Hey everyone, long time lurker, first time poster. I'm currently in a Jehovah's witnesses household, which is very deep into the "Truth". I woke up a few months ago, and I haven't told my parents yet. Right after birth my father read the Bible to me, so I'm pretty happy I escaped. Anyways, I've been thinking of coming out for a while now and when I do I want to have a reason why they should leave too. Anyone have any good points I could make?
How to convince someone to leave.
by Smiruk 27 Replies latest jw friends
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Ding
A lot of advice may depend on your age and circumstances.
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Issa
Hi, I'm on the same boat, only that I left the organization recently.I'm also finding evidence to try to prove my point of leaving this organization.
Have you looked over at YouTube videos of ex Jehovah's witnesses?
I recommend the ex Jehovah's witness Critical Thinker
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Searching
Hello! Welcome officially to the forums!
One mistake I made with my Mother, was that in my eagerness and hope that she'd see things as I did - was to overload her with all different facts, my mother isn't an active Witness, but she is a born-in and has been for 40+ years. While I still pray & have hope that she will come to see the truth about things in time, I'll admit I made a big mistake doing what I did. Don't overload them with facts all at once!
Honestly you could approach this in a few different ways, a single topic to kind of break the ice, depending on what you think matters the most to THEM
- The Child Abuse/Sexual Assault
-The discrepancy of 607 BCE - 1914
-The false end time predictions
-Discrepancies within what the Watchtower teaches vs the Scriptures (two big ones for me was the context of the "light getting brighter" & the partakers of the Passover)
You know your parents the best. Any of these could really create a lightbulb effect and get them to either question and examine the scriptures, or if its more about the scandals, look up news articles.
We all have different things that "woke us up" so to speak. Mine was more of an emotional "no loving God could destroy 99.9% of earth due to a technicality of not being part of a man made org."
Find theirs and try to gently slide it into a conversation, you really don't want to make it seem like you are attacking their beliefs, because that will only cause them to close up.
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Issa
What 'woke' you up from realizing that you wanted to leave the organization?
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amicabl
Welcome Smiruk. There is a lot of good advice and a lot of reading to do right here on this forum. Also you should arm yourself with the excellent and concisely written info on JWFACTS. All the best to you, it can be a long road.
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Old Navy
Very positive development!
The videos have been very helpful and some are very, very good. I'd put Apostate Chick in that very, very good category. Her videos are candidly humorous while offering poignant critical thinking stimuli.
Wishing you the very best as you proceed with your initiative.
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Smiruk
Because I'm not sure how to reply to specific posts, I'll just do this.
@Issa No, I haven't looked over those videos. I'll make sure to check them out! What woke me up was this this here video. I was subscribed to ted ed, and once I saw a new video I was excited to watch it. Once I did, I related so many of the things in it to the jw's and decided that the religion is false.
@Searching Incredibly useful advice there. I'll make sure to include it when I tell my parents. Thanks for writing that whole paragraph for me :)
@Old navy Would you mind trying to link that video again? It seems like something went wrong there.
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Issa
Nice!! That's the same video I watched yesterday in fact. Haha, and yeah, there's definitely consistency in that video that I've seen in the jw org. I'm glad, relieved, that I'm not the only one that noticed something strange (cult-like) of this org.
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zeb
Please keep in mind that the jw are discouraged from thinking. So a someone who leaves and has other 'views' information or blindingly obvious new learning called facts will be an outcast as the jw who are as you say 'very deep' will have no capacity to even start to comprehend you and will see you as a threat.
I nearly died once and when all was slipping away and I was not a man, husband, jw,australian, old, all the things of my being were slipping away and I had a euphoria of release... it is like when you wake up from a deep sleep you are the one that woke up you cant make others in the next room wake up as you did.
warmest regards enjoy your life do something useful with it. But as Ding has said any advice or experiences we give here depends on your age and circumstances..