by minimus 111 Replies latest jw friends
I would have to say that Ray Franz was the biggest influence for me.
When I first got on this board, a poster by the name of James, a former Bethelite and Organization heavy, helped me understand a lot of the inner workings in the upper echelons of the Society.
And of course, Farkel's common sense approach was (usually) helpful.
Ray Franz for me too. He is a perfect example of "The pen is mightier than the sword." His use of the pen, his writings, has been one of the most powerful tools to freeing people from the WT brainwashing that I know of. Helped, of course, by writings of Carl Olaf Johnnson, James Penton and others.
Even as I was reading CofC years ago I was wondering if Ray maybe still believed in the WT. I could not yet conceive that someone could really leave the organization after being on the GB. Now the organization and its supposed power is laughable.
there wasn't a seminal moment for me. I was raised 0 to 21 years so had no point of reference except school friends. And they didn't go to the trouble to try to counter all the bullshit they could see I was going thru. I just could never get any answers to all the q's I had over the years So I just started slowly falling away from the doctrine and when music came along I simply went on the road playing, and thus the shunning thingy had no real effect on me. That was in '72, so there wasn't that much open dissension at the time. Having said that, yes Franz work was a great eye-opener and cemented my thinking later when I did read it. In the seventies there was a woman X who wrote a very fine book and I can't think of the name. david hull
So many, when I first started reading on here Amazing, Maximus, Blondie & Leolaia.
Now so many, everyone who debates on here has something to share.
This site is probably the biggest single influence on my 'awakening', so thank you to Simon!
Myself, I critically looked at the doctrines of the WTS. in the late 1970's, saw that most were commercialized inspired frauds
to attract attention to the WTS. published literature, which eventually inspired myself to see what is the REAL Truth.
Awakened at Gilead AKA Ex Gilead Missionary videos were an eye opener. JW Facts' use of WT publications to expose the false teachings of the JW cult was instrumental. When I started doing research on the Internet I saw apostate sites that fitted perfectly the WT description and it almost turned me away from doing more research. Then I found JW Facts...I also concentrated on verifying how the WT misquoted secular sources to support their claims. All this started while doing research on earthquakes while preparing for a public talk...
Leolaia. I haven't read any of her posts lately. She could teach a course in Biblical history at any major University. I enjoyed reading all of her posts but the one about Jesus dying on Cross vs Stake was AMAZING!
My wife Reopened Mind. With her help see would give me research off the site to help me reason on things. The best one was on the flood. That really open my eyes to the point I asked myself "if this part on the bible is not true what about the rest?" Then I learned about Ray Franz books and I asked her to order them. Which see did. The rest is history. Thanks for being the biggest Apostate I know. Love You. Totally ADD
A member of the GB actually helped to wake me up. I always had doubts about how a loving God could kill everyone but JW's but during a talk the GB member was giving he admitted that many ones at bethel thought that 1975 was the big A, so many that they labeled him an apostate because he said that he didnt believe in 1975. Well that made me take noticed because they always had down played 1975 saying it was a few of the rank and file that got all worked up and that the leadership never really predicted 1975.
Crazyguy, can I ask, which GB member?
