Hi VM44, All,
I did find a written list of questions I sent to Greg and my father and a couple other prominent Witnesses. Those questions were in the context of my exiting progress and were reflective of my personal shock at the sheer amount of disconfirming material I was finding. Material published by the Watch Tower Corporation.
I remember being told the Charles Russell Bible Students (Jehovah's Witnesses after 1931) did not split off from the Second Adventists. I was shocked by the boldness of that lie. Just by reading the Three Worlds and the six Studies books it is beyond doubt Russell had been a part of and then broke with the Adventist group. He writes about his gratitude and debt to them.
Today none of my questions remain unanswered. I dug out the answers myself. Ray Franz answered the majority in his books and in correspondence and by telephone. Jim Penton answered more. I spent days with Ron and Mavis Frye at their home and am eternally grateful for their friendship and insight. I was allowed to participate in the early internet exchanges on the Jesus Witness list with Randy Watters, Jim Penton, Ros, Jay Hess, Chet Harris, Jan, Kent, Alan, Joey, and others. Their kindness and wisdom and tolerance allowed me to, little by little, fill in the blanks. I remain grateful.
The unthinkable had happened. I had questioned the very depths of the Watch Tower Society. My parents, two of my sons, my brother, and my relatives had rejected me. For a time I was adrift. In the end it was my questions that turned out to be the map to resolution. The questions were not my questions, they were universal and begged for answers. The answers were not the answers I had wanted but they were undeniable in their context.
The hardest job has been accepting that they will never change and giving up on the dream that they will. Reality is much harder to deal with than fantasy. It was hard to accept that I will probably die without ever having a connection with my parents, two of my sons, my brother, and my relatives. I guess I lived with the delusion that my family bonds were stronger than the religious rules. I was wrong.
The future in a pragmatic world is unsure and sure at the same time. Life will begin for some and life will end for some. The rejection by some makes time for acceptance by others. I have more time for my 2 sons who do accept me. I think my experiences have made me more appreciative of the friends and family I do have.
My time as a Witness had many enjoyable times. I learned salesmanship and resistance to rejection. I sometimes miss the comradery and busyness. Once in a while I find myself wishing I could escape reality by returning to magical thinking. But pragmatic, rational, objective reality is my choice by conclusion.
There is lots on the internet now. When I first went on in the middle 90's there were almost no web sites relevant to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Now there must be hundreds if not thousands. This must be a difficult time for the Watch Tower Corporate leaders. Their past behaviors are coming back to haunt them. Their current behaviors are being challenged on every front. They are vulnerable to high lawsuit settlements and they have attracted the attention of governments on the lookout for abuses in rigid, high control groups.
Their days of purging with impunity are most likely limited. The desire to be respected while behaving unrespectably will require them to compromise more and more. It is apparent now that there are liberal and conservative elements within the Corporation now and both sides have entrenched themselves. It appears that the current conflict is between the religious and the legal divisions with the legal division gaining ground.
Thanks to all for being here and best wishes to all.
gb
