26 Years Later (page 2)

steve2

Loved Barbara Grizutti's book 'Visions of Glory' - one of the top books ever written about growing up in JW organization. Barbara was a gifted writer.

Diogenesister

Victor "Detowered" (de-flowered)

Dio [sniggering at the back]😆😆 :))

Victor when I was recruited in 75 and you trusted what you were told.

Òh my yes. You also trusted what you read. As a youngster, for me, the printed word was my god (we have lots of gods in watchtower lol). Whyever would anyone go to the bother of printing things that were not true???

DocBob

Hi Victor, I remember you from the old days. I first met Joey Stagnitto in late 1993 when I was still an elder. I think it was him who started the Jesus-Witness mailgroup and later Yahoo group. I'm still in touch with a few of the old-timers.

RolRod

I was one of the "founding" members of this forum, way back when, of course I used a different account and contributed a hell of a lot, especially during the time people were looking for certain Watchtower material, that I had among my 6,000 books. Sold most of it off on ebay, still selling it off, as I don't have use for it, most of the stuff has been digitalized. Still don't know why I was locked out of my original account. I was gone for over 5 years, visiting here and there.

I was with the witnesses for 12 years, from age 20 to about 32 or so. I just stepped down and walked away. Started meeting with a local Bible Student group in the area, served as deacon, then elder, then I stepped down and walked away. Got divorced after 25 years, and moved to the Midwest, where I have remarried (why, I'll never know, should've stayed single).

I started out on AOL, had a lot of fun on that site and the JW and xJW forums. We even had a gathering of the AOL members, made up of ex, inactive and current JWs. I still have the group picture we took somewhere.

I had the first Bible Students website and forum, debated a lot of JW's.

I still remember all the JW and exJW forums out there, and some of the crazies who professed to be anointed and had a following … LOL

Ah, those were the days!

Victor

Steve 2 I concur with you Barbara was a beautiful woman, a talented writer, and a courageous soul. I saw a notice that she passed away a few years back.

Dio what can I say? I was a born writer and at 17 the written word to me was truth. This was 1974 when no internet existed and no readily available anti-JW literature.

DocBob I also remember you. You and Ross were the rock stars on Jesus Wit. I saw years back the Ross passed away and for that matter other old timers like Farkel, Dutchy, woman from Why1914, and others.

RolRod

I met Doc Bob on PA at the Witnesses for Jesus Now, still have the group photo. Met Duane Magnani and he said, "oh, you paid my mortgage", I bought so much crap from him LOL

Betheliesalot

In 1980, I went to the Baptist Book Store and bought a book by William J Schneil, "30 years a watchtower slave" and from then on I knew they were running the biggest scam on uneducated people, close to what Jimmy Swaggert was up to against the baptist. When the internet came about in the late 80,s ( had a 1100 bit rate modem that was state of the art then) I could see the potential then. In 1993 when I got my 56K modem it started to expand exponentially and the knowledge of ttatt could not be stopped. In 1997 I was the first to order DSL and got a circuit from UUnet that was equal to what the banks used then. Now we all have that tech ability and it is all thanks to freedom. Freedom of religion and freedom from religion, and never take it for granted.

snugglebunny

I was a reluctant witness. Believed whole heartedly but loathed meetings and ministry work. When I finally realised it couldn't be true I was virtually whooping with delight. Grew my hair, smoked cigars, dated pretty girls, associated with whomever I liked, went to pubs instead of the Kingdom Hall, learned to play poker and snooker, went to soccer games, boxing matches and discos. Fabulous.

Room 215

I recall Ron Frye, a former circuit overseer from Minnesota, who did some early, excellent work on rebuttals of WT doctrine with his "Christian Respondent" newsletter, I often wonder how he's doing.

Victor

Bethelliesalot, when I first read I was a Watchtower slave, I had a hard time with his bitterness. However, I got enough to know also that these were predatory power hungry self appointed spiritual savants. In Visions of Glory, I totally could relate to the crazy making that the author went through and the massive fraud going on. Then came Ray's books to put the final nails in the Watchtower coffin.

Snugllebunny, the detowering process is filled with acts of rebellion. I had a conversation recently with a former elder who said his exwife now spends her life smoking pot and staying drunk on weekends with her new husband. Some are so broken that they end up destroying their lives. Sad.

Room 215 I also recall Ron Fry and the poster Maximus who posted some great content.

After my posting yesterday, I remembered Praotes who would go on these long rants of JW apologetic topics. Last I heard he left the JW's and married one of the posters on that newsgroup.

26 Years Later

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