What's preventing YOU from stopping meeting attendance? (page 4)

Doubtfully Yours

Love for my husband, relatives, and caring sincerely for many others that have been part of my life for as long as I can remember and who happen to be very lovely people regardless of the WTBTS bs.

Very powerful reasons in my particular case.

DY😕

I freely admitted to the elders that I will never go to the assembly ReadFests, and that I never bought the "Faithful Slave Class" nonsense, and they simply encouraged me to think and pray about it, that they were nt the Masters of my faith!

Quite Inspiring.

They call on me whenever I have a reply at the meetings- when I go.....

Conclusion: Yes, the GB has many flwas and bloopers- but TRUTH is TRUTH- and my brotherhood (including them) are just people doing their best to live up to it.

nicolaou

slimboyfat: nicolaou what was it that convinced you in a couple of months? What sparked it all?

Hi Slim. I was trying to help a good friend who was having doubts. I posted about it here. Looking back I think I was lucky to have been confronted by doubt, I may never have got my family out intact if I'd not faced difficult questions when I did.

schnell

I'm fighting that, too, Schnell.
But I love the bros and sis- and sometimes actually LEARN something...whereas in the past, it was impossible to go and NOT learn something!

I love people in general, but find the cognitive dissonance surrounding Watchtower's handling of pedophiles quite disgusting. Many elders are well intended but intellectually naive and dishonest, as well as captive to WT dogma as you point out. Some are complete asshats. The writing is on the wall for Watchtower. Mene mene tekel parsin, indeed.

Sorry

Many would say I have no reason to stay. My relationship with my family is quite rocky. I only have one worthwhile friend whose hallway out the door themselves. It doesn't make me happy. I have a support system outside my family (boyfriend and various friends). So why stay?

Despite the things I go through, I value my relationship with my family. I still live with them. If attending meetings will keep the peace for now, so be it. As soon as I move out and they realize they can't make my decisions forever, hopefully I can start my fade.

schnell

Hope the best for you, @Sorry. Sounds like you are putting together a nice support system and fade strategy.

Themdoubts

It can take time for some people to leave. In my case i have had to construct a plan that I can't even act on yet, but am slowly building up to. Family is the main reason i stay. I find the meetings now very very uncomfortable and the last place i want to be....i wish it was as easy as walking away but I love my family so for now, baby steps.

slimboyfat

That's interesting nicolaou that your doubts were prompted by a particular circumstance and turn of events that could easily not have happened. The person who prompted your research, I guess he also left JWs?

It makes me wonder, because generally I agree with you that you can't make a JW reevaluate their beliefs who is not ready to do so within themselves. At the same time, chance encounters with disconfirmatory information can often make JWs think. Both of these propositions seem to be true.

Which makes me think that the best way to combat the Watchtiwer society is not to confront JWs head on, but to make information about JWs readily available where JWs may bump into it of their own accord. Which is what many of the best activists like Paul Grundy are doing with their websites, and in the old days when people used to make sure local, libraries had copies of Crisis of Conscience. I wonder if there are yet more ways of making information easier for JWs to stumble upon. That's where energy should be focussed.

ssn587

I quit attending during the CO visit, just stood up and walked out never been back or going to.

Vidiot

the-Question - "...the GB have turned meetings and assemblies into GB Readfests..."

Better that than wankfests, I suppose... :smirk:

What's preventing YOU from stopping meeting attendance?

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