How Long Did It Take You to Realize It Wasn't "The Truth"?

by minimus 54 Replies latest jw friends

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  AK - Jeff

  I had 'doubts' in the very back recesses of my mind for a decade I suppose. I didn't see them clearly though. Just knew something was wrong.

  I thought they had missed the true understanding of 'love' as taught by Jesus - but didn't really know why they had done so for a long, long time. I began to be assimilated into the bOrg structure at about 4 years old. At the age of 48 [2003 late fall] my wife and I finally found out about Ray's books, ordered them and read them. By the time I was finished with them, and about a bucket of tears later, I mark it as Jan 1, 2004, I knew we were the victims of a grandiose deception.

  If I had to pick a date - about Christmas 2003 it clicked.

  We have never set foot inside the KH since.

  Jeff
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  Finally-Free

  I had a problem with their policies and behaviour for quite a while, but still believed it was the "truth". A single afternoon of research was enough to convince me their beliefs and doctrines were wrong.

  W
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  snowbird

  I was a convert, and I always wondered why most of "the anointed" were White. When I found out how the founder of the WT felt about Black people, I had my answer.

  Then, I discovered the fact that the early Bible Students practically worshipped Russell! Here's a link to prove my point:

  http://www.gtft.org/BibleStudents/PastorRussellsLastDays.html

  These two are my primary reasons for concluding that JW's don't have any corner on Truth.

  Sylvia
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  Quirky1

  7 Horridly spent years! What a complete waste of time! I coulda been doing something better like nude skydiving or something.
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  LouBelle

  3-6 months from realisation to being disfellowshiped. Free free free. Will never go back!
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  BluesBrother

  Too b*****ing long - thats for sure !

  Taught it as a child, baptised young , swung a little in my youth but 'made it my own' in my 20's - then steady until I was 50..Once the scales fell from my eyes I have had a second doubt that it was all bull shyte (that is the J W, not Christianity)

  Q] " maybe----JWs aren't all that bad??? Yes the Org is....or Q] " maybe----JWs aren't all that bad??? No, some of them are good people
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  LovesDubs

  Got baptized in April 1985 and by summer of 1986, I knew I was in trouble...and stuck in it. Living with the PO and his wife, and getting summarily dumped by a MS whom I was dating that if he didnt marry me he couldnt be an elder. So...he dumped me to become an elder!! Dickhead. And I had been excluded from three close friends weddings that summer because I was spending all my TIME with that jerk! So...I was very jaded about everything and that fall the PO and his wife had a congregation picnic, I met my now husband...swallowed all the flaws I thought I saw, got married in the hall, had three kids and DAd 11 years later...hating damn near every minute of it.

  We always had great parties, showers, weddings, and shit like that...that was the only saving grace.
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  Alwayshere

  Hate to admit it but 33 years. If I had not done a LOT of research to get my son back in, guess I would still be in. It only took me about 3 months to leave then.
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  worf

  There were a number of things going on when I realized it wasn't "the truth", but I remember that as soon as I read the chapter entitled "Double Standards" in the book "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz, I said to myself these exact words: "We've been bamboozled. The watchtower is not backed by any god. We've been fooled all our lives."

  That's when I knew "what is."

  After that moment, realizing that 38 years of my life had been wasted, tears.

  A number of months after that and realizing that there is no justice in the borg, I was "out".

  For good.

  ( My full story is on sixscreensofthewatchtower.com phone conference recording. )

  Worf
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  stillajwexelder

  5 years