Cofty: I think its when you feel let down that you give yourself permission to look carefully at all the doubts that you have suppressed previously.
Yes, exactly! Steven Hassan makes this point in his book, Releasing the Bonds. People in a cult are more likely to question things after being mistreated and disillusioned by hypocrisy than they are over straight-forward doctrinal discrepancies.
This is important to keep in mind for any of us trying to reach loved ones still stuck in the cult: Never discuss doctrine! If they're not ready, it will only cause them to become defensive and resort to thought-stopping techniques.
Cofty: I researched blood and the great crowd in particular and in both cases discovered that the Watchtower had got it wrong. I only used the bible and Society publications.
Ah yes, the WTBTS's greatest enemy is their own publications. This is why WT Quotes and jwfacts.com are so devastating to their facade of truth.
Cofty: The elder who couldn't remember where the great crowd were supposed to be also served on my JC.
In one of my Judicial Hearings all three elders misquoted and/or misapplied 3 separate doctrines. Now ordinarily I could understand this; WT doctrines are confusing, contradictory, incoherent and change frequently.
My issue is that they condemned me for questioning doctrines that they couldn't even keep straight. At least I know what the present truth is and can clearly articulate it.
It's pretty ironic actually: I at least know what it is that I don't believe; they claim to "believe" whatever the WT publishes, but they can't even explain those "beliefs" properly.
Once a JW wakes up and learns TTATT he or she realizes they are in a cult.
