Hello. In the last 5/6 years, I've read many threads, some made me laugh , others sad such is life , but was a very pleasant experience. So I though it was time to introduce myself a bit.
Im Portuguese although living in the U.K. atm. Im from a (now) jw family and I have 2 sisters. I was 5 when, in that Saturday afternoon I heard someone talking to my mother at the door , far from imagining what was coming down the road.
My parents had limited education coming from a interior small rural village so it was easy for them to buy the "message". So I started going to meetings with my mother and eventually she became baptised. I myself had been baptised by the church only, after birth. My father followed her too and eventually I too became familiar with the religion itself in those infinite indoctrination series. Smiling, i still remember that "luminous" day , age 7 ,when my mother asked me to put some water in the plants with a water disperser and suddenly a small rainbow appeared in front of me. It hit me like a lightning bolt. Ive seen this before , in the yellow childrens book which refers the rainbow as a sign or promess.
It was the start for me , that eventually lead to ligh refraction information later on. Sooooo I though to myself this isn't what it looks like... Ive started to read read read, and the more ive read the more confident I was that something was very wrong. It was , as most here know well, very hard to digest all of this by myself all those years that I planned my escape. Without talking to no one. Alone. Too bad internet wasn't there. So my parents are in and of course they start to be pressurised to get me baptised too. I had parents study , congregation leaders study,etc . Stalled them all. Always. Would be there, etc , but in the questions part I was like , well ,idk instead of reading the underlined lines.
Going against them was bad idea of course as once a commentary on human history I made based on evolution theories once proved.(ok I cant say theyre wrong , got it ^^) Eventually they start to annoy you by the girlfriend thing , or world friends thing or "advising" your mother that the running competitions at school are bad or basically telling you what to do. As they saw I was being too independent thinking ofc my parents were pulled aside and given instructions. So the corporation rules became now my parents rules as they said "As long as you live with us , you WILL do as we say".
Well , that dint go well, but at least I knew what to do. Had to go meetings ,door to door , but all the time I though to myself "its a matter of time , hand in there" and looking back its sad when a children dream involves leaving family behind. I loved my family back then as of today, all of them. Always playing nice to all in the congregation , always friendly as I am usually anyways.
To this day all talk to me and respect me I think , if we happened to cross ways, because I NEVER baptised as I quickly realised I could be baptised and live a lie or leave home and have a "door" open with my family, but harder both. I have work to do i though to myself. One day, I marked a date mentally, it was a sunday. I got a job.I made friends at work.I was 17 , nearly adult age and the sunday was near. Time to prepare. I didn't want my parents harassed by this Corporation, so I go for the highest I can reach in charge. In the Saturday meeting I asked the at the time congregation president and bethel special envoy as well as my personal study monitor at that time to pop in next morning. No turning back now ,and off to bed to the longest night of my life.
He came in , I asked my parents to go in the living room and sat them all in the table. Told them although i think i believe in a energy source in the universe I dint want to follow this religion anymore as I dint believed the bible was the word of God ,and surely the Governing Body was NOT God channel due to the amount of errors in the past. Ive done my homework in all those years and arguments / counter arguments were made.
In that moment I saw. I saw what they can do to a informed decision. NOTHING. ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING
My mother cried , a bit arguing , but my case was water tight. "This is MY decision although my parents tried otherwise" I said with courage trembling inside at all times. "If I have to leave this house im prepared to do it tomorrow as I have a pre-rented flat already , but I would prefer not to as I love all of you"
Ive stayed with my family as I wasn't baptised , they had nothing to use against me anymore.(the corporation, my parents although disappointed in that moment ,always loved me) On top ppl in the congregation were fond of me so they didn't even tried. Although my family to this day are jw, we talk a lot about stuff religion related in which I try not to say they're wrong but advice them to inform themselves instead, bcz ppl believe what they choose to believe, not the truth unfortunately.
This is my Religious Liberation process, and hopefully will give strength to one in need one day.
To Simon (I think is the right name) tks for providing a place where people can freely express themselves and help others so they wont ever be alone to fight off these dangerous cancers of our society.
To others in same situation I was , Hang in There , don't despair ,let reason be your weapon , time is on OUR side.
Thank you and Good Luck to All