When did y'all find all this stuff out?

by bigboi 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  bigboi

  Was it before you left or after you left and what promtped your investigation?

  For me it happened a few days before Christmas of last yr. It was right after my roommate purchased his computer. I looked up Jehovah on MS Encarta, clicked on a link and as they say the rest is history.
  I had just lost my job so I was able to spend a lot of time researching and looking into all kinds of shit. Freeminds was the best resource for me at the time.

  I keyed in on 1975 and Raymond Franz, because these were the two subjects I'd heard about the most. I was appalled at the viciousness shown to this man and the "let's get him" mentality they displayed toward him. It certainly cleared up things for me. If that was the way they treated someone with 50 yrs of service, what the hell could lil ol me expect? I wasn't around for 10 yrs even.

  I have to say I was astounded after hearing the truth about the 1975 coverup as well. I was told the same legendary line. Ppl put too much into what the society said. I ate that garbage w/o taking the time to find out exactly what the Society said that everyone took so seriously. Needless to say I was floored and after talking to my roommate found out that his mother and father divorced leaving her to care for eight children alone because of that fiasco. Seems his dad sold some potentially valuable land in Florida to pioneer. They fell out over that once 1975 came and went.

  Of course there's more to this saga but I'minterested in what y'all have to say. Thanks in advance for any and all responses. Maybe a few lurkers and newbies can vent a lil, huh?

  ONE....

  bigboi

  "it ain't what ya do. it's how you do it" quote from the song "True Honeybunz" by Bahamadia
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  jayhawk1

  My experience is almost the same. The Elders started complaining about my beard. Although 2 years earlier they gave me permission to grow it because of psoriasis. It was September 1999 that the complaints started. In April 2000, the evening of the passover, an Elder's wife got into a shouting match with me after the meeting about it. That was the last full meeting I went to. I went to 4 other partial meetings, but I just couldn't sit there and pretend I wanted to be there. August 2000 was the last meeting I went to. In May, I bought this computer and I started reading the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses. I bought Ray Franz's book, Chrisis of Conscience. After reading it, and giving it to my mother to read, I knew I would never go back again. Simply put, Jehovah's Witnesses is just another exclusive club and nothing more.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
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  teejay

  i'm a get back to you on this, big fella, but jayhawk? love that tag line.. "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit." makes me laff every time.
• 

  jayhawk1

  Teejay,
  I was trying to think of something funny. I'm glad I could make you laugh. Here have another laugh on me!

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
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  larc

  Hi all,

  I got out before the world of computers existed for everyday folks. Only one book was available, Schnell's Forty Years a Watchtower Slave. It's hateful tone detracted from its message. What did it for me was the low tech world of used book stores, where I got the early works of Russell and Rutherford. That did it for me. For Witnesses who are afraid of so called apostate books, just show them some of the early Watchtower writings.
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  bigboi

  hey Larc:

  I like your post. I would think that pre-internet days it would be almost impossible to really combat the effects of the WTS effectively because of the sheer volume of their printing prowess. It's almost impossible to wade through all their stuff and find the contradictions w/o a tool like the net. But, experiences like yours show that it was and still is possible. Thanks.

  Jayhawk;

  hat specifically was it about your beard? I mean why would an elder's wife get upset about it? I 've heard of even pettier things and I'm always interested in the circumstances behind them.

  ONE....

  bigboi

  "it ain't what ya do. it's how you do it" quote from the song "True Honeybunz" by Bahamadia
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  teejay

  see what i mean? <G>
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  jayhawk1

  The Elder's Wife said something about my opinion does not count, because I didn't follow what the society says about beards. That was the last straw for me. After 6 months of defending my right to wear a beard my patience ran out. I just lost my control that evening and swore off Jehovah's Witnesses from that day forward. Again, the Elders went back on their word that I would have no problem from the congregation about my beard. They promised me that if there were any complaints about my beard, they would handle it. For two years I never heard a thing, and then in September 1999, my life as a Jehovah's Witness was forever changed. If there is anything else you want to know, don't hesitate to ask.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
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  larc

  bigboi,

  Back then, it is not possible to trace changes over time as can be done with computer searches. However, just a sampling of the early writings compared much later works, showed a striking difference. When I read what Russell wrote regarding the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, e.g., the Napoleonic wars. I said to my self, this is not the same religion. Just the simple contrast between the old and new writings was enough to convince me that this is not God inspired stuff. This is more like people lost in a forest who are unable to find their way out.
• 

  larc

  Question,

  Now that the USSR has disolved, how do the Witnessed interprete the king of the north and the king of the south prophecy. I am asking because I don't keep up with their "new light" any more. By the way, this is a subject that would be worthy of a computer search. The North - South thing has changed a number of times.