by minimus 32 Replies latest jw friends
I think that once you get on the Internet and you see evidence that shows Jehovah’s Witnesses do not have the real truth, it can jolt you. But I don’t think simply going on an Internet site typically changes a person’s direction—even if the information is very damning toward the Witnesses.
I think it takes time to eventually get out. No question though, the internet definitely helps people see facts from a worldwide perspective.
I spend most of my time in exjw reddit. About a week ago we got 1000 new subscribers in 36 hours. We are almost reaching 30k subscribers. A lot of the new subscribers relate that they been visiting the site from weeks to about a year and that the site is what helped them wake up. So yes, they do help, but the time varies with each individual. Also circumstances affect the waking up process. JW family still in vs single with non-jw family. In for many years vs in for just a few years. Old timers vs the young generation. There are a lot of variables that affect the waking up process and also a lot of different mind-set personalities.
I think the majority of people who start searching for the truth about "the truth" are already on their way out even if they don't know it.
I've never imagined that regular "faithful" witnesses stumble across some ex-JW site that convinces them to leave for the same reason that no amount of information given to someone will make them leave. What typically happens is that something happens that touches them personally and makes them question things and it needs that trigger to get people open to the concept that it may be false.
They may be tentative, they may be uncomfortable, they may even feel the need to defend the WTS out of habit, but they are looking for confirmation that what they feel and what they think may be true.
That's why I think the personal stories and accounts of experiences that they can relate to and realize "oh, it's not just me / my congregation" are the most powerful convincers.
People by and large don't become JWs because of doctrine and that's why they don't leave when the doctrines change or get bothered that they make no sense.
It's all about personal need and personal issues and at some point the WTS will cause some injustice against them or someone they care about.
It's why the pro-JW types can spend endless time debating and defending the WTS and be unaffected by the information they are given. People chose what they want to believe. At some point they chose to stop believing and at that point start looking for counter viewpoints.
I looked at so called apostate books for years and went to bookstores and libraries and the net. I always was intrigued and when I saw all the false claims and ridiculous spiritual food outlined easily for me, I decided I was out. First in my head, then in my flesh. But it took years. I am one of those people who is affected by facts not just emotional stories. Either of the organization has the truth or does not and in this case they have failed miserably
I'm inclined to believe that many would-be leavers are tempted out because they no longer have the fear of being totally alone and of feeling abandoned. Meet-up sites such as this compensate in some part for the impact of disfellowshipping. The WT can never have imagined prior to the internet that DF'd persons would find a way to communicate so easily with one another.
This site showed me that other people saw the same things that I was seeing in the cult. I was still a believer in the doctrine but I knew something was wrong. Once I saw the stories of others and that I wasn't alone I started breaking down the doctrine, and eventually the Bible itself, using this site (among others that I branched out to).
These sites were a tremendous help to me. I was always open minded (so I thought) to discussing positives and negatives of the organization but was convinced it was still the "truth". I was challenged by a friend which caused me to find out more of what he was talking about. At first, I thought there could be reformation and frequented pages that advocated that. But, the more I allowed myself to openly question things, the more I realized that it simply is not the "truth". I remember feeling physically ill as the realization that I'd been fooled slowly came over me.
I was looking after my doubts coalesced and became clearer...then I looked for like-minded people. Crisis of Conscience was the straw that broke the camel's back as well as 3 statements at my last jw gathering (for the last 17 years). I found an iffy jw site (simon was on that one). He left and started JWD now JWN. The others were too angry or cerebral for me. Not everyone needs the internet though.
MINIMUS:
I would say sites like this are very effective in helping JWs who are in inner turmoil over things in the JW religion.
What I learned confirmed what I already knew or suspected about the Witness religion. I felt a mixture of relief and anger over deception and hypocrisy. They can never be forgiven for the generations of people they mesmerized with their BS and high control tactics!
There were many sites I came across. Some weren’t message boards but personal testimonials about what particular JWs went through. I kept looking and found this site where I could post and am still here. I didn’t post right away and lurked for a few years. I really do believe that the number of Lurkers is considerable and they just haven’t found the courage or need to post yet.
I still come on here after all these years even though I have long ago moved on. The reason I suppose is because I like reading about people’s experiences and what is happening to the JW religion and how they are finally being exposed. For too long what they really are has been kept hidden. Now, that is all over thanks to the internet and TV programs like A&E!
The internet definitely is the information highway. There is so much easy proof to show how Typically Wrong they are. I was not really swayed by someone’s issue with an elder. For me it’s about how they just always change their “truth”. And I if you don’t adhere to the truth of the day, even if it obviously untrue, you will get discarded from the brotherhood. 👎🏿👎🏿
