Then and now, your journey on JWD

greendawn

When you compare the way you feel now as members of this forum with how you felt on your early days here what sort of thoughts and feelings come up? What was your journey here like? For me I have gone a long way, when I came here I loathed typing long posts, and hardly knew how to go about forums I was basically a forum virgin. I feared that what I wrote may get misunderstood as offensive or ridiculed as stupid. After a few months of posting and by asking for help from more experienced members I found my orientations. I think the best time was around the summer of 2005 because there was then a lot of vivid and colourful debate on many issues eg I remember well Dr Evil who claimed he was a doctor and also really flaunted his gayness. It certainly wasn't a sleepy boring time.

JH

Good question.

If I look back at my first threads, I seemed to be anti JW in my words, but my heart was still with them and most of their teachings to a certain extent.

Then as time passed by, I became more and more distant from the Watchtower.

I still believe in God but I'm further and further away from the Watchtower's grip.

But I still post because I feel that I have to let out more steam.

fifi40

I was probably a little nervous about posting at first.................that no longer applies.

I think the forum shows that we are still a mixed bag of people, all at different stages in our development and that sometimes it is necessary to examine ourselves and what motivates us individually.

It can be fun and sometimes it can be a little boring!!!!!

fifi40

I was probably a little nervous about posting at first.................that no longer applies.

I think the forum shows that we are still a mixed bag of people, all at different stages in our development and that sometimes it is necessary to examine ourselves and what motivates us individually.

It can be fun and sometimes it can be a little boring!!!!!

greendawn

So JH how much time elapsed between the time you left the dubs (by fading or DAing I don't know)and the time you began here? I had left in the 1980's so I was already totally set against the WTS especially after 1995. And did you imagine at the time that you would make so many posts?

JH

I became inactive in 1991, but still went to meetings once in a while on and off, doing this up to 2005, belive it or not, often with 2 or 3 years of absence. And when I went back, it was only for a few weeks.

I guess i was just labeled "weak", not apostate.

thecarpenter

hmmm, this is a pretty good question. I have to say that when I left the Jdubs (after reading Crisis of Conscience), I came here at the suggestion of a friend. I had looked at this site previously but wasn't really interested in joining a forum. Once I made up the decision in my heart that I wasn't going to return to the organization, I was more determined to investigate it more thoroughly. I was just blown away at the level of scholarship of some of the posters, the strength of the logic and evidence presented on the site. I spent months pouring over the personal experiences of the various posters, reading up on the debates of WT apologist, following up on the issues related to the WT and so on. The forum helped to remove any lingering doubts that I had regarding my decision to leave and reinforced my hope and courage to start over again.

It has been almost a year now and I don't feel guilty over my decision nor do I feel that somehow the watchtower is god channel of communication. (miscommunication and deceit is more appropriate) I also had the wonderful privilege to meet a number of JWD'ers at a mini-apostafest, meetup groups and just a dinner here and there. Met elsewhere, truthsetsonefree, lonelysheep, radisson, pratt1, RR, audispere, CD, stevenyc, Asheron, BetterDaze. Great bunch of people and I hope to meet more in my 2nd year on JWD, maybe gumby, mary, metatron (I never met a big M&M before), blonde, gary buss, dogpatch, purplesofa, auldsoul, Leolaia, lady lee, JH, terry, honesty, blackswan of memphis (thump, thump, thump) and so on. (sorry if I excluded anyone but there are too many people to type that I would like to meet)

By the way, thanks simon for the forum.

twinkle toes

I have been vivisting this website for many years. Only in the last month have I felt like I wanted to post myself. Mostly out of nervousness, I think I still feel like somehow I will "get caught" anf end up being d'fed.

But even in the time between when I began reading and now I feel like I have come along way.

The light has indeed gotten brighter and brighter.This forum has been light to my roadway.

Thanks everyone

Frannie Banannie

Even though I'd been out of the WTS and online for a few years and had most of my hostility vented, there was still a lot to vent when I first came to JWD, so I showed my hiney a LOT. I've settled down gradually over the past few years and don't show my hiney near as much. I've also tried to clean up my act, because I realize that it isn't "pretty" to those who come here still drenched in WTS dogma.

Now I just relax and try to have a little fun, even if the topic's serious, though not so much fun as to get everyone's panties in a knot. I guess overall I'd say I'm gettin' there. Still get tunnel vision once in a while, but don't get my Irish up near as much as I used to.

Frannie

Truth2Me

Interesting question.

I think that when I first discovered this site, I visted alot. Mostly because I was so lonely, missing my friends (who were my family) in the Truth and needed to find others who could understand what I was going through. I was overwhelmed with the large scale of this site- so much information and research on so many different things. I love the balance of ideas expressed and that everyone is welcome here. We are all at a different place in our lives and we all have some connection to either living as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, or know someone who has. There is that "Witness Culture" that no one can possibly understand unless they have been a part of it.

For me, being disfellowshipped was like being plopped into a foreign country. I loved everything about being a Witness, being thrust out unto the world due to my own stupid mistake was the worst experience of my life. But, it does bring some comfort to know that one is not alone.

They say that our brains can only handle so many functions at once, and that a number of them are taken up by things life remembering to breathe, keep our heart beating, and digestion. For me one of those core functions is "processing" (like a computer with the hour-glass icon going) my spiritual needs and everthing that I have experienced in my life surrounding it. Every so often the hour-glass icon in my mind goes away, and I'm ready to take in new information and it's during these periods (or when I am processing pain and sadness) that I come here to research, study, or share. As time goes on I "need" this less and less because I have processed enough of what I have experienced (good and bad) and now that I have made piece with my past I am ready to look forward.

For me being a Witness was a wonderful experience. It's been a long time and I am not yet ready to proceed with any particular spiritual 'gameplan' at this point, but, I know that no matter what happens I have found on JWD hearing ears and a shoulder to cry on, and the chance to encourage another, as well as a wealth of information.

Then and now, your journey on JWD

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