I started leaving by fading away. I started fading after the elders refused to answer questions that I had concerning things that seemed to be contradicting. At first these questions that I had were actual, honest questions and they had no malice or intent to them. I just noticed some things and wanted some answers. I started asking some of the friends and they didn't know and acted a little concerned that I would even be thinking about things like this. Concerned over thinking...that worried me a little. Then the elders asked me in to the BACK ROOM where they confronted me about the questions I was asking. So I asked them. They flat out refused to answer them and told me, in so many words, that if I didn't stop asking these questions then it would be considered apostasy. That really pissed me off. I could see that their interests were not in finding truth but maintaining the status quo. I short time later I moved to another state which, while my previous congregation was known for having lots of love, this new one was very cold. This hastened my desire to not be a part of this organization any more, though I clinged to its beliefs for two more years. Then my eyes were opened. I decided to make the big leap and leave the org. I did this silently. I didn't tell anyone in the org at all. I just up and moved to a new state and haven't heard anything more since.
crinklestein
JoinedPosts by crinklestein
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40
How Did YOU Leave The Organization??
by minimus indid you just decide one morning that that was it??
did you agonize over making the decision?
was it a very gradual process?
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How Did YOU Leave The Organization??
by minimus indid you just decide one morning that that was it??
did you agonize over making the decision?
was it a very gradual process?
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crinklestein
It's explained if you click on the link that he provided. It leads to his website where you can listen to and read the public talk he gave in which he made many very good points about how the WTBS is like the Pharisees and they need to be more like Christ by having love. And at the end he stated that he was stepping down as elder and removing himself from the organization.
LittleToe, I am very impressed by the way that you did this. To do it in a public talk takes balls man! Not only that but to do it so calmly and level headed when so many things have gone wrong to bring you to this conclussion, well, that was also impressive. If it were me I very well may have started yelling or being sarcastic, which would've defeated the purpose of doing that publically. They would've dragged me off the stage. :)
And your DA letter was also very well written. I LOVE how you pointed out that Rutherford had said that new truths can NEVER contradict previous known truths and how you pointed out that their flip-flopping on what is sinful now and what is not seems less like new light and more like a strobe. VERY well done. You have my respect and if I was there you would've had my appluase.
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Name ways in which JW's don't serve God
by JH inmalachi 3:18
then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth god and him that serveth him not.. this verse says that if we don't serve god, then we are wicked..... from a jw point of view, if we don't preach with them and follow whatever they do, then we are wicked.
but there are so many ways of serving god, that they don't even do themselves.
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crinklestein
The scripture that says that, after an assembly of teachings of the Law, everyone went to the scrolls to make sure that what was taught was correct.
The WTBS discourages this. They tell you that they are God's representatives on Earth and to trust what they say without question. Question anything they say, compare what they say to the Bible and point out the errors and you are an apostate.
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As a JW did you "take a turkey" or accept the Xmas Bonus?
by confusedjw ini felt it hypocritical to take a turkey abviously meant for thanksgiving.
i didn't like buying the easter candy after easter either as it was "food sacrificed to idols".. years ago at a place i worked they gave out a xmas bonus which i returned.
( a few hundred dollars which we sure could have used) they assured me that it was an "end of the year" bonus.
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crinklestein
Yup, just give it a different name and its ok to celebrate it. Year End Celebration instead of Christmas or New Years. Just like Christmas replaced Saturnalia, Halloween replaced Sam Hain etc etc. Those changes were wrong but theirs is right. Funny how the actual celebration stays the same with them though, isn't it?
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As a JW did you "take a turkey" or accept the Xmas Bonus?
by confusedjw ini felt it hypocritical to take a turkey abviously meant for thanksgiving.
i didn't like buying the easter candy after easter either as it was "food sacrificed to idols".. years ago at a place i worked they gave out a xmas bonus which i returned.
( a few hundred dollars which we sure could have used) they assured me that it was an "end of the year" bonus.
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crinklestein
Even one of the "anointed" in our congregation accepted his when he worked. His excuse was that everything in the world, food and the gold, belongs to Jehovah so we would be rejecting something Jehovah had provided if we reused
So why reject birthday and Christmas presents given on each respective holiday?
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"Just being seen on the street is a witness."
by seattleniceguy inremember how the witnesses used to always say that even if they didn't meet anyone home, just being seen by traffic on the street was a witness?
as if the people driving by are saying to themselves, "wow, look at those servants of the true god, bringing the waters of life to my door.
if only i weren't so bull-headed, i might listen to them and attain a good relationship with my creator.
