The evil internet was almost never the reason for leaving the Witnesses. But it sure did solidify the decision to get out.
What Was The 1st Thing That Made You Question?
by minimus 102 Replies latest jw friends
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JT
The whole "generation" thing had me doubting. Looking back on one outstanding thing, I'd have to say it was that discussion and change in the Nov 1995 Watchtower. this was it for me as well
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Solace
The first thing that made me question.....
When I was young, Armageddon.... The thought of God killing innocent people and children just because they didnt go to our kingdom hall made me wonder what kind of God I was worshipping.
Later in life, I found biblical proof of the society being false teachers and prophets and began my search from there.
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JT
October of 1995 is when I became curious about Watchtower doctrine. I can recall vividly being at the service meeting and hearing the secretary's wife asking people if they read about the new light yet. Her enthusiasm to everyone was a bit overwhelming for such a change. I remember having a clueless look on my face as I had not yet read my latest magazines. I believe she even had the newest Awake magazine and was pointing out the change in the banner where it eliminated 1914. She said that the generation teaching was no longer the correct view and that we had a new understanding of the term. I remember thinking how in the world could such a doctrine change overnight? Did not the coming of Armageddon basically hinge on the generation teaching? For years I thought that I would see the end of the world. And then all of a sudden, I felt like I could die of old age
yes i remember you so well and i too got hit with the generation issue i was "1' on h20
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Big Tex
You must have 2 witnesses to an act of child molestation.
Eyewitnesses.
Baptized Jehovah's Witnesses in good standing.
No mention was made of why 2 adults witnessing a child being raped, doing nothing to stop the rapist and then not having the decency to report the rape or the rapist to the police would be considered good witnesses.
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pharisee
The 1914 date. I would ask elders and CO's about the date and never got straight answers. I once made a "respected" elder admit that if armagedon did not occur before the year 2000, that the prophecy would be incorrect. Obviously it was.
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Quotes
A quick summary of the experiences that led to my liberation from cultic mind control:
(1) circa 1985, going in service, I accompany a sister to her Return Visit (TM). The very nice man asks me for clarification. Is it correct that the punishment for, say, Hitler or Stalin (i.e. eternal death, never to be resurrected, but not punished in Hell) is the same as the punishment for, say, non-members that reject the JW message, or for JWs who are removed due to a weakness like tobaco addiction? My response: YES, THAT'S RIGHT (not seeing the basic unfairness). He comes back with: "does that seem fair???" And then I started to hesitate. No, it doesn't seem fair to our earthly thinking, but Jehovah's ways are understandable to him Overall effect: a small, but highly ignorable "lump" was swept under my mental "carpet".
(2) circa 1990, wrote a paper for "History of Science & Technology" class (while getting my engineering degree). Chose to write about how evolution was "unscientific" and used all the lame arguements in the "Life -- How did it get here?" book. Was thouroughly and totally shot-down by the Teaching Assistant that marked the paper. I assumed that she was the misled one, but began to wonder how these Scientists and teachers that were teaching me about the amazing world of Engineering could be so utterly confused by such an unscientific teaching like evolution. Another lump goes under the mental carpet.
(3) circa 1987-1992 missed many meetings due to high volume study schedule for Engineering degree. Felt good to have an excuse to be free, but felt shame for missing so much spiritual food.
(4) circa 1992 - 1995 After graduation, my spotty attendence continued. I felt like a bad person. I was the "weak" one fortold by Jesus' parable. I was going to perish at Harmageddon(TM). My new wife became distant, and the only thing she had against me was that I was not going to meetings much, and was never going in service. My life spiralled downwards into a terrible, dangerous depression.
(5) circa 1995. Sunlight came to my life from the most unexpecte place. I was reading a book titled "Fads & Fallacies In the Name of Science" by Martin Gardner. I was caught off guard completely when I read the following on page 158-159, in the chapter titled "The Great Pyramid". Keep in mind, I had absolutely no expectation that book, which debunked anti-science in general, should suddenly contain the following passage:
FADS & FALLACIES In the Name of Science (Martin Gardner) pg 158-159
An American preacher enormously impressed by Smyths researches was Charles Taze Russell, of , founder of the sect flow known as Jehovahs Witnesses. In 1891, Pastor Russell published the third volume of his famous series Studies in the Scripture. It is a book of Biblical prophecy, supplemented by evidence from the Great Pyramid. A letter from Smyth is reproduced in which the Scottish astronomer praises Russell highly for his new and original contributions.
According to Russell, the Bible and Pyramid reveal clearly that the Second Coming of Christ took place invisibly in 1874. This ushered in forty years of Harvest during which the true members of the Church are to be called together under Russells leadership. Before the close of 1914, the Millennium will begin. The dead will rise and be given a second chance to accept Christ. Those who refuse are to be annihilated, leaving the world completely cleansed of evil. Members of the church alive at the beginning of the Millennium will simply live on forever. This is the meaning of the well known slogan of the Witnesses Millions now living will never die.
