What first gave you doubts ? (page 2)

Gopher

Like someone else mentioned, I had suppressed my doubts that arose after growing up as a JW, wanting to believe that the "good stuff" outweighed the faults of the organization and its teachings.

One thing that didn't make sense to me early on was the 144,000 doctrine -- that not even THAT number of faithful "Christians" had been chosen between the first century and the end of the nineteenth century when the WT Society was organized.

Doing the math, that would mean that God anointed only about 70 people per year during the centuries leading up to the founding of CT Russell's group, and then after that God suddenly anointed thousands upon thousands, and then quit anointing people again suddenly in 1935!

The math was just too illogical. The 144,000 doctrine seemed like an invention designed to make anointed people affiliated with the Watchtower Society feel special.

mrbarthoss

this comment at a Circuit Assembly:"Why paint the boat while it is going down", in reference to the witness youths rejecting the idea of going to college. Frankly, this scared the crap out of me, in that they was a resistance to the advancement of human thought, and effort by way of a formal education.....the witnesses strong discouragement of attendance to college for their young has proven to be disastrous in expanding the scope of free thought and the need to "test" a theory or teaching before embracing it as a life long belief.

alison

The things that gave me doubts was when they said that only 144,000 people go to heaven and that they are the true religion. Also the fact that you could only date people from the religion, it's not truly for love but for the religion not god. Also the fact that they have the right as they would say they were appointed by god so therefore they have the right to disfellowship people. How is an imperfect human being judging me? Also they would prey in a married couples sexual life. It's not of their business. There is more stuff but these are the main things.

Maca

I have small doubts though out the years but when I had health problems starting about the '90s and missed many meetings cuz of that. Then I fell on black ice and shattered my ankle and wasn't able to attend meetings for many months. I would see the JW's go door to door and not stop at my house. That really gave me doubts. Where was to love that they should have had. It took a few more years for me to completely leave.

prgirl79

Well i was never in it, but what made me leave my ex who was disfellowshipped was a lot of what people mentioned here. It always felt wrong, when they would say why they don't do certain things, yet i stayed!! . I always felt like are you listening to yourself this doesn't make sense!!!!! I hated how they shunned him felt like who are they to judge? He told me they are only supposed to date people from the religion!! How when he was disfellowshipped to due to fornication what he did with her!!! How e thought after being disfellowshipped he was going to die at Armageddon!!! He wasn't encouraged to go to school, participate in after school activities or hang out with other kids!! I was raised Catholic and do not defend them for all the stuff they have done as well but i hated how they would scrutinize us and held other religions accountable but didn't look at what was being done in the halls!!! Also the lack of love he didnt' go to his grandmothers funeral service neither did his mother because it was in a Catholic Church i was totally disgusted. I realized i can't be with someone like this!!

HappyDad

What first gave me doubts? DITTO on everything said here. I'm just so sorry that it took the death of my wife 8 years ago for me to start my search for the way out, even though I had growing doubts and heart ache for decades.

Mulan mentioned the prodigal son...........if any here still believe in the saving grace (not undeserved kindness) of Jesus Christ....then I highly recommend the book.."What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancy.

This book was a gift to me a year ago and I learned more about love and forgiveness in the time it took me to read the book than I did in 30 + years of reading WT repetition.

HappyDad

Nadsam

Please forgive my rant in advance (((Simon))) >>

I entered bethel service very young (age 18) and soon started to realize that all the high and mighty brothers and sisters were fakes...but this didn't turn me yet (jedi talk) !

It seems I had to experiance the real evil of the WTBTS as an adult witness and only after waisting 30 yrs of my life in their stench of hypocrisy....

My real eye opener was years later after I had married, served many years as a pioneer, seved several years as a religious objector (military/prison) ,Ministerial Servant, Bethelite,Convention Overseer, Elder etc and when my work situation demanded long hours (economy went into a slump and because I had only basic schooling I had to work long hours just to survive) and this caused me to start to miss meetings, field service (I also had a group that I led) and I was struggling to meet my excessive Elder obligations I suddenly was branded as a weak and disloyal servant to the flock !!

