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Matty

Hi Angela, welcome aboard!

I also thought this site was full of nasty crazy people when I first saw it, that's what the Witnesses do to you, make you frightened of anyone who disagrees with their teachings - so don't feel bad for that!

Valis

Greetings Angela and welcome to the board...not only is there tons of info here, but also a lot of good people to share with, learn from, have a cry with and actually meet in person. There are some good folks that post here from Cali as I'm sure you will see the more time you spend with us. Its nice to be able to make up your own mind huh? Welcome!

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

AlanF

Welcome Angela! You've already seen that what JWs are taught about critics by the Society is largely nonsense. They teach this nonsense so as not to be found out for what they really are -- a controlling organization that often destroys lives, families, friendships and minds.

Do continue to do your own research. Never rely only on what anyone else says. Critics of JWs are perfectly normal humans and, especially given their spiritual abuse by the Watchtower, can be unobjective and can make mistakes. You need to gather all the information you can, and judge for yourself who is telling the truth about what.

I will warn you about what you probably already know: If you decide to confront any JW with the information you've found, be prepared for anything. They could react with a lot of anger. They could react calmly and listen to you. If the latter, be prepared to receive a good deal of misinformation in return. Do your own research on that as well, and keep judging for yourself whether what you're being told is true or not.

Remember one thing: All JWs know that the most important thing in their lives as JWs is to keep up the pretense that their organization speaks directly for God. So whatever they tell you will be designed to "not besmirch Jehovah's name", which really means to keep the JW organization free from blame. Experience shows that JWs will often lie, cheat, steal, break "Caesar's" laws, and do anything underhanded or aboveboard they can to avoid attributing blame or anything bad to their mother organization. This is to protect their own view, which would collapse if they admitted that the organization can be grossly in error.

AlanF

rocketman

Hi and welcome Angela!

One thing you may have already noted: here, we encourage you to do all the research you can, using whatever sources of info are available to you. Jehovah's Witnesses seldom do the same. Their idea of research is, for the most part, looking into their own publications for answers.

hillary_step

Welcome Angela,

As you conduct your research, remember to continually ask yourself whether the WTS has a different agenda than the superficial one that they ask you to believe. Even the most innocuous sounding doctrine can take on sinister dimensions if is being used for a less than obvious purpose.

A member of the Governing Body , let us just call him O Nameless One….lol, made the following statement in a less guarded moment, "All, this expansion, all this growth and yet we still have the Brothers in control’. He viewed it as a blessing from God that the GB had not lost control of the Organization despite its rapid growth but when you study their numerous methods of controlling most aspects of the average JW’s life, even their thoughts, the blessings from God begin to look rather sick and begin to more resemble the behavior of the dictatorial governments that the WTS so cheerfully condemn.

Anyway, welcome on board. I hope that your surname is Jones as I have always felt the need to call someone Angela Jonesela but have never been afforded the opportunity….lol

Best regards - HS

LyinEyes

Hello Angela, and welcome to the board. I remember first finding our about all of the WT coverups and was really shocked. It lead to more and more research and it was not long that my very foundations of trust were shaken to the ground. This cause me so much grief and I didnt know what to do, I cried,I prayed and doubted everything I found out, even thinking that I might still be able to serve Jehovah , even if the WT was corrupt. I found that I couldnt go to the meetings and bare to sit there knowing what I knew. I disassociated myself and I tell you , I am still in a healing process and trying to recover from many of my own personal issues of the past as a JW.

There is many great people on this board, and many of us have known each other ,even met in person, for some time now. We love to joke , cut up ,and just have a good time, getting to know each other better.

But I can assure you that the stories we tell about the abuse, that so many of us went thru , are NOT , lies, or done out of bitterness at all, and they are NOT exaggerations. It is true ,if you have never heard of the behind the scenes stories, to really think that it is that bad within the JW's , but the story is told over and over again, by people all over the world. The differences are the names, the places , and times, but the experiences are so close to the same it is spoky.

Like someone eles said, keep an open mind, and take your time to find out what you need to. There are alot of stages of what you are about to go thru,,,,,it is a painful thing to lose your religion. But there is nothing like the freedom and peace of mind you will find, and I , can say that it is worth everything to find that.

Mac

Angela,

Welcome to the board!!!!!!! Keep reading and researching, girl.....you're doing fine.

mac, of the some of here are crazy but, with medication and proper restraints, can be quite harmless class

ApagaLaLuz

Hola Angela,

I am 23 from California. I left nearly 4 years ago. I was not DF'd or DA'd. I also had no internet access at the time. I began finally doing research at the local library about doubts that I had been having for a while regarding inconsistancies of rules and doctrines. I soon found some enlighting information. I left. A couple years later I found several sites on line with JW information. I soon found people in similar situations as my own. I now know that I was not crazy for leaving the witnesses. Spirituality is a very personal thing. Something ONLY YOU can decide for yourself how you want to cultivate your sense or spirituality.

Happy thoughts are with you

Chevy

slipnslidemaster

Welcome to the board Angela. Others in this thread have state much more eloquently what I feel so I will keep it short. I totally agree with AlanF and HIllary_step and hold their opinions in high regard. But totally do your own research and verify everything for yourself.

I personally will never take anything handed to me at face value again just because someone says it's true. One of my favorites is http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/ Check that site out as a starting point to look this stuff up in the original publications.

Again welcome.

Slippy

Guest 77

Greetings Angela. Take your time researching.

Guest 77

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