Hello again to everyone:
Boy its hard to know where to start. First off I was raised a JW from infancy and am now 48.
A couple of you have asked if I was one of the anointed. At the time I left the organization I did profess to have a heavenly hope. This is another whole story that would take a fair bit of time to regurgitate and redigest, but all good things in their time.
I guess the main reason I checked in here is that my father has made one of his once ever 7 or so year visits to try and get me to go back to the Hall. The poor man just cannot fathom the idea that a person could have a spiritual thought out side of the organization. He is lost with out his publications; the Bible is not enough, which is sad, as he has been with the JWs since the late 40s. I feel he has missed out on so much, we have given him 3 grand children and two great grand children, which he would not even recognize if they were to stand in front of him. He has missed out on so much joy and happiness, or at least that is how I few family life.
I left the organization entirely over doctrinal issues, having said that there was a whole lot of the other stuff going on. I left the organization in the early 80s but still feel somewhat tied because of family ties, maybe ties is not the right word I should of said family divisions.
I have been on a great spiritual journey over the past 20 or so years since my departure, never once have I regretted my decision.
Later Robert