Okay you guys here is my story.....it might be a lil' long winded, but please bear with me....it's interesting...
Well I have been away for 8 years...I stopped when I was 17 and I'm 25 now. It all started when I became a non baptized publisher at age 14. I was a very good speaker/reader. The elders were waiting for me to get baptized and encouraged me to do so. I knew in my heart that I wasn't ready because in the far corners of my mind, I knew my heart wasn't in "the truth". But I was brainwashed since birth that this was the only way. So because of the short supply of brothers in the congregation, they needed help in areas. I still wasn't baptized and they were constantly on my parents about it. They never forced me but they wanted it just as much as the elders did. But they knew how important the decision was. I thank them for it to this day. You think that stopped the brothers? Hell no!!!
Can you believe they bent the rules for me (of course yall can it's law to them) I was nominated to do things reserved for baptized brothers....in addition to being signed up for the theocratic school AGAINST MY WILL ( can u believe my parents signed us up?) they had me reading the lesson at bookstudy, and carrying the mics!!!! I was on the school for talks EVERY MONTH, sometimes 3 times a month....plus school and a job....then...these bastards told me my hair was not acceptable.....WHAT!!! People, I am African American. I have what we Black folks call "good hair"....it's really wavy and fine...anyway, they told me if I didn't change my hair cut and basically the texture of my hair, I couldn't participate in any of the activities/privledges....My parents who gave me this hair, were so embarrassed.....so i got a different haircut and switched hair products (the brothers didn't like the shine the pomade put on my hair)...but the texture of my hair stayed the same....go figure....I've never seen my father so disappointed in me. (but he didn't give a damn about any other aspect in my life) then they damn near banished me for growing my beard....okay if God made man in His image...(think logically) why would He create men with testosterone giving us the ability to grow hair on our faces and call it detestable? How is it wrong that He created me to do this? How could it possibly be unclean? If that's the case, I should shave off all my body hair....No one could answer this for me. At this time I was at a religious war with my parents. We had heated debates frequently. Nights were filled with them giving me the tried and true J-dubisms and all kinds of religious psycho babble that left me more and more frustrated and misunderstood.....
So when I turned 17, I've have had enough....soon I was doing anything and everything to ditch the meetings....I started working late, and becoming "sick" on meeting nights..even when I had talks...let some other dude do it...."Impromptu hell!!! (yeah i picked up a cursing habit...guess i'm part of the world huh?) I was livid with the way they were using me...every week every month I had a talk...it got so bad my mother was writing the talks for me....and my father who was an dad absentee even though he lived with us got all the credit for me being a great speaker.....My speaking ability is a gift from God...my father never taught me anything....he just happened to be my biggest critic....everytime i got good counsel, he would tell me about what I really needed to work on....(ususally something the brothers gave me "good" on) So that summer, I had a turning point....One day my good friend and I had a heated religious debate...we covered everything from Jehovah, to Jesus, to birthdays, holidays, college....I stood my ground, standing firm on the truth...but I believed what I was saying less and less...everything, every objection she had was ON POINT!!!...It was EVERYTHING I needed to hear.....God sent her to me to hear the real deal....and it was on from there....I went to my senior prom, hung out with my "worldy friends", lost my virginity, and went to college....but it wasn't until I was 19 that I started to change spritually....for the first time in my life, I started to re-evaluate my understanding and relationship with God...I started listening to Gospel music and going to church....a very different experience, but a healthy, eye opening spritual one....
I married my high school sweetheart last year and she has helped me through so much....my outlook and beliefs are sooo different...for the first time in my life I realized God in my life...If it were not for Him I would not be where I am now....when I was a JW....i really didn't know Him...it was just a routine that was recorded in my head...with no real emotion..especially when I was taught that He wouldn't be there for me if I wasn't one of them....what a bunch of BS!!!! It's so evident that He's with me....I didn't realize it until lately but, people always come to me for advice because I give them the truth..and it's according to what He said. They even ask me what church do I go to just by looking at me.......because of this calmness and peace that He's given me..I treat people the way I want to be treated...and I know that He is with me...and His word is in me....regardless of everything...sometimes I don't see how He can be with them (JW's)....but that's just His way...We all are His children......His love is unwavering, unmovable, unstoppable, and unconditional....I have lost all contact with my former JW "friends" who were supposed to be my "real friends".....some have been in jail some are even homosexual now.....but i have had the same friends and some new ones, for almost 10 years...who said wordly folks couldn't be faithful? I have the best friends in the world...they are like my family...i see them more than my actual family...who are predominately JDUB!!! (on both sides) but in conclusion....Leaving the orginization was the best thing I could ever do!!!
To those still caught up and confused, in the end you have to do you! Be true to who you really are...and if you go to God,stripped, truthfully and faithfully, He will guide your heart to the place it should go. May God bless all of you!