exiting the watchtower

by jacethespace 30 Replies latest watchtower medical

  • JK666
    JK666

    jace,

    Trust me, build a support group of family and friends. Your Mum will probably be glad you are leaving the JW's. Don't let pride stand in the way of love a support.

    Also, gain as much UNFILTERED knowledge about the Organization. It will make you both angry and sad at the same time, but you will gain your freedom and a healthy peaceful life!

    God bless you, and welcome to JWD!

    JK

  • TheListener
    TheListener

    Welcome to the board. I've read your posts and feel your pain.

    PM me if you need talk.

  • Madame Quixote
    Madame Quixote

    Hi there, jace! Welcome. The emotional upheaval that you're having is like withdrawl from a toxic, addictive medication. The Watchtower Society is like addiction and the withdrawl can be difficult for some. We're here for you! Best wishes; stay away from "the drug" of meetings; it dulls the mind and induces a bit of paranoia.

  • shopaholic
    shopaholic

    Hi jace and welcome. Anti-christ makes a good recommendation about seeking professional help (I may be following that advice myself). Also, if you are able to, find a new place to live. Since your family are not witnesses, can you stay with them until you find a new place? That would take away some of the guilty feelings you get from seeing your JW neighbors.

  • dFromTheD
    dFromTheD

    Hi Jace! This is my first post as well. Its funny, i just never questioned anything growing up because thats the way I was taught to deal with inconsistencies in the WT (faith sucks). Its REALLY tough getting away from that I left in 1998 - 1999 (i had to convince myself that I left) and it was soooooo tough. I had my first apartment alone (first apartments are scary and its worse when you have no friends). I don't get depressed easily but wow was that tough. After I hung in there and built new relationships as best I could I found that the world is a wonderful place with tons of cool things that no good deity would deny anyone. It just gets easier. Nothing can make me go back. What was helpful for me was making comparisons with the elders and the pharasies(im bad at spelling). Another helpful thing is meetup dot com.... awesome for finding ex-witnesses and good people who want to help. If I could do it you can do it. Knowledge is your best fight in my opinion.

  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Dear Jace,

    WELCOME to the forum, we are happy to have you here!! First of all, if you haven't done any research, I suggest you start, as you will quickly see the organization for what it truely is. I highly suggest you read Crisis of Conscience. It was written by a "anointed" brother in Bethel who explains how things are done and how decisions effecting thousands of peoples lives are made. You will quickly see it is not by "divine" direction. What is great about the book is it is not a bashing JW book. But written with a "matter of fact" way. It will probably help you alot, as many here who read it have been helped tremendously. Here are a few things I started finding when doing my research:

