I knew the “overlapping generation” doctrine was a scam. That was my doctrinal last straw. When I first heard it, I thought, “That’s crap!”
Yep. But it still took a personal afront to me & family to wake me up to TTATT.
Doc
What was YOUR wake-up call before you left the JW´s organization?
by Mr Fool 64 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Watchtower-Free
“overlapping generation”
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Ucantnome
I don't know if I would call it a wake-up call. I came to the conclusion that I was no longer convinced of the good news that we preached and so I stopped. I had no intention of leaving the Witnesses. However over the next two years I found I had little alternative.
Of course it could just be I didn't want to do the preaching. I don't know if I'm an impartial judge of my motives.
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rebel8
I don't know about a wake up call but something that made me realize I needed to escape faster, besides this, was when I was made to meet with elders for being upset about my jw bf dating my jw sister. (I don't know many normal adults who could cope with that, let alone someone who lacked emotional maturity and social skills due to being raised in a wackadoodle cult. Despite that, all I was doing was feeling hurt and not speaking to him. I think that was pretty big of me.)
They said I must obey him as a bro having headship over me so Jehovah would hate me if I kept not speaking to him. Also they read me the scripture about "Leah, the less-loved sister". They said I was simply inferior like Leah and I needed to accept that as Jehovah's decision, because He leads brothers to act!!!!!
I think jws are among the meanest people on Earth. You couldn't make this stuff up.
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Julia Orwell
Oh gosh where do I start? The sheer 1984 of it all got to me and also visiting a cemetary and seeing how people died so much younger before the 'last days' in which life is so terrible and we're all dying like never before. Yep, there was the hard evidence staring me right in the face that things aren't so bad now.
Also the inconsistencies in WT history when compared to real history ie the Exodus- 3 million people in one area for 40 years and not a single midden heap, latrine pit or ANY evidence whatsoever of them being there? Oh man, come on!
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Julia Orwell
Of course, and when I was between jobs I had all this free time like I'd never had for years, so I did some research and read other bible translations.
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joe134cd
There were a number of things over a period of time. For a number of years I just hadn't been happy. One thing that really stands out in my mind is been stuck at home on a Saturday night with no friends. I felt even more isolated and intimidated if I tried to get worldly friends, and to be honest I wasn't really into the drinking screen.
20-25 years latter I was given a private reproof for an incident I had in my life. I deeply regret having said anything to the elders about this, but this was probably the catalysist that has brought me to this point. Although it was a private reproof, I felt it was the exact opposite. I had elders spying on me at the hall, embarrasing me by halling me into the back room in full view of the congregation after the meeting - even though i told them i wanted it to be done in a private home out of sight of the congregation. I felt this was been gossiped about although I had never said anything to anybody, and with in a month and a half i had a family member ask me what I had done wrong. I found this troubleing and upsetting. In the end just walking in the front door of the KH just stressed me out. I was literally forced to act before I either ended up having a mental break down or waited for them to DF me. DFing isn't an option for me as this would just isolate me even further and would antagonise the situation.
while on the PR. There was a question that really bothered me. I always believed that witnesses had a really low divorce rate because we applied Gods word in our lives. I thought if this was so then why hasn't the society come out and said something or attempted to get data to prove this to be so. I have a work colleague who is a born again Christian and we got onto this subject one day. He mentioned to me that that there is no difference in the divorce rate between born again Christians and none Christians. I proudly said that witnesses have a very low divorce rate and his reply was "I think you would be surprised. I wnt home that night to prove to him wrong. I googled it up came JWFacts, and from their it just snow balled. I did a few calculatons comparing the national divorce rate to the amount i had seen in my congregation, and low and behold it was just sky rocketing. To be honest although been a witness for decades I was just amazed at what I didn't know. What I find particularly frustrating is just how in the dark or how unwilling they are to except hard proof.
So far it has been a couple of months since I have been to the meeting or filed a FS report. Not one congregation member has bothered to phone or come around and see me. Thankfully the elders haven't turned up either. So I guess this goes to show (after decades of service and a long family history with the religion)how much of a priority I am to them. Anyway this makes it easier for me to leave. I'm through with them.
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JakeM2012
My wake up call for Zomies, was researching older publications including C.T.Russels writings in which 1799 was the beginning of the time of the end, and stretching over other predicted dates that nothing happended, then J.F. Rutherford's prediction that 1925 was the beginning of Armageddon. I found out that my great grand parents had left their lives and went on the road for 5 years to "sell" as pioneers the book, "Millions Now Living Will Never Die". Beth Serim and the V-12 Cadillac's helped me appreciate the "presidents" stake in the matter, and I was disgusted.
When Pandora's box about Jehovah's Witnesses was opened it was impossible to close. Basically, once the mind is expanded it is impossible to return it to a previously thought process.
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gbrn
Overlapping generation, like others, was just too much for me. I was always able to rationalize JW reasoning before when I had doubts, but I think I was just at a point when I couldn't lie to myself anymore and when that gem of new light came out in 2010 that was the beginning of the end for me.
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smiddy
Outlaw
You are going to have stop posting , or I`m going to end up with a hernia .
smiddy