My advice is to make real, practical steps depending on the answers to some questions. Let's be honest and straight about your situation.....ask yourself....
What are the chances your parents will change their beliefs?
What are the chances of a good relationship with family if you leave JW's?
Where will you live, how will you take care of yourself if they shun you?
Most people here have been shunned and rejected by family, so we have advice based on real life expeirnces, of family abandonment and the loss of support networks. Most JW's are going to follow the rules snd shun even their children if they 'stop believing'. From experience, many here will tell you that even your closest, desrest friends, will abandon you surprisingly quickly. Even friEnde you have know your whole life.
Now ask what matters most to you? Being honest, living a truthful life, or an easier more comfortable life, but living a lie? ....... this is the big decision you have to make, you alone!.
TRUTH v COMFORT.
If you decide truth matters so much more to you, that you can't live a lie and remain a JW, then you must prepsre now for a post-JW life. I would advise you prepare for the worst but obviously hope for the best,
You don't yet realise how fortunate you are to see the facade and untruths of the JW's at such a young age, Imagine being a JW your whole life and figuring it out at age 85, or even 65 or even 40! Youth gone, life decisions made, opportunities lost. At your age, just 17 you are young enough to start your life over two or three more times! Also, well done to you for realisjng it isn't true at such a young age, most JW's never dare to even doubt!
So what PRACTICAL steps can you make?
Have a time frame and a plan in mind and you MUST try to stick to it, no matter what! If one night you and your family get emotional and you admit your feelings about the JW's, literally anything could happen, including being kicked out. I saw it happen a few times growing up in JW's.
So have a plan and time frame!
My advice would be to pick a route/career in higher education. Education is perfect for people leaving the JW's, it provides social support with people also 'starting over' in a new area, new life'. Depending on country, your gov may provide several years of loans for accommodation, food and study. Work hard, get your qualifications and support yourself financially.
So how to do this? First have a career in mind that you are interested or passionate about. Go online, look at university entrance requirements for those careers, check to make sure you have the grades for it. If you don't have the grades yet, that is ok, spend this next year getting those grades in night classes or any way you ca so you can apply as soon as possible. Even if it is a year or teomyears away, it's a plan! It will work! If you can't think of a specific career for higher education, choose a useful topic to get a degree in, physics, maths, economics, business, law, engineering, IT.... etc etc
If education is 100% not for you then you need a job lined up, that will support you financially and you need to start doingbthe calculations as soon as you can just in case they find out how you feel soon.
Lastly, consider family that aren't JW's. Do you have any? Would they support you for a few years, whilst getting a job and accommodation or through higher education?
It can be done, I felt my world crumble when I told the elders how I really felt about the JW's.....friends and most family were suddenly very far away. I felt very alone on a very big planet,
I did a year of high school grades (aged 26) then got into universitu for a 6 year degree. I went from being a window cleaner, pioneer, bethelite, with no prospects, no home, no money and almost overnight no friends and few family....... to now being a university lecturer, a medical doctor and I get married this year.
Make a plan, stick to it. It will be hard, lonely snd emotional, but you can survive this.
Truth or Comfort...... hard decision.
Snare x