one or two that helped you and allow the rest to just accept this THANK YOU for going before others to make a difference in our paths on the way out of JW's.

  A great thanks to family and friends that never were JW's who knew it was not 'the truth' before I knew and waited with welcome arms.

  Thank you to all that helped me and others to find the way out of Watchtower and did it for the good of all.

  Thank you to the rest of you for reading and maybe contributing to this thread.

  I am no longer "On The Way Out" as I am fully out. But that's my name here. Today, I will be "Jerry in Chicago." Thanks.
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  SweetBabyCheezits

  Ditto and well put, Jerry.

  I'd also like to thank Fred Franz, Nate Knorr, and Judge Judy Rutherford, because had it not been for the rigid dogma, I might've not been concerned enough to take a stand.
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  No Room For George

  Good post, Jerry. Also I want to say thanks to you, as seeing you posting here played a role into me eventually registering and posting.
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  sizemik

  Thanks for the thread Jerry. I would like to thank all of those mentioed in the OP for the incredible selflessness in helping others including me.

  I wouls also thank an ex-JW by the name of Carl Mickens, who through personal contact from the other side of the world, helped me immeasurably at the most difficult of times.
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  Botzwana

  Giddy up! I second it! I lost too much to witnesses. I am even shunned now and I didn´t even do anything. They still think I go. But because I do not go to their hall they no longer eat at my restaurant. Buttholes!

  So yes thanks so much! I save some threads and re read them from time to time. Thanks On the Way Out! I wish I could meet some of you in real life. I only know one other apostate but he still goes to the Kingdom Hall and gets mad at me if I get angry about the org. I guess because his family is still in that he doesn´t talk bad about them much.
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  Violia

  I'm also share similar feeling to the opening post. I wish I could have read some of this in the 70's , it could have saved my family a lot of heartache and sadness. So much of my life has been taken away by these miserable people. I too am very grateful for all the folks who fought ( by themselves a lot of the time) back against the wts, this includes a family member who suffered all their life b/c they opposed the jws. Thank you for trying and sorry it took me so long to understand what you were trying to say when you said" they are only offering a hope, it is not real". I can still hear those words ring in my ears. I so wish I had listened.

  No more staggering around in the darkness trying to escape the wts, as our fellow travelers have put up street lamps for us. thank goodness for the net. Lol at the pathetic attempt to scare folks b/c it wont' work, esp not young folks. Thank everyone, but there is more work to be done.

  shout out to JT, Garybus and mommiedark and so many of the folks on the early message boards.

  The book James Penton wrote all those years ago- I'm reading now! I so wish I could have had this book years ago.

  Thanks to Randy and all the ex-bethel folks and the brave elders who are still in and helping pass info onto us.
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  TotallyADD

  As a person who was born and raised in IL thank you for all your input on the many posts I have readed. Thank you for all who started all these sites for the benefit to help all of us to become free from the JW cult. I truly feel everybody who post on this forum helps all of us to see what the real truth is. So thank you to all. Totally ADD
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  nugget

  It takes tremendous courage to walk away and then to turn around and offer a helping hand to others. Those people that took the time to respond to my early posts and help me along will always be regarded as special.

  I echo everything said in the original post we do owe these one a debt of gratitude. They never promised us a life free from difficulty but they did enable to make a life of our own.
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  Reopened Mind

  A special thanks to Steve Hassan and Lady Lee for helping us to see the real reasons we were converted into a cult. Thank you for helping us to understand cognitive dissonance and mind control as well as giving us valuable tools to see our way out.

  As a convert I thank all who have shared their painful stories of abuse within the cult growing. You have helped me to realize just how destructive the WT is. You have given me insight and compassion I would have not otherwise known. Sometimes hearing just one or two stories we reason that this might have been an isolated incident, but with the flood of stories it becomes obvious that the abuse is BECAUSE of growing up JW. Thanks to all of you for your courage.

  Reopened Mind
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  breakfast of champions

  When you start waking up to what's going on, you still constantly doubt yourself: Am I going nuts? Am I crazy and they're really right? Has anyone else noticed this?

  Then you come to a site like this and realize you are not crazy, this has all happened before, and will all probably happen again.