How Many Here Have Done Extensive Research While a JW or When Exiting?

by minimus 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  SnakesInTheTower

  ATJ... your experience has a lot of similarities to mine... when I left MTS, I realized the BS but had to stick it out. I also researched every Borg nuance, both before and after becoming an elder. It did not win me friends on the 3 BOE's that I was a part of. The UN thing was a non event for me. The Generation thing bothered me long before 1995 as I had done extensive research on 1914, 607, etc. I was a strong researcher when it came to the prophecies and chronology. However, I did not rely strictly on WT publications, something that a couple of elders reminded me was a "bad idea" (their words). As you know from Gilead (and MTS), 607 is considered the "pivotal date" in WT chronology. The fact that 607 has been debunked has not deterred the WT from sticking to its 1914 story.

  98% (a high percentage number that I randomly pulled out of my a$$ to illustrate a strong majority) of rank and file publishers, and likely a nearly as large number of MS/elders/COs and higher, do not keep track of all the flip flops.... or if they do, they don't say anything to anyone; nor does it move them to think for themselves or help them escape the lie. Too much at stake.

  What seems to bother more of the rank and file is the lack of love shown by the leaders, the lack of justice shown by the leaders, or both.

  Although it took me another 5 years after MTS to make my escape, I have done absolutely no "research" on JW doctrine since then because I consider all of the WT stuff as BS..and I consider religion in general BS. I have read books and experiences online (here and elsewhere) of ex-JWs and how they deal with post-JW life... that is more useful for me than rehashing old JW beliefs. My only reading about JW doctrine now is Blondie's (and Mary's) commentaries on the recent WT...that's all I can stomach..and it serves as a good reminder to me why I left...for that I am grateful to their hard work.

  Snakes ()
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  stillajwexelder

  above average researcher but obviously I am no Leolaia, AlanF, Blondie, Farkel etc
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  WTWizard

  I pretty much accepted the doctrinal instability as "refinement", which is exactly what they wanted. In fact, had it not been for the p*** poor way they treated me, I would still be accepting it--that is what led me to look at ways to ruin their little network.
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  MissingLink

  Researching the "creation" book made me see the light.
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  Gordy

  Going through a traumtic experience at the time and trying to hold on to being a JW.

  I was in local library and spotted a book called "Awake to the Watchtower" by Doug Harris

  I thought one of those books having a go at the WT. I picked it up and started reading bits. It was like as if a switch had been thrown. I sat for the next 2 hours reading this book. I had read other books about the WT before but none had any effect on me.

  The library had an internet section so started on there. I was led to sites like Freeminds etc. This set me off on nearly 3 years of reseach about the WT its, history, doctrines and teachings. Along the way I learnt about the early days and the teachings of Russell, the Rutherford era, Knorr, Franz. I began to realise that it was nothing more than a man-made organisation, not Gods.

  I also came to see how the WT had twisted what the Christian faith really taught. The way they had given a false impression about the Trinity. immortality of the soul, hell. Most of all the role of Jesus Christ. I suppose in a way you could say the Watchtower led me to Christ.

  Ater nearly 3 years I was sitting one night in Kingdom Hall, listening I realised to the same old stuff. It then hit me that I no longer belived in the teachings of the WT. That night was the last meeting I attended. It was two years later I disassociated.

  I became (horror) a born-again Christian, and now attend a Pentecostal church.
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  LouBelle

  While in I did approved research.

  When exiting/questioning I went as far as to buy Hebrew & greek bibles, a greek dictionary, had a copy of the greek interliner from the society, their whole bible, the king james, the niv & another 2 or so extra bibles to really make sure that I got the correct rendering of scriptures - it was boggling. I had a variety of books that looked into the doctrine of the JWs, I had the web, I had COC - It got rather maddening though. Then came the quiet, yes do the research but then you need time for it to sink in, swirl around, and start making sense. So I put away the bibles, the books and only haul them out when I get truly fired up & these days it's difficult to do...I'm just so zen man.

  The conclusions I came to were my own, not anyone elses & I see things very differently now to what I did. Not a fan of some of the technics employed by some researchers here: looooong copy pastes - that's not research - that's copy paste and I won't bother with reading it.
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  minimus

  Lou Belle, I was very much like you. In my "theocratic" library, I had over 100 DIFFERENT Bibles or translations. I was most interested in variant renderings of John 1 :1.

  A lot of the assimilated info I took in, didn't take its toll on me until some years later when I could no longer stomach being an elder.
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  Awakened at Gilead

  I am reading up on evolution now... it makes a lot of sense.

  I picked up an Awake yesterday, and it's psuedoscientific articles almost made me vomit.
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  AWAKE&WATCHING

  Oh yeah! I tried to make time to do a little extra research on the WT lesson every week (out of approved publications of course) so I could incorporate a few extra "gems" (lol) into my answers.

  When I found the old JWD and other sites like Free Minds I went nuts with the research, printing and highlighting like a woman possessed. At the time it was my therapy, I had to prove to myself that Satan wasn't misleading me. I had to prove to myself that I had indeed found out the truth about the "truth".
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  Goshawk

  Got myself under the microscope when I tried to apply what I had learned in college geo-sciences to some pseudo-science being published by the WT$ in the 80's.

  "You must not add to what the FDS has provided."

  "But their science is off on a few points."

  "Patience, Jehovah will provide the information at the proper time."