I thought they knew something I didn't when I saw the signs that said 1914 and telephone numbers. They didn't seem to be rude and I think it's a testimony that watchtower isn't la la land. I wish I would have accepted literature or info from them but only one time was a guy located near the convention facility by the door (Long Beach) and I was around people. Seems he was saying something about the Asleep and the kids started laughing. The apostate was friendly --- younger guy.
When You Were A JW Were You Disturbed By "Apostate" Literature or "Apostates" At Conventions?
by minimus 47 Replies latest jw friends
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I was curious but was too afraid to read it....
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finally awake
I never saw any protesters or picketeers or any apostate literature while I was a dub. the only thing I ever came across was the occasional radio broadcast that I quickly changed the station.
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FlyingHighNow
Never saw any literature or picketers. I always said to myself, "Self, if you ever come upon apostate literature, you really must read it because you know you are dying to see what it says."
And the first time I logged onto the internet very early in 1999, I typed "official watchtower bible and tract society site" into my search engine. I came up with a page full of results. One of the links took me to a page that told of Ray Franz and his wife and a few other couples who had been grossly treated by the WTB&TS and how they viewed this. I read it. I read a couple of other things. At that point in my life I had been inactive for just about the entire decade of the 90's. My computer went on the fritz soon after. But yeah, I was not afraid to read the literature online.
I attended the KH only one time after that, first time in many years. It was in December 1999. I remember that the whole experience was bizarre and felt wickedly strange. The witnesses seemed like comically twisted characters in a bad dream. Then is when I knew I'd never be able to be an active JW again, nor attend another KH meeting. And I did not ever attend again.
It was during 2001 that I ordered Crisis of Conscience and begin to investigate sites like JWD and others. I corresponded with an ex elder and well, learned the low down and the skinny about the org and it's unfortunate followers.
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DATA-DOG
I always wondered who they were, and figured they were just misguided, or people who hate God. I was never the type to judge anyone at first glance so I would not have condemned them. I never really paid too much attention to the Watchtower's teachings about apostates. Since I was a born-in who never really took to it ( looking back I think I zoned out because even though I was technically uneducated about the world, I knew they were crazy) I wondered from time to time if we had the truth. I wondered if it could be a scam. Then of course those doubts made me guilty so I figured I would be executed at armageddon. Now I wish I had not opened pandora's box somedays. Now that I have, I can totally understand why someone would be mad enough to scream at a convention, but I would never have really listened to a screamming person. Once I had seen enough in the org, I came here, then COC, then ISOCF, still trying to learn.....
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NOLAW
I thought Satan was guiding them to use posters and sell their literature outside the convention. But I was puzzled when my dad didn't allow me to order Russel's volumes from Bible Students (We were walking around and I found one of their tracts.)
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finallysomepride
I don't ever recall having seen or heard any apostates protesting or the literature at a DC or CA, mind you I didn;t go to any all since the very early 90s & that was in New Zealand & I don't think apostates were organised back then. I do remember see pics in Time Mag portraying the protests in NY, I thought it very odd, but was curious.
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mamochan13
I was given apostate literature way back when I was a teenager. I looked at it, but tossed it. I was aware of the 30 Years a Watchtower Slave book - it was notorious. I wasn't afraid to look at apostate stuff - in fact I read the book of Mormon, too.
The first time I was aware of apostates at a convention was when this guy came in wearing a T-shirt with the logo, "nananana on Jehovah" and started to walk around the concourse. No one would have noticed except the attendants all started to follow him. It was pretty funny, all these guys following one person in a T-shirt. But I thought the guy was an idiot.
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ohiocowboy
Circa 1985, shortly after I had moved away from home, I went to the library in Winnipeg, and saw the book Crisis of Conscience for the first time. I had heard a little about the book, and to be honest, I was afraid to even touch it. Gradually, I gained the courage to take it off of the shelf, after first looking around to make sure no other JW's were nearby. Still scared and apprehensive, I glanced through the table of contents. My body was shaking due to the adrenaline rush and fear that I would be found out or caught in the act with the book in my hands. I started thumbing through the book, reading tantalizing bits and pieces about the Org. I dared not sit down and read the book, so I stood there by the shelf reading, while occasionally scanning for anyone who might see me and turn me in for reading apostate literature.
After a short while, I returned the book to it's place on the shelf, guilt starting to set in, and fearing that Jehovah would make it known that I had picked the book up. It took a while, but eventually I found myself going back to the library to visit the book, reading more and more. One day, I went back to read even further, and lo and behold, the book was gone. The librarian even had no idea what happened to it. Evidently someone had either stolen or had destroyed it. The book was in the reference only department, so it could not have been checked out. A part of me was sad that I couldn't read it anymore, but a part of me was happy as I was not totally ready to have my faith completely shaken at the roots.
That was my first experience with apostate literature, and thankfully not my last.
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hemp lover
Interesting stories, everyone.
I grew up in the same congregation that Fred and Kate Gholson attended and was 12 years old when everything started getting weird. If anyone recognizes their names or wants to hear the story, let me know. It's a long one and I'm lazy tonight