Has anyone left still believing it was the truth?

FollowedMyHeart

It seems that most XJWs have left because at one point in their JW life something happened that made them start to think something wasn't right with the religion. When I left, I still believed the JWs had "the truth". I was dying inside, trapped and unhappy (another poster's words, but describes exactly how I felt). I HAD to get out of my current life. It was a matter of survival.

I wrote a letter to DA myself for a couple reasons. 1: I knew that leaving and how I did it would be a DFing offence. I'd already been there, done that and didn't want to mess with the whole JC thing again. 2: I removed myself from being a JW to protect Jehovah's name. I didn't want to bring reproach on the cong. for my actions. Co-workers etc. who knew I was a JW would soon find out that I had left my husband...

At the time, I was escaping my unhappy marriage and a life that was going nowhere. If I could've done that and remained a JW, I would have. For a long time after leaving I defended the JW beliefs. It's only now, 7 yrs later, that I'm starting to realize that I was leaving my religion, too. I envy those who figured out the falsities which then propelled them to leave, either physically or mentally/emotionally.

Edited: Just to avoid further comments regarding the WT having "the truth", I would like to clarify that I no longer believe it's the truth. (Does anyone on JWN?) That thought dissolved about 6 yrs ago for me. The OP refers to my mind set at the time, not now.

jookbeard

never been able to understand WTF people would leave in they knew it was 100% the truth, probably not going to be many hands raised on here.

FollowedMyHeart

I left because I was suicidal, & felt a whole gamut of emotions that go along with that. I never connected it to the religion. I had reached the point of choosing the life I was in or my own happiness. I chose my own happiness.

probably not going to be many hands raised on here. Yes, that's why I'm asking it. I've always know I was a minority in this. I just want to know if I'm in a small boat or a one-man raft.

jookbeard

why would the prospect of the approaching paradise earth, where you can drink from life's waters free and stroke ferocious animals make you suicidal? you must have had some other issues biting away at you?

Found Sheep

I was in the same boat. I hated my marriage and relaized it was suicide or get out of the marriage. Being a JW I had an affair to end it. I did the JC and they found me innocent and reproved me. Did not expect that. Low and behold the congregation treated me like crap. I moved away to clear my head and didn't go to meedings for a few months but expected to go again. It wasn't till then that i started to put the picture together and realized the problem wasn't me all along it was the cult. So I DA myself at that point cuz the elders got wind that I was back and were pissed that i married non Jw said it was because I was not repentant WFT?

Was New Boy

"The truth?" Maybe they knew some truths....but was the whole thing "The Truth?"

It is the truth to those who believe it is. Just like what the Nazis believed was their "truth.".....Believes and truths are two different things...

So yes it was MY truth at one time. Now it is not. I have other believes now that could be just as misguided as the truths I had as a JW only time will tell.

The key is listen to your heart my young friend.

FollowedMyHeart

First, I'm only allowed 1 more post after this until tomorrow. So if a discussion is to continue, it will have to wait until then. Or in PM?

why would the prospect of the approaching paradise earth, where you can drink from life's waters free and stroke ferocious animals make you suicidal?

That's quite an assumption you've made. I don't believe I said anything of the kind. If you're using my statements of " I'm starting to realize that I was leaving my religion" & " I never connected it to the religion" to mean that, you're completely off base. The trapped, unhappy, depressed, suicidal feelings obviously didn't come from believing in a paradise. Those feelings came from the cult lifestyle created by the WT.

I already stated in the OP that I had been in an unhappy marriage. The prospect of living the entire rest of my life feeling so completely miserable just to MAYBE make it through Armageddon was not something I was willing to do.

Open mind

My brother left thinking it was God's Organization and that he was going to die at Armageddon.

He battled his homosexuality for many years before deciding to stop repressing his sexuality. During his first year in "Satan's World" he would witness to other people because he thought the JWs still had the truth. He thought he was just somehow messed up by God and would have to pay with his life at Armageddon. After a year being out of the Org, the lights started to come on.

Best regards,

om

Ilovebirthdays

I left still believing it was the truth. I felt exactly like you, dying insided, trapped and unhappy, and I didn't care if I would die or not, I just wanted out. Looking back, I think I thought in my head it was the truth, but didn't feel that way in my heart. It didn't take long for me to decide that there probably was something quite wrong, and probably a few months to decide it wasn't truth at all. It took me over a year to not worry about dying at Armageddon, even though it didn't take that long for me to think it wouldn't happen. I can't tell you how thankful I am that I managed to leave before marrying, and before having kids to subject to this awful cult.

WontLeave

Jehovah's Witnesses have the truth. They use it as bait to trap people into idolatry. They use Bible truths at people's door, because the truth is attractive. Jesus used it and had fantastic results, but in his case, there was no bait-and-switch.

Once they share things from the Bible that most people have never seen or heard (mostly because of apathy), they expect the recipient of the information to be so thankful that their appreciation can be leveraged into worshiping the "source" of the information. The Governing Body is given credit for the knowledge contained in the Bible, as if they wrote it. At nearly every meeting, we hear the praise for the "faithful slave" and how thankful we're supposed to be to them for spiritual food.

Paul addressed this: "What, then, is A·pol′los? Yes, what is Paul? Ministers through whom YOU became believers, even as the Lord granted each one. I planted, A·pol′los watered, but God kept making [it] grow; so that neither is he that plants anything nor is he that waters, but God who makes [it] grow." - 1Cor 3:5-7

Paul was an apostle, but directed all attention to God for His message, not to the messengers. The Society, however, is constantly fishing for glory and praise. I've made this illustration before and I feel it's very appropriate: If a fireman pulls you from a burning building, that is a good thing; if you build a shrine to him and make him your god because of it, that's a bad thing.

Has anyone left still believing it was the truth?

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