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/122192/1.ashx

    My Findings With The Organization

    1. 586/587 is the destruction of Jerusalem, not 607. There is not proof outside the Societies literature to support that date. It is not in harmony with the scriptures.
    2. There was no governing body until 1975. And in 1975 before the big change, Fred Franz, one of the Anointed and the Watchtower President was totally against the change to a governing body. He is taped in a public Missionary talk going into great detail as to how unscriptural it was and not in accord with the early Christians, stating there clearly was no governing body in Bible times.
    3. 1914 was based by Charles Russell by the measurements of the Pyramid of Gehza. He taught that this Pyramid was God’s Stone Witness, and literally measured passages in the tunnel corelating them with Prophecy.
    4. The New World Translation has replaced God’s name in the Hebrew language. However, they have inserted Jehovahs name throughout the Greek Scriptures, and the Greek scriptures never originally had Jehovahs name in them. By inserting Jehovahs name every place where the original manuscripts read "Lord", it many times is inserted where clearly Jesus name should go when reading the context.
    5. Over and over the Society misquotes from secular authorities. This is clearly done to decieve the reader into believing that the secular authority agrees with the thought trying to be conveyed. Such quotes are used to give weight to the material being discussed.
    6. Earthquakes are one of the signs that we are living in the last days according to the Watchtower. The facts clearly show, when examined, that the rictor scale is a fairly recent machine. There has been no way to determine the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes until this machine. Clearly not being very honest with the readers of the Watchtower, because their statements are not based on facts.
    7. Mexico/Malawi incident. During the same time that our brothers in Malawi were being persecuted, raped, tourchered and murdered for not having a "party card", our brothers in Mexico at the same time were bribing the officials for military cards, and that was ok with the Society. Interesting that the "party cards" were much like our social security cards here in the U.S. There was onlyone party in Malawi, so by having this card, they were not taking "sides". But still the Society demanded complete obedience to their policy. Yet far away in Mexico, every Mexican citizen was required at a certain age do become a Mexican militant, and to serve in the military for a length of time. Rather than doing the time, the Witnesses were bribing the officials to give them a card. Thus becoming a Mexican militant. This was ok with the Society, as was being a militant. The Mexican brothers felt very guilty that they were given the "green light " by the organization, yet their brothers in Malawi at the same time were not and they were dying for their stand for Watchtower policy.
    8. The "good news" that the early Christians preached about, as well as Jesus preached of was the "good news" about Jesus. What his life meant and the salvation to all who would just have faith. Today the emphasis is on the Kingdom and the Paradise. If we were to tell ones in the congregation we were speaking of the good news of Jesus, they would think we belonged to the Mormons or another faith. Why had the message changed. Why did the Master Christ Jesus put in place a simple message of salvation for the slave to change that message. What message could ever be greater, than the one he gave his followers?
    9. During the 2 nd World War, the Society behaved in a very disturbing way. They were clearly anti sematic, anti British, and anti American. When you read the literature published at that time regarding what the Nazis were doing it is shocking. For it clearly shows the Society not taking a firm stand, but rather compromising trying to gain ther Nazis favor.
    10. The Society points the finger at other religons who have prophecied and yet the prophecys have failed to come true. Yet they claim that they are Gods prophet and not one prophecy of theirs has ever come true. Be sure not to confuse the prophecy of the Bible that did come true, with prophecy of the Watchtower that has never come true. By their own definition, they are also a false prophet.
    11. If in fact in 1919 the faithful slave was chosen as God’s channel on earth, and Christ Jesus, the Master approved of them, why is it that we do not still teach the things taught back then? Why are they considered, "old light"? Yet it was considered truth for that time. Truth does not revert back to falsehood if it was indeed truth to begin with. Why has the slave rejected what the master had approved of?
    12. In 1925 Bethsarim was built in San Diego for the "princes" that would be resurected and brought back to life on earth. Abraham, Issiac, Jacob etc… Interestingly enough though, this mansion was occupied until their grand return by Rutherford. But their prophecied grand return never came.
    13. Blood doctorine- As long as I can remember the command was to abstain from blood. Now, fractions are ok. Who changed that command? What of all those who have died because they were faithful to that policy? What of all those who needed blood and took blood? Were they invited back into the congregations because now the fractions they possibly took which got them disfellowshipped from the congregation in the first place is now ok?
    14. The light gets brighter excuse for change. When something gets brighter, the light does not get dimmer in the process. Light is added to more light. So something that was wrong, will always be wrong, but there may be continued light as to why it was wrong. But never would light be bright, then get dark, as old ight, being discarded and replaced with something new. Many times the light reverts back and forth back and forth. Clearly these are but mens teachings and not that of Jehovah.
    15. Child Molestation- The Watchtowers policy of two or more Witnesses applies to child molestation. Yet what molester would ever commit such a crime with two or more witnesses? The offender is not turned over to the authorities if there are not witnesses, and the molester is still able to have access to other children in the congregation to repeat, and victimize other children. Unfortunately other parents have no idea abuse or alegged abuse has taken place. There is no way for them to protect their own children.The congregation is a "safe haven" for molesters that should be turned over to the authorities. They are trained in such areas whereas the elders are not. Most of the time the parents of the abused children are told not to go to the authorities as it would bring reproach of Jehovahs name. They are told to keep silent.
    16. Christ’s reign was supposed to have began in 1799, 1873, 1874, 1878, 1914.
    17. Organ transplants were once considered cannibalism. Now they are a conscience matter. What about all those that took a heart transplant etc. against organizational policy. Now that it is a conscience matter, are those who were disfellowshipped for taking a transplant, are they reinstated into the congregation? Or are the still banished from family and friends?
    18. U.N. involvement. The Society has for years called the U.N. the Wild Beast. And no Christian was to have any participation in it whatsoever. Yet, for 10 years the Society secretly was a NGO member. Their claim was that this was done in order to recieve a library pass to the U.N. library. However, they did not need to join as a NGO member but rather only needed to fill out a application and a letter of recommendation in support of the research. The application is approved and sent to U.N. Security. The U.N checks the application and if approval is granted, instructs the Pass office to issue a library pass for the applicant. The issuance of a library pass is independent of NGO status or any other status. The Society only disassociated themselves after they were exposed. Then made the claim that they had to register as a NGO to have a Library card. Yet how many did they disfellowship for interfaith such as joining the local YMCA? For voting etc…

    Sincerely,

    Lady Liberty

    13-Oct-06 20:51 by Lady Liberty: Correct formatting
    13-Oct-06 21:01 by Lady Liberty: Correct formatting
  • Lady Liberty
    Lady Liberty

    Dear dfromtheD,

    WELCOME to the forum as well!! We are happy to have you here too!! We look forward to hearing more from you!!

    Sincerely,

    Lady Liberty

  • happehanna
    happehanna

    Welcome to the forum

    This place helped me beyond measure it can and will act as a lifeline

  • Twitch
    Twitch

    Welcome Jace & dfromtheD

    Glad to have ya aboard!

    Trust your instincts. They are your "truth"

  • RollerDave
    RollerDave

    Jace and dftD,

    Welcome to the Evil Slave Clubhouse!

    Heheheh.

    This is the place for the Truth about the 'truth' and you are in good company,

    RD

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