My reason for leaving or fading is because after actually reading the bible, I began to gain understanding and seeing everywhere what the bible teaches is not what JW's teach. There is no need to bring up 'apostate' material, the history of JW's, etc, as that sets up a mental block (if you ever were a strong JW you may remember yourself it wouldn't work). The foundation of the faith is that the bible is the final authority, the bible trumps everything, and that only JW's follow the bible everyone else twists it to their traditions and customs. If you learn and see what the bible actually teaches on key aspects of the faith, and you do it correctly, then not only may something unlock in their mind, but at the very least you should be left alone.
I will share just one small example, and I hope this information isn't used to attack or tear people down from God, I still believe and I believe I'm getting the truth by putting faith in him alone to show me instead of other people. I am also looking for the truth, even if I don't like it.
This is just ONE example and I am also not faking my sincerity when I speak with them. I have been saying that I don't want to leave God, I'm not looking for my own followers, I am really trying to do the right thing, but first I feel hypocritical when preaching to others that they must drop their beliefs and go only on the bible when we are not allowed to do that on our own, if we find something wrong, it's labeled apostate.
This is one of the scriptures and examples that have 'stumbled' me and unable to get an answer. (I'm learning the truth behind this in the bible but won't get on in WT literature and they won't be able to answer it...)
In Revelation 20:7-10 shows the war with Gog and Magog. It says they surround the camp of the holy ones and fire comes down out of heaven and devours them. This is at the end of the 1,000 year reign. Now the JW understanding is that after armagedon (the one coming now), 1,000 years of perfection, no human governments, and resurrections, then Satan released, deceives and just true worshippers are surrounded and destroyed.
Now with the bible being the final authority, is there anywhere else in the bible you can find more details on this event? The answer is YES, 2 entire chapters in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Now just to make sure it is definitely talking about the same event, we see in Ez 38:1-2 its to Gog of Magog, in verse 16 it says the REASON for what is about to happen, he will come up against Israel, "I shall certainly bring you against my land, for the purpose that THE NATIONS MAY KNOW ME WHEN I SANTIFY MYSELF IN YOU BEFORE THEIR EYES, O Gog".
But again is this the same event, in vs 22 it then says, "fire and sulphur I shall rain down upon him and upon his bands and upon the many peoples that will be with him."
It matches perfectly. But some questions then, how is it the reason for this event is so that they nations may know him? If there is no human government, if this is after the first armagedon, wouldn't the whole world have known God? It does not make any sense does it?
Chapter 39 then details what will happen after this event and the cleanup process.
Now at this point, family, elders, anybody may try to sidetrack and go to different scriptures or things on how there is a faithful slave, or apostates, etc, you must be firm and say what is the final authority, does the WT trump the bible or does the bible trump the WT? Also don't let it get off topic, say your not looking for your own truth, you want the real truth, and if these are 2 different events, to show you SCRIPTURE which will lead one to believe that. You want SCRIPTURAL proof they are not the same event.
If nothing can be provided, then how can you be labeled apostate, how can you be expected to believe something not in harmony with the scriptures. They will just want to stop talking bout it and probably leave you alone.
So for those of you learning the truth of the bible, appeal to the part of the faith that bible is the truth, and hit their conscience with are they following the bible or will they allow human teachings which are not in harmony with the bible to overtake them?