After watching Serenity's video I had to comment. I kept pausing the video looking for family members or others that I might know but haven't seen in years. Hated the drive to Holt, but loved the soft serve ice cream. I'm old but new. I've been a lurker for about 5-6 years. You guys have no idea how coming here has helped me. I was born into this damn cult. I would have been a 3rd generation. My grandmother was baptized into it at 15 in the 1930's. I think she chose this religion because it was what she needed to hear at that time. It's a long story that I will tell on another post. All of her sons including my father became witnesses. She grew up being told that she would never grow old and die, but exactly 2 months before her 87th birthday she died. I miss her, but I hate how this cult tears apart familys. Any religion that divides a family does not originate with the Creator.
I am fortunate that my dad is not a hard line dub. He does not shun me, even though I have told him that this is a cult. I told him as a kid I never felt the genuine love at the hall that Jesus talked about. He doesn't attend the meetings that I know of, and I am glad. I think that he can see through some of their crap, but still believes that this is the "troof". As a kid I felt like nobody understood how lonely and depressing it was to be a kid jdub. It was the most validating feeling to find and read randy's story on freeminds. Randy, if you are out there. Thank You from the bottom of my heart! You have saved me a lot of time and money in therapy. I am glad I finally made the choice to register and login.