I am 66 years old, was baptized in 1961. Went to prison over the neutrality issue in 1966. In prison, we used to keep track of study time and award pioneer status, special pioneer status and missionary status to the amount of time we spent studying the WT pubs.
Sadly, I maintained a monthly study habit of 150 hours for a year or more. I really bought in to the WT during that sad time in my life. I had stupidly passed up a Coast Guard Academy appointment and scholarship along with other scholarships in order to go to prison.
Any, to my view of when the WT began its decline.
During the run up to 1975, I was NOT a 75'er. I rather took the Bible view that no one knew. However, I did hold the WT responsible for the 75 teaching, especially as they presented in on pages 20-30 in the Life Everlasting Book, and on the chart. So, when 75 came and went, I fully expected a serious apology on their part for the damage they no doubt did during the previous "90 MONTHS---(remember?)". I was more than disappointed during the 6 years following 75 until the did apologize in ONE SENTENCE IN 1981 in the summer WT that had the district assembly review.
By then, I was still a confirmed JW but developing strong doubts about the WT being in constant contact with Jehovah. I was not aware of the apostasy at the top during that time, but I did become aware of the CONSTANT USE OF THE TERM "FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE" as they were trying to defer our obedience to the Bible and Jehovah to the organization.
THAT IS WHEN I BEGAN PERSONALLY TO SEE THE DECLINE OF THE WT. I saw them as USURPING the authority of God and Jesus and taking that authority to themselves.
However, being a totally invested idiot, I just sat on the side thinking Jehovah would fix it. By 1995 when the generation teaching changed, I KNEW it was finally over, but still did not have the courage to leave. Rather, I developed what turned out to be a fairly common theory that the faithful and discreet slave and the evil slave were operating at the same time. I would see one WT article as written by the faithful slave and then figure that the evil slave may have written another. Kind of childish now as I look back, but at the time it was this gymnastics of my mind that was permitting me to deal with the 'dissonance' that I was perceiving.
Additionally, in 1997 there was a WT article that asked the question, "Is there corruption in God's Organization? Yes. Is it RIDDLED with corruption? No. Will Jehovah (paraphrase) reject this organization as his spokesman? JEHOVAH WOULD NEVER DO THAT.
When I read that, I turned to my wife of 30 years and said, "it is finished", somewhat alluding to Jesus last words.
However, continuing my mental inablilty to take a stand against them, I simply resigned as an elder a couple of years later and decided to wait it out on the 'sidelines' so to speak.
The final straw came in 2004 when the news of the WT adulterous involvement with the UN. (Hence the name UN informed). I began to write letters to the WT (which you can read on the internet by searching, brant jones, watchtower) and discovered that despite my 45 years of service, over 30 as an elder, many as a pioneer, and as a father that sent to sons to Bethel and myself going about 10 times a temporary construction worker, and despite donating time money and equitpment to work on Quick builds--(150)---DESPITE ALL THAT, the WT did not give a shit that they violated their own neutrality policy that sent me to prison and therefore pretty much blunted my life potential.
But gratefully, that was the last straw. I quit going in 2005, and in 2006 they hunted me up and wanted to have a judicial meeting. I told them that I would attend as soon as they put the charges in writing. They declined, and after me telling them by phone to "get what you are going to do done more quickly" (to quote Jesus to Judas), they disfellowshipped me and my wife.
THAT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
We are very happy now, celebrating our 7th year out from under their filthy clutches. I have three of my kids out of the org with us, one, who is obviously insane is still in. He hasn't spoken to us in years. What a chump. I hope deeply in my heart that whatever holds him to that vile place will lose its grip.
So to summarize:
1975--the beginning of the decline
1980's--the decline away from Jehovah and Jesus to a Man made organization
1990's--the rejection of long held teachings that gave them the identity that they held sacred. Their secret sex party with the UN.
2000's--the exposure and the rapid decline
Thanks for reading.
Brant Jones
