Hi All,
Well where do I start, perhaps will go into more detail later, though briefly - 40 years young, raised in the truth (kingdom baby, which meant I was never going to make it to primary/secondary school/work/get married/have kids….) former MS, regular pioneer, learnt 3 foreign languages, served in foreign language group, married (wife still goes to meetings), beautiful kids, baptised at 15 years of age, regular pioneer at 15, grew up in divided house.
Hmmm, will go into my issues with all things organisational later, though firstly want to apologise, for being a self righteous spiritual pratt who did things by the book and sat with other Elders/MS’s and prejudged others for not doing enough and having a wrong attitude about all matters spiritual and organisational.
I stepped down as an MS over a year ago (they were grooming me to be an Elder), haven’t been to a meeting in 3 months, I knew it wasn’t the truth for a number of years and have struggled badly the last few years. Particularly with all the “new light” that keeps coming out as well as organisational scandals.
I discovered the old JWN site 2 years ago when I used to work with an Elder (ex Bethel Elder), he had the site on his computer! I asked him about it and he told me that he along with his CO and Bethel buddies monitor it! I remember last year someone started a topic asking if bethel do indeed monitor it, I wanted to register then and answer yes they do….
I am going to the memorial tonight with wife and kid’s and have chosen today as a pivotal day to register and join JWN, naughty me.
A big thank you to all you “apostates” for posting information that has helped me in my research of the WBTS, a big thanks to Blondie for her W/T comments, which I use in discussions with my wife (who is great in understanding my issues and stand now). On a side point, my last W/T study (DEC 08 I think) that I went to was when they used the reasoning that JW’s must be the true religion due to the face that even after the Nazi persecution they came out of it with increased numbers, a sign of Jehovah’s blessing. Well one of you posted that the Jews and Homosexuals must be blessed by Jehovah due to the fact that their numbers increased as well! I have used that reasoning on a few of my JW friends who had to agree that the W/T reasoning was wrong…
I am glad that Simon didn’t close the site last December and even happier that long time lurkers like me could register. Many of your old posts have been encouraging and as I have read of all your different accounts, I find it amazing that we have all been subjected to many similar experiences. There have been some things that I have seen happen in the organisation here in Australia that I used to feel that no one would believe and when I have discussed them with other JW friends, I get counselled for talking like an apostate! Go figure.
I am not DF’d or DA’d just inactive and we have about 30 in our cong who are in the same boat and I am not exaggerating when I say the local BOE just do not do any shepherding work at all. Even when I was a MS, I could skip a whole month of meetings and not get one call. And by the way, I thought it was just me who used to just write down false hours on the report slip! Towards the end I got very anti-report slip and explained to the PO that reports were not necessary any more, that the whole practice wasn’t scriptural. No wonder he avoids me like the plague.
Well I have rambled on long enough, thanks for having me, I feel like I know all of you through your comments over the last 2 years, and yes by the sound of it some of you have a crazy sense of humour like me! Boy did my humour get me into trouble over the years at quick builds/assemblies/meetings/funerals/memorials/weddings/MS schools/Betel visits/CO Visits…….
Especially sorry to those who faded around the time of the new understanding of the “generation” in 95. Instead of being critical of you and judging you according to organisational standards, I should have joined you in the fade….