When I left the Org I tried to find websites that revealed some of the things that I have learned recently on this website and others that are referenced here. However, I found that it made it worse to read or talk about anything pertaining to JW's in the beginning. It took a few years of healing (thank God for dogs, they are the master healers) and working through very strong feelings (which was difficult given that both my wife and I still have family in the Org) but I finally came out the other end stronger and more confident.
Fast forward to a few days ago when I found this board. For some unknown reason I was curious and felt like doing a google search for Ex JW's. I am glad that I did because everyone has been very friendly and have welcomed me.
Now, all that being said...please forgive me for my extreme ignorance. I learned of the NGO stuff just a day ago. I know, I know, it has been going on for a few years now, but like I said, I needed to get away from things for a while. Although it shouldn't shock me, it does. Not because it happened, I saw enough crap behind closed doors when I was an MS that convinced me of lying and deceit, but because of the blatant hypocrisy that just burns my a**. I remember growing up in New Hampshire when the only thing to do in the wintertime was play basketball. And guess what the only available gym was in NH? That's right...The YM frickin' CA. I don't have to tell all of you what that meant. If I wanted to play basketball there, it meant that I was part of Christendom and could not join. Why, that was "extreme disloyalty to Jehovah." So the explanation for the NGO membership is a library card?????? Well, my friends, my reply is: Even if that is true, which I don't believe for a millisecond, it still is touching the Wild Beast and is extreme disloyalty to Jehovah! More than any other issue that the Society stood for, I think that the issue of Christendom prostituting herself with the Wild Beast and JW seperateness was probably the bedrock of the "Truth" "Lie." So the shocker isn't the hypocrisy so much, because that exists on so many levels with the Org, it is that the NGO is such a stupid issue to get hung for. I mean, is that not the stupidest thing to get hung for? Funny how things get revealed.
I went on the UN site and printed off the letter referencing the matter with the Society and called my mom, who has been inactive for about 5 years, but still had feelings that perhaps the GB were still the Faithful And Discreet Slave and that she had been taught the truth. Well, I think I put a major dent in that feeling. I did feel bad because my mom has had the feeling that she wasted many years of her life (since the 1950's) and it was hard for her to accept that the Society's hypocrisy was played out on such a huge and obvious issue. She has seen a lot of issues on a local level over the years with bad elders, wolves, etc. etc., but never on a worldwide scale such as this issue. It shook her...
Shocker Number 2
After I left NH, imagine my surprise when we turned on Dateline and saw Paul Berry! I knew Paul, although not well, and we used to see Paul and his family in Nashua back when Holly was little. Imagine my shock when she was on the screen with her face tattoo'd. Tragic. The funny thing is that Paul was being groomed to be a Servant when he was in the Wilton Cong. His best friend was an elder who was eventually removed, along with the rest of the Body (with the exception of one elder) by a Special Committee. Just about every one of his "character" witnesses, that were elders, were removed (they no doubt are serving again) and were replaced with a temporary Body. All of his character witnesses are a joke. I know Wilton, NH well. It was, and is, a sick, sick Cong.
Well, that's my 2 cents!