Hi. I am 46 and have been a jw for only 6 years. I was doing ok until about a month ago. We were having an international convention and I heard the brother that had to pick up 2 of the members of the governing body had to get a background check done on him and his wife. His wife was the one that mentioned this, in a car group, out in service. What kind of love is that. At home, I started looking up things online about the gb and other things. I also found this site and jwfacts. Now I see why they say dont look us up on the internet. I should have done this 6 years ago. Luckily, I have no other family in there. I was looking for advice on how is the best way to break away. I know they wont speak to me after, but most hardly do anyway, away from the hall. I guess being a single brother and kind of new. One other thing that got me mad. At our Thursday night meeting, a brother was doing a part about kids going back to school. He said jw kids only encounter refuse there. Refuse meaning garbage or worthless things. I have neices and nephews in school. I definitely didnt like that comment. Thanks for listening.
thinking of leaving
by justme67 50 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Apognophos
Welcome, justme67. JWs who are really attached to, and dependent on, their beliefs will spend their entire lives in the religion without reading outside, contrary material, so I'm glad you were not afraid to learn the real truth about the religion. Sadly, many are trapped in the religion by fear of man or fear of the end of the world. It's good to hear that you don't have family in, as that allows you to truly make up your own mind about this. I think the info collected at JWfacts is pretty damning, personally. Once I read about the organ transplant flip-flop in '67/'80, I was done.
If you don't have anything to lose in terms of being shunned, then I recommend leaving openly by disassociating yourself. Many ex-JWs here have faded by attending fewer and fewer meetings, or tried to fade and gotten disfellowshipped before they could get away, and that doesn't really send the right message to still-in Witnesses because it makes them look like they're trying to hide something.
That being said, you deserve to put yourself first in terms of how you choose to handle your exit. They were the ones who lied to you, so you don't owe them the truth about your inner thoughts. Whereas if you leave openly and make it clear that you're doing so for principled reasons, maybe it will be more persuasive to other Witnesses than if you just cut and run. But again, you should do what's best for you in this case. They're all adults and can make their own decisions about whether to keep hiding from the truth about the truth.
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DATA-DOG
Welcome. I had to sit through the refuse of the meeting on Thursday. Our speaker said that public school is a dangerous jungle and that our children are entering the lions mouth!! LOL!!! What a cult!!
If you can walk away, just do it. Move out of your territory. Change your phone number. Do whatever you must. They are getting crazier. Soon they will pass out Kool-aid at the memorial.
LET'S REVIEW: IT'S A CULT!!!
DD
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LV101
Welcome justme67. Don't leave - it's Friday night and might be a little slow but relax and kick it -- you're safe here and your anger will subside with reality that will soon be posted.
LV101
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Imminent1975
JustMe67, Thank you for sharing your story. Many people who do not wish to make a big deal out of their leaving choose to slowly fade; meaning to not attend meetings as regularly and become sporatic in service. This can take a few months to a few years depending on your preference. You become irregular at meetings, irregular in field service until you become inactive as a publisher and then just taper off to no activity in either meetings, service, or other forms of "service".
I congratulate you on your relative quickness in discovering the truth about the truth. Some of us here have spent 40, 50, and 60 years of our life on the hamster wheel running after the cheese and looking back see that we wasted most of our lives on nothing. Thank goodness your still young and single, (I presume). A fade should be very easy for you. Best Wishes.
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justme67
Thank you very much for your replies. I really feel like my eyes were opened up and I am seeing things the way they really are. I am thinking of writing a resignation letter and making it official. For supposedly being the happiest people on earth, I know a lot of depressed people at the kh. I will keep coming by here. I am enjoying reading all the different posts.
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Londo111
Welcome, Justme67!
I'm glad you learned the truth about the truth relatively quickly. Many of us were in for decades and that was all we knew.
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Crazyguy
get out ASAP and then go live the rest of your life...
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Listener
Welcome justme67. There was a thread started not long ago regarding a convention speech by a GB member. He said they had recieved a letter from someone advising them to stock up on food to prepare for Armageddon. The GB member said this was crazy and they should be relying on Jehovah to provide. When it comes to their own protection it sounds like they have little faith in Jehovah to provide for their safekeeping.
They are also building a huge underground 'carpark' in their new headquarters, even though they have acres and acres of land. I don't know if you have ever heard of Beth Sarim but the president (Judge J Rutherford) of the WTBTS had a house built there with an underground bunker.
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ruderedhead
justme, if you keep researching, you will be appalled by what you will find! Make a life for yourself outside of this sect, it's a wonderful world out here!
If you want to play by their rules, go ahead and DA yourself. Otherwise, simply go on your happy way, and let them do what they will. You literally have nothing to lose if you don't have family in and have no close associaltes there. I had no family in, my only child that was baptised was shunned when he went to university and kind of drifted away on his own, and our family is happy and doing well!