Reason

by dissonance_resolved 23 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Tater-T

  my thoughts have turned to "why didn't I see this sooner? How could I be so blind?

  Totally feel you there.. I left thinking, they had problems but still had the truth... didn't think it good to teach to my daughter..

  then one day while explaining to someone why I didn't celebrate christmas.. " I said God don't any of you people, research where your beliefs come from!!!"... light bulb went off ...I never did for the religion I was born in!!

  I like to say JWFACTS showed me they were wrong... The poster on this site Terry showed me they are pure evil...

  and now I want to picket Kingdom Halls .. but I'll probably just chase them out of my neighborhood if I see them.. LOL .. no really I will

  good luck .. I know how you feel ..
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  Apognophos

  I think a simple reason why so many of us failed to see TTATT sooner is not just that we didn't know any apostates who seemed reasonable, but we didn't know many Witnesses who seemed insincere. My experience growing up close to the headquarters and observing the brothers placed highly in the organization was that they were completely sincere and zealous for their beliefs. As I got older, I saw perhaps some jadedness and doublethink in them as well, but they were certainly not intentionally duplicitous.

  It's difficult to believe, when one is a born-in (and you sound like one, sorry that I don't know your history) that most of the people you know could be completely misled. Of course we know that the majority of the world disagrees with us, but who are they to us? All the people we associate with regularly are believers, and it's a sad fact that the power of "my mother and father believe this way" exerts a large amount of control over all humans on this planet.
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  wannabefree

  Congratulations on you awakening.

  I don't know the answer to the dilemna, and I don't think there is a one size fits all scenario.

  I know that many years ago, a brother who was an elder disassociated himself from the congregation I was in ... I got a letter from him just before the announcement was made ... I threw it away without reading it ... nobody followed him out other than his wife, the congregation seemed to get over it real quick.
• 

  Pickler

  Hey DR, I went through so much to leave the org. Years later I thought why? I could have just left.

  But, like you ... I never knew this was possible, I'd never heard of anyone leaving. There's always some horrible story whispered about anyone who was DFd or DA. I truly did not know it was possible to just stop.

  so, you have this forum, which is huge. You know lots of other people's stories.

  you can just not go, one meeting at a time. And answer no questions, you are an adult & you owe no one an explanation.

  Just say you are thinking and prefer not to discuss anything until your thoughts are clear.

  good luck!
• 

  Finkelstein

  But should I leave with a blaze or a fizzle?

  I would just fade , seems to work the best in this religion, for some reason.

  By not being overly opposed but just saying you've lost the believability of the whole thing is what I would do if you want to keep

  a decent relationship with your family.
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  Terry

  What if--as a Jehovah's Witness--you CONVERTED this man into becoming a JW too?

  Here is the answer: 2 million babies would be dead!

  

  James Harrison has magical blood.

  Specifically, his blood contains an extremely rare enzyme that can be used to treat babies dying of Rhesus disease. If you've never heard of that disease and figure it's not a big deal, well, wait for the numbers.

  Harrison, being a generous type, has donated his rare, life-saving blood roughly 1,000 times over 56 years. This has saved the lives of--seriously, you're not going to believe this--over two million babies around the world.

  
  "Yeah, two million. I'm hoping to hit three, but whatever. I'm in it for the babies."

  The whole thing is kind of a "pay it forward" situation for Harrison, who needed major chest surgery when he was 13-years old, and soaked up 13 liters of blood over the course of three months. "The blood I received saved my life so I made a pledge to give blood when I was 18." This has turned out to be the second most important vow in history.

  Not only is he continuing to save lives every day now that he's entering his twilight years, but his blood has also been used to develop a vaccine called Anti-D to keep those babies safe. Forever.
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  Apognophos

  Wow, interesting. Not sure it was on-topic, but interesting!
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  Mum

  Years ago, I read Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's book, Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of the Jehovah's Witnesses. She makes the point in the book that most witnesses do not consciously decide to exit. Most of them feel pushed out. Many of the people on this board, I am sure, are in this category, myself for one.

  Put yourself first. Concern yourself less with how your actions affect others, as you're not harming anyone, and concentrate on building a good, happy fulfilling life for yourself.

  Best wishes!
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  dissonance_resolved

  It still seems difficult to believe that I coud just quit and not have anyone force the issue. But maybe. My dad is an elder in my own congregation so it will either lean one way or the other. I will take the advice of the majority and just see what happens if I stop going. I've nothing left to lose.
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  flipper

  DISSONANCE- Hang in there my friend. I was a born-in Witness who stopped attending 9 years ago at age 44. My older dad , a long time elder and my mom respected my decision to stop attending as I had been unjustly treated by some elders who were NOT giving me counsel according to the Bible, but their own personal opinions. I still have a decent relationship with them and talk on the phone once a week with them and my wife and I visit them about two times a year, they live far away.

  So, yes indeed you can still have a relationship but avoid talking about JW stuff or anything controversial. Concentrate on family matters and non-JW topics. If you fade gradually if you have a good relationship already with your folks- they'll understand . Just show them love and kindness and don't bowl them over with your newfound doubts- they will not understand, they are mind controlled- you are not. Good luck to you I wish you the best