I was a third generation born-in with no alternative reality, reference points or framework.
For more than forty years I was taught that the highest stakes (eternal life) main game is played on the doctrine playing field (supremacist ethnocentrism). My eternal future apparently depended on which side of the trinity, hellfire and immortal soul doctrines I played.
Apparently if I believed the Watchtower way, even if it changed, I was in "the faith" and "the truth". The same for legalism (supremacist self-righteousness attained by following the supposedly "right" but ever changing and inconsistent rules).
Around 6 years ago, and for the first time in my life, one person asked me to explain what "the gospel" is in one word. Bit by bit I discovered (oddly enough in the Watchtower's own publications) that the gospel versus religion is the main playing field. I gradually learnt that Paul, Jesus and the prophets never obsessed over doctrines like the Watchtower (and other less virulent and less arrogant religious groups).
Instead the "unabridged gospel" was everything to them.
Paul had a lot to say about the priceless unmerited "free gifts" of IMPUTED righteousness (justification), IMPUTED holiness (sanctification), IMPUTED sinlessness (perfection), IMPUTED sonship (adoption), IMPUTED friendship (reconciliation), and IMPUTED eternal life (salvation).
Although I'm not sure exactly how to understand some of Paul's seemingly moralistic comments, and those on women, these suggest to me that his struggle against religious baggage was ongoing as I imagine it is for any believer that previously spent time in the religious system.
"Legalism" is only mentioned once in the entire Watchtower library. What an awesome article though that exposes the Watchtower Sanhedrin (GB), ruling religious clergy class and hierarchy (Pharisees) as spiritually blind, naked, confused, inebriated and insane apostates (unfaithful to God and his priceless gospel message of unmerited favour which all the prophets yielded to and obeyed).
This article reads like a summary of ISOCF and proves that it is possible for many (like Ray Franz) to make a huge difference from within for a season and to leave behind a very useful legacy.
I unfortunately was so badly nauseated and repulsed by the Pharisees and Sanhedrin that I was unable to stay a moment longer after the penny finally dropped (mid 2009) that as a group they were totally illegitimate and irreformable (from their father the devil). My handling of matters was also rather clumsy at the time and I was fairly freaked out too.
A "Christ centred" and "gospel focussed" orientation as a simple Jesus follower is helping me avoid playing by religion's rules, in their game, and on their field.
Now I hear two distinct and opposite calls (the two trees in Eden).
I reject religion's call to "measure up" via self-righteous externalism (whitewashed graves). I yield instead to God's call via the gospel to "STOP and COME AS YOU ARE and BE REGENERATED and TRANSFORMED FROM WITHIN".
Sorry for the wordy story, and thank you for reading.
How are you managing to avoid getting bogged down in trying to unravel peripheral doctrines like the trinity (and other non salvation issues)?