by Iamallcool 33 Replies latest jw experiences
For many, many long years I made excuses for them, comparing them to the ancient ‘renegade’ nation of Israel who were still considered God’s people right up to messiah’s coming in the 1st century.
Then came two Jehovah’s Witness suicides in a few months, (different areas)
That, was the finish for me…
LAMALLCOOL:
It was a culmination of many things, but that 1995 changed teaching on Generation made me decide I had to get out of the JW religion.
I planned my ‘Fade’ and occupied myself going online and reading their hidden history. I uncovered a mountain of information that was shocking and validated my experiences. I also read ‘Crisis of Conscience’ which was a real eye opener.
My ‘Fade’ was made easier by the bad attitudes and unfriendliness I got from people in the religion because I had a full time job..But, it was worth it to be shunned by these idiots because I’m Retired now.
It was a breath of fresh air to finally be FREE and to pick up where I left off before I set foot in the hall and fell down a rabbit hole.. Good riddance!
Trying to refute and write a rebuttal on Raymond Franz 2 books about the JW organisation.
I got into what was bigger than what I thought. I was out 2+ years after.
I was always fairly cynical about the "Truth" and being something of a student well aware of doctrinal inconsistencies but what really did it for me over time was observing the very much non-Christian behavior by many who occupied positions of responsibility and prominence as well as the abominable and unjust way many innocent people were treated. I can understand doctrinal error, it happens, what i cannot understand or accept is systemic behavior, hypocrisy and absolute refusal to admit error that have no place in Christianity
I've read about Raymond Franz on Wikipedia.
I walked into a Christian bookstore and picked up a book called “Awake! To the Watchtower” out of curiosity. I read it all in one go the same day. It’s not a terribly well researched or well written book. But perhaps the most influential on me in my life.
I quickly read everything in the library on JWs after that: James Penton, Ray Franz, Edmund Gruss, James Beckford, Alan Rogerson, Andrew Holden, Timothy White, Stevenson, and more.
I worked out that something was wrong before I dared to venture on the net or read opposing material. I had been faithful for decades, but time was passing by. I could not see how the world could enter the 21st century if the time scale was right. I was troubled also by the teaching that all non believers would die at Armageddon. That just seemed wrong.
I was sat at my desk at work one break time just mulling things over. This time I dared to think the unthinkable, “ Suppose it is all just not true?”
That was it . An epiphany moment and I never looked back.
I always just wanted to be a “normal” person, celebrate holidays, etc. I never wanted to be “evil”, like they claim all worldly people are. Drugs, sex with anyone and everyone, stealing, etc. when I moved out, I decided I would rather be dead (at Armageddon) than to continue doing things I hated to do, like field service and constant meetings. I felt as though I wasn’t really living. After I was out, I discovered TTATT.
Here is Mark Jones' reply
I was a 100% devoted Jehovah’s Witness. So much so that I had read literally every Watchtower book and magazine I ever heard of. I even began to work my way through old Watchtower and Awake! magazines. I got as far as the stuff printed in 1956 before I left entirely. There is no one reason, but actually a cumilation of reasons that just piled up to make it impossible to stay in the religion:
When an honest man is proven wrong, he either stops being wrong or stops being honest. - Anon.
How do I feel about the Jehovah’s Witnesses? I love them. I genuinely wish no harm or ill toward any of them. It’s the Watchtower society that I take issue with. Jehovah’s Witnesses dont know that they’re being manipulated, kept in the dark, used and lied to every day by their leaders. The very fact that they’re not allowed to talk to ex-members or read anything that criticizes the Watchtower society shows that the Watchtower society knows it’s manipulating it’s members.
It’s my hope that more people will evaluate and investigate their own religion and go where the evidence takes them.
My first exposer to the TATT was at age 9, in the revelation book, they were boasting about how conventions in the 1920s were the accomplishment of prophecies about the trumpets. That was the first time I started to question everything that came out of the Watchtower. I still rationalized a lot of things and stayed until I was 35. But the point is that I did not trust the Society from that day forward.
