Hello everybody,
I'm somewhat new here, even though I've posted a few times, so I decided it was time I properly introduced myself. I've been lurking for several months...
I was born into the JW and served for 21 years. I was an MS for the last year or two I was active. My dad was an elder, sister a regular pioneer and my mother a regular auxiliary. I've had doubts about religion since I was a teenager, but I didn't learn the truth until about January of this year.
I'm very interested in history, so I do a lot of reading about the subject. I couldn't figure out why all historians use 586/587 BC for the fall of Jerusalem when the "correct" date was 607. So I decided to do some research. You can guess where this is heading.
Eventually I discovered the criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses page on Wikipedia, which led me to Ray Franz and JWFacts. After I let myself consider the other side of the argument (a trick I learned in college ) it was all over. I was mentally out within a month. I have to give a big thanks to JWFacts for being almost entirely responsible for my rescue.
My mother caught me looking at JWFacts on my phone, which led to about 3 months of constant fights and unease, meetings with the elders, and shunning. I stepped down as an MS and when the elders came for me we had a rather pleasant discussion as compared to what most other people went through. The deer-in-the-headlights look I got when I proved 587 to them using Watchtower publications was worth the whole ordeal.
After a particularly nasty fight at home, I was kicked out. I moved in with my exJW best friend from childhood and haven't been to a meeting since. I'm technically inactive but still all of my "friends" and girlfriend won't speak to me. I only have two JW friends still, and they were my best friends. So I apologize for the lengthy post, but here I am and I'm here to stay! Thanks for all the support you guys have given me thusfar :)