I finally stopped attending the meetings about 4 months go. I won't be going back - ever.
But I've decided the best reply to the Watchtower is to be happy and I do try to be happy every day even thought I wasted my entire life on this religion. I cherish every day, practice mindfulness and do my best to be content with the life I have.
It is only now that I see that most JWs I know are deeply unhappy people. I get emails from a sister and she is constantly lamenting how Satan is attacking everyone, how she cries when she says her prayers because all her kids have left the truth and she begs God to save them. How she's on anxiety pills and dreads the ministry and meetings.
Yesterday I saw a JW neighbour (I'm currently trying to avoid all JWs but this one lives almost next door) and quite honestly after a ten minute conversation with him I felt so depressed I didn't know what to do with myself. He was so utterly miserable and was saying how we're getting older, we might get sick and die blah blah.
Every time I have the misfortune to bump into one of them it is apparent how completely miserable they are. When I saw John Cedars review of the first day of the convention, I thought it's all doom, gloom and scare tactics. No wonder they are all so miserable.
How did I not see this when I was in? I guess you don't see the wood for the trees, do you?
I thought Jehovah was a happy God?