What finally helped you to peek behind the curtain

by UnshackleTheChains 40 Replies latest jw experiences

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  LongHairGal

  UNSHAKLE THE CHAINS:

  After their 1995 changed teaching on Generation, I knew the end of my days in the Witness religion were numbered, even though at first I was in denial.

  It took a while, but I looked on the internet in 2000 and looked up Jehovah's Witnesses.

  It seemed intoxicating and as a JW who couldn't speak about doubts and bad experiences, it was so great to read about others who felt as I did.

  Much of what I read confirmed what I already knew or suspected. I was a little shocked about the extent of the pedophile scandal and I never knew about the UN thing.

  There was no denying that the Witness religion was deceitful and leading everybody on...It was worse than that: they were flat out insulting people's intelligence. I couldn't sit there and listen to their shit anymore.. I was so grateful I held onto my full time job and resisted these hateful idiots pushing poverty for single women. Likewise, I refused to be targeted to do favors for all the users in the hall.

  When I looked around it made me so depressed and I made my plan to "fade". I had the same mentality as somebody secretly looking for another job (which to be perfectly honest, is what it seemed like).

  I started my "fade" in the early part of 2001.
• 

  tepidpoultry

  Re science

  Watch Tower also favors the expression

  "Proved science"

  It is as well a WATCHTOWERISM

  :0)
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  StephaneLaliberte

  I know that some people hate aggressive activism, but for me, it was just that. There was a man yelling all sorts of things outside an assembly and all I could see in my head were the old pictures of the JWs from the 1940s doing the same thing to the Catholics. So I listened to what he said and some of the things did peak my curiosity. So I looked it up on line and voila! I was awaken 11 years ago. It just took me another 8 years to actually leave. :)
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  life is to short

  Pure and simple it was child molesters in my hall and the way the elder's handled it. If it were not for that I probably would still be a JW.

  LITS
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  smiddy

  Looking back I think it started with the revelation book and the interpretation given about the Cedar Point Ohio conventions from 1922 onwards for the next 7 years being prophesised in the book of Revelation.

  I thought thats stretching the point a bit too far.

  I thought that was so not right<I believe that started it all and then I started questioning the preaching work and pointed out to a few JW`s that if you asked anybody in this street,that street or any other street what JW`s believed in the only thing they would say is, no blood ,or dont salute the flag,maybe dont vote and that would be it .

  No householder would be able to say "they are waiting for Gods kingdom under Jesus Christ to Rule the Earth and live in paradise."

  So for the past 100+ years nobody knows why we go preaching from D2D !

  That was the beginning of the end for me and yet it still took a few more years to finally break free in 1993 .
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  Dunedain

  For me, it started with the hypocrisy amongst the Elder body, and men in charge. The poor way they handled things. The warped perceptions they made on "spiritual matters", and other peoples spirituality. How the Elders thought they could dictate what God felt, or thought about other humans, and situations. The cliques of the Elders, their wives, the pioneers, and all the good old boys club mentality.

  Being raised in the "truth", is a very polarizing experience. I can honestly say, that I have met some of the BEST human beings I have ever known in my life, and equally some of the WORST human beings on planet earth. I have been out of the "truth" since my early 20's, which is half my life, as I am in my early 40's now, so I have had an equal length of time, both in and out. I have known Witnesses, and Worldly people, equally as much, nd Witnesses take the cake for having more of the worst type of humans, unfortunately.

  After being out of the "truth" for many years, I still felt it WAS the "truth". Fortunatelly, the way I was treated by the same people that were my only family, and friends, is what kept me from returning. It wasn't until about 7 or 8 years ago that I started REALLY researching the Cult, and its history. This was actually very therapeutic for me, as it showed me the REAL truth about this organization, that I think in the back of my mind, I always knew. I then realized that the people in the Org, were the "fruits" of this rotten organization, and its fruit wasn't good.

  I guess, looking back, I should be thankful that I was DF'd, even if it was unfairly. It got me away from this parasitic, toxic, organization, a lot sooner in life than most. The "curtain" came down many years AFTER I was already out. I am just glad I didn't try to get re-instated many years ago. Life circumstance was in my favor. I think it would have been harder to find out TTATT, while still "IN", and being stuck, than learning what was behind the curtain, while already "on the other side".
  
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  Vanderhoven7

  Never a JW. But my Dad left after 5 years essentially because of doctrinal flip-flops on Sodom. When he questioned the head elder on this he was literally throttled for expressing his doubts about the organization being directed by God.
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  Nathan Natas

  Q.: "What finally helped you to peek behind the curtain?"

  A.: I had been attending meetings with my fanatic mother since I was about 7. I did what I was told to do, pioneering, etc. I was made a Ministerial Servant before I was 20, or soon after. While I was an MS I learned that there was a predatory pedophile in the congregation I was associated with (Middle Village Congregation, Queens, NYC). The elders had a meeting and decided that to protect the reputation of The Universal Sovereign and His Organization, the matter should be KEPT SECRET. The pedophile was permitted to teach the congregation from the podium and he eventually married a young sister with two small children. She was never told of his history.

  I had other, more minor issues with the Society, but this put the frosting on my cake. I withdrew from pioneering, the TMS, and my "position" in the congregation, then I took a job on the other side of the country where I knew no one.
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  The Searcher

  The "new" scrolls fallacy, quickly followed by the anti-Christ teaching that Romans 6:7 is literal and means that a person's own death wipes out their sins.

  I've groaned as I've listened to seemingly intelligent J.W.'s try to explain how 'acquitted' doesn't actually mean totally free & guiltless!
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  WingCommander

  What woke me up? Gees........where do I begin??? I was born-in. Mentally "awoken" by age 10, attended meetings until age 15, started searching Yahoo! at age 19 as I had nagging questions. Fully out and realized it was a cult by age 22. Never returned. Age 37 now.

  Q for Nathan Natas: Before you left your congregation, did you clue in that young sister with 2 young children? I sure hope so!