by UncleI 63 Replies latest jw experiences
Welcome, Uncle1.
If you have just stumbled across the site and are not familiar with the format of this forum, some of the posts that you will see may be difficult to swallow, but keep an open mind. There is a lot of great information here, and a treasure of individual experiences to learn from.
So glad to have you here. It'll be eyeopening.
Jean
looks like you better quit your job to read all the links everyone has given you to look at uncle!! did anyone give him the UN weblink? i didnt notice if it was posted or not... if not, someone post it!!
bethel-light
Hello UncleI! I for one think you have your head on straight, very straight. I believe the core doctrines of the WTS are solid Scripturally. Core doctrines being defined as teachings regarding the soul, trinity, hell, God’s purpose for man never dying and the earth being a paradise and so forth.
Is the WTS God’s organization or has it ever been God’s organization? I don’t believe so although I used to. When we see the backstabbing and the pain inflicted by JWs who are the supposedly mature ones and when we see this behavior condoned from the top down we intuitively know something is not right. When we learn the real history if the WTS we see that things were never right.
There are many books available that help one to break free of WTS fear such as Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz. My personal favorite book (do a “Google” search on the title if you think you might like to read it) is Captives of a Concept by Don Cameron. This book addresses WTS organizational history from the perspective of the mind control techniques they have learned to EXPERTLY employ. It also helped me to understand how it is that decent, intelligent people can be trapped and controlled mentally.
FM
LOL UncleI is being love-bombed. Only here it counts.
Indeed :) Thank you
Welcome to the Board
Welcome, Uncle1, and pay no attention to anyone inside or OUTside the organization who tries to tell you how to believe! Its pretty easy to see, once you start looking at the WTS with an open mind and do some valid research, that many many of their teachings are wrong. But, having said that, I would respect the right of anyone to their own belief system. I draw the line where someone decides to push their belief onto me, as I mentioned above.
This site is awesome, as you will come to know, no matter what subject matter you would like to peruse we like to talk about everything. Some of us more so than others!
Sherry
While we're mentioning links, here are two more you need to look at:
Take your time to look at all the sites mentioned. No need to feel overwhelmed.
WELCOME!
Welcome, UncleI. I have seen many agonize over the same decisions you are making. Months afterwards they commented that the experience was like waking up from a long sleep, or that a heavy burden was finally lifting. I think that these are signs that independent research and questioning is healthy and will bring you closer to the light. Like the Boereans. Do you think the Boereans would have found the Jehovah's Witnesses to be the closest to Truth today?
What I hear between the lines of your post is that you have lost faith in the organization, but not in the God they claim to follow. I think your journey will take you to a closer walk with God, but away from the society. To do this and keep your family intact will take a great deal of discretion and wisdom.
I wish you good fortune in your journey of discovery.
By the way, don't believe just ANYTHING you read, either here or there. Take your time and study each issue thoroughly on its own to your satisfaction.
