New Member / MS still in...

by Comatose 52 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  jambon1

  You're doing the right thing. If you are conflicted in the religion you will just end up depressed and your drinking will get out of control (I realise you've stopped now).

  I was in exactly the same position as yourself. Had all those same doubts. I'm pretty sure I listed them here as well in a similar manner. I was also an active m/s opon leaving.

  There is nothing worse than sitting in the hall week after week, year after year, hearing stuff that you simply don't agree with but feel compelled to believe. It's a complete mind f**k, which leads to the drinking & depression.

  Life isn't an easy road for anyone, whether you're a JW or not. And I've been through a few tough times since leaving just due to life's cares & repsonsibilities. But mental freedom from having to believe AND preach about this or that which you don't accept is liberating.

  Stick in. It get's easier.

  Cherish your mental freedom.
• 

  XBEHERE

  Welcome. I look forward to your exit process so please share. I am on a slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww fade myself.
• 

  jgnat

  Welcome, Comatose. Not a lot of people take a good long hard look at their beliefs. For a while, it will seem that nothing you believed before can be trusted. If it weren't for the WTS, you could go through this transition in peace.

  As for the bible, I have concluded that it is flawed thinking to treat it as some sort of divine manual, inerrant. Now, if it were taken as a collection of ancient texts without any expectation that it be factual or accurate, it has some usefulness. Nothing as valuable as your own intelligence and sense of fair play.

  Read up on the exit stories here to prepare yourself for the storm ahead.

  You and your wife need a new social network aside from the WTS. I suspect your conscience will not allow you to participate at the Kingdom Hall for much longer, so this transition is going to be tough. My warmest wishes for a gentle transition, and an understanding wife!
• 

  BU2B

  Wow so many new members the last few days.. Good to see. Welcome Comatose, I am still in unfortunately also born in and a MS. I also am married and can so relate to your feelings right now, wanting to say to your wife how you truly feel but not wanting to hurt her. Just know you are not alone, and be happy that no matter whether you are physically in or out, you have freed your mind from the bonds, and to me that is the most important step. It can be torture to go to a meeting when you are tuned in to the mind control tactics and lies and manipulation, and can see the self righteousness leaching out of the pages of the WT and into people we care about, but You are not alone, just know that. It is a great comfort to me.

  Have you read Crisis of Conscience or In Search of Christian Freedom by Ray Franz yet? If not I would really suggest it, also jwfacts.com.
• 

  wannabefree

  Welcome!
• 

  skeeter1

  Welcome.

  I concluded that the God of Abraham is nuts. It rubs off on those who follow Him. You are on your way to your spiritual journey.

  Skeeter
• 

  sseveninches

  Ah, the quote-mining... exactly what made me 100% certain that this religion is full of shit.

  It doesn't stop there... if you go back and look through the verses that the WT uses to back their doctrines like paradise earth, great crowd of other sheep, mediator for the few, etc., you'll find that none of it is actually set in stone. The WT uses lots of weasel words to bend the verses to their doctrines - words like evidently, logically, clearly, apparently, etc. They'd have you think that you can find all of this straight out of the bible, but that's not the case at all. They claim that they're beliefs are based on the bible, but it's the other way around. That's why there's always "new light" - just a new way to bend the bible verses to conform to their beliefs.
• 

  OccupyJehovahsWitnesses

  Welcome Comatose! :D

  It's quite a journey you're embarking on. I know it completely changed my life in ways I never would have imagined. As a Witness my spirit and mind were contained in ways I couldn't even see. It's definitely a process to unravel it all.

  But I can honestly say it gave me priceless perspective on what true spirituality really is.

  Trust that questioning part of your brain, as something relevant and worthy of further investigation. Actual truths won't disappear with a closer look ;)

  We're all here to listen and support!
• 

  jam

  Comatose: Welcome!! I was a elder and drink heavily,

  stop after leaving the borg, LOL.
• 

  00DAD

  Welcome, you're obviously no longer Comatose, but waking up.

  This will likely be a disorienting experience as you try and figure out what to believe and what to discard. It's a process, but it's yours.

  Welcome to owning your own mind and your own life.