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crinklestein
It's just more reason for them to act like the Pharisees by adding more and more rules and burdons to the followers. I just think it's hillarious how they put the Pharisees down by saying they added undue burdon to the population and made it very hard to do the right thing because everything was wrong. And then they turn right around and say that if you have a goatee or beard then you are not to have any priviledges and you are councled. Women can only wear dresses and men can only wear suits. Your hair has to be just right. Even on your own time you have to be presentable at all times. You can't do this. You can't do that. You have to do this and you have to do that.
Funny how none of these rules or regulations are IN THE BIBLE. Yet the Pharisees are the bad guys. RIIIIGHHT. It's also funny that most of these little rules are based around vanity and appearance to others. Tell me, what angel was the most beautiful angel and what was his end result? Satan and he let it get to his head and it ruined him. He also uses vanity now. He comes as an angel of light.
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Giving account to God
by JH inif one day, you had to give account to god for your spiritual inactivity, what would you say?
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crinklestein
I would also add to my accounting to God that if the gift of life is given freely and CANNOT be earned then what does it matter what my activity is, as long as I accept your sons sacrifice on my behalf?
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Letter to my sister , very very very very very long !!!!!!!, but worth it !
by Armageddon inofficials say one of the parents -- marbely or denis meza -- killed the children.
denis meza was arrested july 16 on charges of sexually abusing his very own daughter and was ordered to have no contact with her after he moved out of the home in may.
"i try not think too much about what happened in marbely's house before it was set on fire," she said.
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crinklestein
"Jehovah allows those mistakes to be made to "test" the faith of his people." (Jehovah lets lies get promoted in His name to "test" people? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)
Great point!
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Giving account to God
by JH inif one day, you had to give account to god for your spiritual inactivity, what would you say?
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crinklestein
I would sorry, "Sorry God. I wasn't aware that I was spiritually inactive. Through my interperetations of the Bible it seems that your son never gave any indications that you HAD to belong to any organized religion. Just that you professed faith in him and that you had love for others. I mean, jeez God, wasn't the thief on the cross next to your son saved simply through an act of professing his faith? What was his spiritual state? Active or inactive? Not to sound too haughty or presumptuous Lord but if that's good enough for him...shouldn't it be good enough for everyone else?"
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Getting fed up with fading
by Pole inok, so here is my story in put a nutshell: .
1. i first had "nagging doubts" about the borg some three years ago (after 6 years of being a faithful witness).
2. i stopped avoiding "apostate" internet sites some 1.5 years ago, which really helped me confirm my doubts.
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crinklestein
When I was honest with my brother he told me I represent everything in the world he hates. When I was honest with my parents my mother told me she wished she had put me in a foster home as a child. These are the people I was protecting. I'm glad I didn't waste any more time acting like the dumb inactive Witness.
When I went public the message delivered to me from local Witnesses was "We didn't like you when you were a Witness!". That matched my feelings and I am glad I moved on when I did. The ones who have made their personal choice to shun me are out of my life forever. I am very glad to be rid of them. They were just taking up space and time in my life and in the end all they had for me was grief. GaryBWow! Just wow! I think this says it best. It is true that you really see the true way people feel about you when you stand in opposition to them in your views of grand things. As long as you think the same things as they do then they put on the face of someone who is your friend. Change your views and it's "Well we never liked you anyway." I've dealt with family members that were this way when I confronted them on their rude behavior towards my mother and this was the same exact thing that was said to me. I just said, "See? The just admitted that for their ENTIRE LIVES they never liked me at all. Any form of friendly behavior on my behalf was a fraud. How can you trust ANYTHING ELSE they say or do now?"
Once you see that true side it makes it that much easier to turn your back on them. I mean, don't those words just prove your way of thinking is correct? "I have doubts about this religion and it's people. I don't think I want anything more to do with it."
"Well we didn't like you anyway," or "Well I hate everything about you and wish I gave you up for adoption". Doesn't that just PROVE that you were right in thinking that this religion is not the right one? You would think that, if they were interested in keeping you, they would at least try to put on the fake loving face and try to convince you that this is the place for you. But instead they just push you right out the door. At least it quickens the healing process as far as getting over the guilt of leaving "God's only true organization of Earth". But that's gotta suck when your mom says that to you. Damn that sucks.But your way of dealing with those that cause transgretions against you is the same exact way I deal with people. If you cross me or my loved ones you are out of my cool book and I will have nothing to do with you unless you apologize and show me that you won't do that again. But one more chance is all they get because I use the old adage "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me." I'm not going to be a fool that let's people walk all over me just because they apologize for it afterwards.