I left the Witnesses over 10 years ago, but finally went back

JakeMarley

The entire time I was gone it was nagging at me. I hadn't been previously baptized, so leaving wasn't that big a deal. Now I'm back in the swing of it, going to all meetings and field service. I hope to get baptized soon. The world is too messed up to take a chance. Does anyone else feel like this? I was sick of the nagging "what if's". I finally feel at peace.

King Solomon

Jm said:

" The world is too messed up to take a chance."

Welcome!

This sentence caught my eye. Care to explain why you think the world is "messed up"? (and having been raised in the JWs since the 60's, i know they were saying it then, as even 100 years before that).

And what is "the chance" you'd be taking? What does that refer to?

The Oracle

Hi Jake,

First of all welcome to the forum! It's great to have you here.

My advice to you regarding the nagging "what if's?" you are feeling - is to hit the,books and do some research. True knowledge is a powerful force, and once you gain a full understanding of things! those nagging "what if's" completely disappear and are in fact replaced with an an extremely powerful feeling of inner peace and a great sense of "relief" for having avoided a very unsavory life trapped in a religion like the JWs.

I served as an elder for many many years, and then was shocked and horrified to learn that the religion I had devoted my life to was false.

Jake, I strongly encourage you to continue your time here on this forum and to thoroughly research the history and teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. You can decide for yourself what is true and what is false, but you cannot fall in to their trap of relying ONLY On what they tell you. This is not reasonable and is a tell tale sign that you may be getting mixed up with a cult.

Welcome again Jake, and good luck on your journey to find real truth!

The Oracle

BorgHater

Hi Jake, welcome to the forum, but if you finally feel at peace why have you come here? Sounds kinda contradictory to me.

Gayle

Welcome. To let you know, most on this site, have researched about the facts, history and policies of the Watchtower. Before getting baptized please check: jwfacts.com Then, there are many other valuable books. There is very much that the Watchtower organization don't want you to know.

Please research more. Please "make sure."

puffthedragon

Hi Jake, welcome. Glad that your are perhaps open-minded to do some research. You mentioned that "the world is too messed up to take a chance." Can you think of a different time in history that would be better to live in though? I will take the problems of this century over any other personally.

cantleave

Jake, Welcome to the group.

Why are you here? If you are genuinely pleased about going back why visit an apostate site?

Most of us have left the cult since we have woken up to the fact it is all lies. Please look up www.jwfacts.com and learn the truth about the lie!

bohm

Good luck, I hope it will make you happy!

cofty

Welcome to the forum Jake.

"What if" is a terrible reason to make any major decision. You have been intellectually lazy for the past 10 years and now you are about to pay the price.

Educate yourself. Facts are the antidote to irrational fears.

Band on the Run

Hi! I was born-in and my initial doubts concerned the total lack of love I experienced in the society. Also, my father and uncles were former Bethelites and hated the society but not the religion. High school convinced me that the WT had no truth. It was not only such matters as evolution. The most important factor was being very good friends with worldly people and relatives. The Jesus I encountered would never wipe them out.

Despite my nobelief, I was plagued by "what ifs." How does one ever know with God? So many religions claim to be his official religion, the only ones. I loved my parents and extended family and felt both shame at what they believed and wanted the Witnesses to be true so they were vindicated in their choices. I graduated college at an elite school. During my college years, I risked studying New Testament as an academic subject. One of the most prominent seminaries in the country was directly across the street. Academics who actually opened the Dead Sea scrolls came to lecture. The Woodstock Jesuits were also in the neighborhood so I would attend the university chapel to hear them preach. I was transformed without adopting any cohesive belief system. They did not require one. Indeed, they scoffed at the very notion. Daniel Berrigan once gave a sermon on the Son of Man tradition. He opened with "what can one say? We know so little. Blah, Blah,?end of sermon.

Besides the academic education, I met the Babylon the Great seminarians on a work-study job that rehabiliated housing in Harlem. They were fine people.

Any God who would destroy them, I don't want to live in HIs world.

The churches I attend now have a much better informed laity who know church history, the Bible, mythology, art, and music. We are a community. Checks and balances are present. It does not always work perfectly but it works. Frankly, a small portion of my brain cells still go, "what if." My reptilian brain is still within me as are my childhood fears. Although the academic facts are important to me. the main factor was always my gut instinct. I now know a serenity I never experienced as a Witness. I can argue with priests over scripture and garner their respect.

The world is not falling apart. We have progressed in extraordinary ways. The good old days were never good.

I left the Witnesses over 10 years ago, but finally went back

Share this