If the Circuit Overseer could spit on me he would (HE ACTUALLY TOLD ME I WAS BEING MATERIALISTIC..THAT COMING FROM A FAT HIGH PRIEST KING OF FREEBIES LAZY DOG THAT HE IS...(pause to catch breath)...when I asked for kindness and understanding they eventually removed me from my position where I eventually told them to go and get f#ck*d after increasing harrasment and being screwed over by a fellow elder (business deal)....resulting in the long awaited announcement at the hall one thursday evening in 1993 that I was under reproof ,upon which I told the Circuit Overseer that he and the Congregation Overseer should also go and f#ck them selves after they did a pathetic "lets visit brother weak" attempt at my home resulting...therefore combination df'd/da'd (probably banned for life). Funny thing is my wife who was loyal to the WTBTS through all this was then branded as the "cause of my demise" they actually called her in to tell her that she's like Solomon's evil wives who stole him from Jehovah. Implying that she was wicked and had somehow sucked out my Watchtower mojo !

Thank God for that because that opened her eyes immediately too !

Anyways my wife and I since went to College/University and have a good ..happy..content life...free from the hell crap they call the "truth"

My advice to anyone waivering is...GET OUT NOW ..TODAY !

Best wishes to you all

Nadsam

[email protected]

Rant over ! going to have a nice cigarette and toast some marshmellows over some nice fiery hot aid books and bound volumes. see ya.

Swan

"We didn't tell you it was 1975. Over zealous ones went beyond the things written and focused on that date."

"Ray Franz of the governing body was disfellowshipped. He was trying to lead people off with his own teachings."

"Did you see the hidden face in this Watchtower (God's divinely inspired letter to his folllowers) illustration? It was put there by apostates in the art department. I'm sure the governing body has taken care of them."

"This new Creation book is so much better than the old Evolution book. It has up-to-date science and commentary from the world's leading scientists."

"The elders couldn't do anything about the abuse. There weren't two Witnesses to the incident. We need to treat him as a brother at family gatherings."

"Lisa was and her two babies were killed in an accident today. She crossed over the line into the lane of an oncoming cement truck. People behind her said she was driving erratically before she the accident. She was probably having a diabetic seizure."

Tammy

Carmel

Someone asked this question a few months back and I don't recall my answer, but in the mean time I gave it some thought and it all came back. There was a family with three children, two daughters of grade school age and an infant son. For some screwy reason they were not taking the sick child to the doctor and it finally wasted away and died. The family was weird to begin with but I was bothered by how the congregation was pretty much gagged by the Cong. Servant. He wouldn't allow any discussion of the matter and was personally defending the actions of the parents with scripture that gave them the right not to seek doctor's help, yaady, yaady, yah. I wondered how one person could be so in control over a situation like this and I know there was some lying going on but cannot remember the details now over fifty years later. I do remember how it seemed like we were all part of a cover-up but didn't dare say anything. Fealt like we were in the mafia.

carmel

gold_morning

All your posts brought back so many memories!!

I was disfellowshiped in the early 80's and felt I had been weeded out. Yes, I too hated the clicky gossipy groups in the kingdom hall. I had been a faithful sister and pioneer. I too married so very young and dared not go to college.

Still.... I was away for 16 years and thought I had been weeded out by Jehovah. I didn't measure up. I still thought it was the truth. For some reason I picked up the bible one day and just read it. It was difficult to read it without all the old JW lingo going on in my head. Still.... I was amazed at how different the bible was from what i had been taught my whole life. It was then that i had serious doubts. It is like..... where Have I been? These scriptures were so plain to see.

I spent over three years trying to figure it out and then on October 27, 1999 I became born again. It just hit me bigtime what it meant being saved by grace and it being a gift from God. What a relieve to know I didn't have to earn God's love and my salvation was a gift from HIM. I love Jesus and that has brought me such peace. I never thought I could be free from the brain washing. All those 16 years the stuff lurked in the back of my head. I was finally free from the guilt the Society had put on me.

So for me.... the doubts came when I read the bible for what it was and used my head for a change.

agape love, Gold

What first gave you doubts ?

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