In , two brothers, John and Morton Edgar, were so impressed by Russells pyramid theories that they hurried to to make measurements of their own. There they found beautiful confirmations of the pastors views as day by day first one, and then the other, discovered fresh beauties in the symbolic and prophetic teaching of this marvellous structure. Their heroic research is recorded for posterity in two weighty tomes, from the first of which the above quotation is taken. The volumes appeared in 1910 and 1913, under the title, The Great Pyramid Passages and Chambers.
To the great disappointment of the Russellites, 1914 ushered in nothing more dramatic than the World War, and the sect lost thousands of members. New editions of Russells Pyramid study were issued with the wording altered slightly at crucial spots to make the errors less obvious. Thus, a 1910 edition had read, . . . The deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914. . . (p. 228) But in 1923, this sentence read, . . . The deliverance of the saints must take place very soon after 1914. . . Morton Edgar (brother John died before the great disappointment) produced a series of booklets in the twenties which followed the then current Russellite linenamely, that in 1914 Christ (already on earth since 1874) had begun an invisible reign of righteousness.
Judge J. F. Rutherford, who succeeded Russell after the pastor died in 1916, eventually discarded Pyramidology entirely. Writing in the November 15 and , issues of The Watch Tower and Herald, releases a double-barreled blast against it, and advances many ingenious arguments that the so-called Altar in was really inspired by Satan for the purpose of misleading the faithful. Did Jesus ever mention the Pyramid? Of course not. To study it, the Judge writes, is a waste of time and indicates lack of faith in the all-sufficiency of the Bible. Whether Morton Edgar remained a faithful Witness after this date, renouncing his life-time work on the Pyramid, would be interesting to know.
The Judge did not remind his readers in these articles that he, too, had been guilty of a prophetic error. For many years he had taught that 1925 would mark the beginning of the great jubilee year. Alas, it also had passed without perceptible upheavals. The sect now discourages the sale and reading of Russells writings, and although members still believe the Millennium is about to dawn, no definite dates are set.
At first I assumed that the passage was repeating an "apostate lie". Interesting, even though I was "spritually weak(TM)" the cultic mind control was still kicking in full force. But it was 1995, and I had an advantage some of you who exited years earlier did not have. I had been using the internet since 1994 (I was an "early adopter" of the technology). And I started to research the facts.
Hands quivering above the keyboard, I entered "Jehovah's Witnesses" into the LYCOS search engine. A few days later, I bought "Apocalypse Delayed" by Penton. A few weeks later I had books by Reed and Franz. Eventually I got my hands on "Combatting Cult Mind Control" by Hassan. And I began the long, slow process of cult exit.
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asortafairytale
The whole supposed "female inferiority" thing. And everytime I asked questions about it, I got the exact same answer: "god is the head of christ, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah....."
I grew up dirt poor, and my clothes were never very nice, and I never had such "essentials" as a "meeting coat", or a nice bookbag. I wore what I had, usually used things, wore my regular coat, and carried my books. And I was looked down on. That made me question the whole "christian love" thing
It was just about everything that happened from the moment my mom was disfellowshipped 12 years ago.
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JustUs
I've felt for a very long time now that "somethings wrong here" when it came to the love we all were commanded to have for one another. I grew up in Pittsburgh Pa. and was very close to a lot of the "annointed".Not that that really means anything other than the fact that I have a history with the JW's of almost 50 years, and I did see and felt a lot of the warm Christian love I believe we are meant to share with each other, up until about 1975-1978. Then it seemed all hell broke loose. Backbiting, backstabbing,slander, gossip...you name it...it happened. I saw many good people suffer at the hands of incompetent elders, aggressive ministerial servants (elder wannabes) and some really hateful individuals. I saw elders go after other elders. Families suffer and told to wait on Jehovah to make terrible circumstances right. I watched as missionaries who are family, come home on visits bitching and complaining about other missionaries in the "home" who weren't doing their part. I received letters from others serving in faraway places, and sensed a general discontent with their station in life. I asked, and still ask...."where's the love?" What happened? Even sadder for me is watching my son, who lives with his mother in another city, pioneer, work two jobs, and go to college full time, while he "hurts" because I've slipped away from the "truth", and he's advised by those who "really love him" to accept the fact that one day he may have to turn his back on his father because his father (me) has turned his back on Jehovah. Yeah....where's the love?
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justhuman
The fist thing was the subliminal pictures (demonic faces) in the Watchtower publications basically the Live for Ever book.
I was shocked with the picture showing Christ having a demon in he's head, and king Saoul when he went to get council from dead Samuel. Just by looking that picture I was getting upset.
I remember when we were with some other young brothers (back in 1991) and we were talking about this matter. It was a shocking experience. After few days the elders found out that we had this discussion, and they called us.
One elder he was like possesed. He was shouting on us and he was trembling. He said that the puplications of the watchtower are okey, and these are the slandering words of the apostates, trying to hurt the organization.
I didnt like hes behavior and still I was looking for an answer...Well internet came into our lives, and many answers I got from "apostates" :) The fact that not only Live for Ever but almost most of the publications have subliminals, has confirmed to me what i was afraid...that this is not the 'truth"
Even I can still look out in the Watchtower magazine and I trace subliminal pictures. I like doing this in the study...