What Brought You Into the Witnesses?

by Band on the Run 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  Ding

  They appeared to understand the Bible, including parts of it I knew nothing about.

  The other factor was that no non-Witnesses I asked took the time to defend what they believed from the Bible, other than citing 1-2 verses.

  They would tell me that the WTS took passages out of context but didn't show specifically how or what the correct context was.

  In retrospect, I think they didn't really understand what the Watchtower was saying about various doctrines and so didn't take many of their teachings seriously.

  It was as if they considered WT doctrines to be obvious nonsense that didn't require refuting.

  That approach has probably contributed to a lot of people getting sucked into the borg.

  One of the things that led me away from the WT was a set of tapes by Walter Martin and Bill Cetnar.

  They did take the WT arguments seriously and took the time to refute them one by one.
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  sooner7nc

  Biology.
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  Elgiard

  When I was, I think, seven, my mom had some kind of screwed up dream about the end of the world and then the next day the witnesses knocked on the door, which she took as some kind of sign. Suddenly, mom, myself, and my four year old sister were all witnesses, hallelujah! Dad wouldn't have anything to do with them, he was the smart one.

  Seven isn't very old, but I was an extremely bright kid and could have probably reasoned my way out of it. I do remember asking the elder at one of my mom's studies some uncomfortable questions which he never really answered to my satisfaction, but up until then we were a very unsocial family. We never really had any extended family or friends over, and the witnesses were something new and different, new friends, new social structure, new things to do. Yeah, my young life was so boring that going to the meetings was actually exciting. Hey, there was no internet back then

  So by the time I was old enough to make my own choices I was so far in that it was my whole life, which I know you guys know all about. When you're that far in it's like part of you can know that it's not right, but the rest of you just continues to accept it because it's all you've ever had, and you even defend if against yourself. I still remember when I finally accepted that it was all a lie. Of all things it was the United Nations scandal that did it for me. I'm glad I finally got free of them and I'm never going back.
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  Newborn

  Parents, from birth

  Luckily enough, parents and brother are out also, we're just waiting for big sis!

  Newborn
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  Heaven

  My Mom's Dad left the Catholic religion after all his kids were grown up and before I was born. He introduced this crap to our family. No one has ever told me how it was religiously in my Mom's family before he became a JW. I don't think they went to church. He died when I was about 4. My Mom married my Dad who wasn't a JW. Not all my Mom's siblings became JWs. No one on my Dad's side is a JW.

  As kids, we studied off and on as my Dad wasn't really into it. By the time I hit my teens, we kids could see the BS. We got real busy with school and work, even before we left home. It has been that way ever since.

  My parents got baptised years after all us kids had grown up and moved out. My Dad was having major difficulties with retirement as well as in marriage.

  Now my Mom is gone and my Dad is declining. There will be no JWs in our immediate family once he passes away. The gravy train from my family to the Watchtower ends upon his death. I make sure I tell everyone I know that they are a cult and to stay away from them.
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  the-illuminator81

  I was raised a witness by my parents.

  I was baptized because I had a girlfriend and you should be baptized if you are dating.

  Isn't that a good reason?
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  Found Sheep

  Born in well at 5 years of age single Dad got sucked in. He was -is - an alcoholic and didn't have a good job... he was the perfect victim. I always wanted to be a good girl and when I did the right thing I always got so many complements. Baptized at 12 pioneered at 17 married a MS... bla bla bla woke up at around 30. Dads out- my big Brother is IN with his wife and 2 boys.
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  sleepingbeauty

  Probably having a Crap Home Life & seeing my Aunts Idyllic loving family looking like the Waltons... I wanted a piece of that so I became one at 17 years old ! - What a Very Stupid girl I was !!!!
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  treadnh2o

  I too, was a winner in the "lucky sperm" contest!
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  keyser soze

  Just lucky enough to be born into it.