How much influence did the internet have on you leaving the organization?

by The wanderer 64 Replies latest jw friends

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  OnTheWayOut

  I have not left yet - but - Randys site www.freeminds.org was very instrumental is getting myself to ask all sorts of questions

  Almost the same here. I already decided that JWs were wrong about so much stuff. I poured myself into research using only the

  WT Library. Finally, I went to freeminds and lo and behold, I could have saved myself weeks/months of research and read stuff in a

  few hours on the same stuff. I also found out that I needed to read Crisis of Conscience from freeminds. That clinched my decision

  to start the withdrawal.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Also, the internet taught me about the UN scandal (no idea before 2006). While I knew of problems, I did not know the

  extent as far as silentlambs was concerned with abusers not seeing justice. I had never watched the long videos about

  the WTS before the internet (detailed history of Russell, Rutherford, Knorr and Fred Franz). I did not know much about

  the house in California, the trips, who really translated the Greek and Hebrew. I had never considered the misinterpretation

  of scriptures about blood, before the internet.
• 

  plmkrzy

  I think it went something like:

  "Hey dude check this out"

  Gore answered: "That was MY idea!"
• 

  RR

  Whats Gore got to do with the Internet, is this some American in-joke ?

  Yep. When Gore was running for president. He made a statement that he invented the internet!
• 

  done4good

  It certainly made it easier to leave. I never knew most of any of the truth, about "the truth", before reading about these things on the internet.

  j
• 

  Check_Your_Premises

  Yep. When Gore was running for president. He made a statement that he invented the internet!

  I don't think he actually used the words "invented". I believe it was a statement made in context of some legislation that helped fund the connections between university and military computers. I think he said, "I helped create the internet".

  But it was a pretty funny statement, reminisent of "making outreageous claims like he invented the question mark". It caught on, and now is firmly entrenched in the American Lexicon. Right up there with "I voted for the war before I voted against it", "strategery", "don't misunderestimate me", and "It depends what the meaning of the word is, is".

  CYP
• 

  xjwms

  My mind was made up to be out already

  Freeminds and this site confirmed it.

  .
• 

  jstalin

  Al Gore quote: "I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
• 

  Rabbit

  I was already slowly leaving, because, of the lack of love and the rampant hypocrisy.

  So, what did the Net do to influence me ? :

  When I first came here...I was just experiencing 'non-official' shunning from the JW side (whodda thunk it!) of my family.

  I had been getting weaker over the years over many JW issues...to the point my then, Uber Dub wife, declared me a "spiritual danger" to our family. Eventually she got a "unscriptural' civil divorce...leaving me in a bad situation of "never being free to remarry'.

  5 year past and I did get remarried. Not one JW came to my wedding and the 'marked' shunning started...they just knew I would be DF for "adultery" ! They also disapproved my marrying an "unbeliever"...you know...a "non dub".

  The Internet was the only place I *could* go to get answers. I was trying to find other JW's that might know of others who had gone thru my very unique situation. The WT Official Site was absolutely useless, as they do not allow any discussion, it's just a 'do as we tell you' type website. No big surprise there, huh ?

  Anyway, when I found JWD (thanks to Megadude !) I found out my situation was not unique -- at all ! I read SO many sad stories about situations like mine and like many, many, many other situations I had seen during my 35 years in JW Land.

  I never really knew where Ex-JW's went...I assumed, like we were taught, they were either dead, drug addicts, alcoholics, murderers, rapists and even -- voters !

  Another thing about the Internet is ...I finally learned the REAL truth about the WTS blood transfusion & organ transplant doctrines. My Mom died over the blood issue and I was shocked to find out what a deadly doctrine it is. Too many of us here have lost loved ones to that murderous belief.

  Sadly, I was not alone in that subject either.

  So, for me, the Internet CEMENTED in my mind just how wrong and dangerous being a Jehovah's Witness can be. I was already on my way out and learning what I did about the WTS on the Internet was like flooring the gas pedal in a Ferrari, compared to driving a bus. I got to my destination much faster.

  Thank you Al Gore !
• 

  Doubting Bro

  I'm still physically involved but have come to the realization that its not the Truth. How the internet helped me was by putting together all the "little things" that bothered me for years (like the crazy stuff in the Rev. book & Daniel book). I had never heard of some of the scandles and certainly the UN situation has proved to be the icing on the cake. I did intentionally search for JW information. I am still a little shocked by all the horrible treatment at the hands of the congregation that is reported on here.

  My wife was ill the night Dateline ran here in the US. I went to the meeting and came home to find her crying. That lead me to the Slientlamb website where I felt like crying as well.

  I think the internet allows the information to be easily aggregated and easily accessable. The Society is at a loss as to what to do about it. They tell everyone to stay off but it does no good. So, in the end, the internet may be the tool that takes it down, but not the cause. The cause will be their own words.