What made you leave "The Truth"?

by Chemical Emotions 61 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  WTWizard

  First, they made many bad promises. They welshed on everything they promised me.

  Also, with what they did to me with the opposite sex (exploiting what Jehovah himself already did), I realized that, whether it was the truth or not, I was better off outside. The worst wouldn't to get destroyed. The worst would be to survive, and have all the females die (or end up being their sole remaining problem) on my account because they couldn't stand me around. That would be a bigger guilt trip than all the hounders could possibly give me about not doing enough field circus or doing bad things could possibly get. And they kept telling me to just meet other men--the "sisters" avoiding me would be judged (meaning either they would all die on my account, or get in only to have their lives ruined by my being there).

  On that same note, it also means (since Jehovah himself created the problem) I have absolutely nothing to lose should I end up going to hell. I don't believe his promise to fix the problem after my death--he has welshed on it many times before, I know he would welsh on it then (and I don't want to be why everyone I am drawn to is in hell or miserable in heaven, any more than I want them all in Gehenna while I make it to paradise earth). Which gives me pretty much nothing to lose by not only leaving the witlesses, but bashing Jehovah himself as well.
• 

  El Nunya

  A personal encounter with the living Christ.
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  discreetslave

  I had little doubts here & there. Double standards, gossip, backbiting. I would always wonder why there seemed to be no holy spirit at work. I told my husband once marriages would work out fine if we could 69. One day reading the scripture about forbidding to marry is demonic & I thought matbe encouraging singleness & childless couples was part of the problem. I would cringe when the speaker would make derogatory remarks. How could they do that it's supposed to be for the public no wonder people rarely came back.

  I always use to think paradise should be like the summer of love. One big hippie party.
• 

  TDaze

  The short version is that I had a question: "What if we're wrong about what we believe?" The answer was: "Then we have to wait for Jehovah to correct it." That opened up a can of worms in my head, and it took me a few days to become sound of mind. (That is, to drop religion - especially something ridiculous such as Christianity - like the steaming pile of shit it is.)
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  Quendi

  As it was for many, a combination of things drove me from "the Truth". First it was the "generation" explanation in the November 1, 1995 Watchtower. That planted the seeds of doubt, but they didn't sprout and bear fruit for years. Next, it was an elder who was engaged in independent Bible study that alerted me that something was seriously wrong with WTS chronology. It wasn't just 607 that was wrong, but dating the book of Revelation at the end of the first century was a serious error also. Then I got disfellowshipped. The shunning was bad enough, but the hypocritical posturing of the judicial committee was even worse. Finally, the elder who had alerted me to the WTS chronology errors was disfellowshipped in absentia for apostasy. That was the final straw. Although I was already disfellowshipped, I ceased any and all efforts to return. I am glad I did. I now have concern for my friends and family who are still trapped in the cult.

  Quendi
• 

  LongHairGal

  Chemical Emotions:

  The 1995 generation change teaching is what finally led me to leave and I had no use for the religion at this point. However, before that there was a long list of things that did not sit well with me and I wasn't buying it. I don't even need to go into the faulty doctrines and will leave that to the other bible scholars here.

  The culture and the mentality in the religion is absolutely detestable. The biggest and most overwhelming thing as far as I was concerned was the potential for very much victimization on a personal level, especially to single women. This cannot be underestimated and I have learned lifelong lessons on how to avoid manipulation. No more religion or organizations for me!
• 

  Ding

  Interesting thread.

  If you had asked me years ago who is least likely to leave the borg, I would have said the higher up you go in the hierarchy, the less likely they are to break free because you have to swallow a lot and be company men to get to those positions in the first place.

  Having interacted with a lot of ex dubs on JWN and in person, I've noticed the opposite factor -- that the higher people go in the hierarchy the more likely they are to see the faults in the organization.

  The prime example is Ray Franz, who made it all the way to the GB and was shocked to see how concerns for organizational policies and protection trumped anything the Bible had to say.
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  Chemical Emotions

  I've noticed people talk a lot about ex-elders seeing things that other JWs don't get to see.
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  Quendi

  @LongHairGal:

  I couldn't agree more when you said, "The culture and the mentality in the religion is absolutely detestable." The abhorrent sexism practiced by Jehovah's Witnesses in the way women are shut out of any important decision making is one feature I hated. Another was the subtle racism that was tolerated, even practiced by many Witnesses. And I'm not limiting that to the question of black/white relations. It crossed the entire demographic spectrum in the organization. Extreme homophobia, deliberate shunning, and endless war aganist higher education are other things the WTS has promoted to the harm of many.

  I have left the WTS behind, and won't rush into the embrace of another religious organization again for as long as I live. That doesn't mean that I hate organized religion. But I think it has proven false to its claims. I'd rather pursue my own spiritual vision and follow my own spiritual path. Yes, I still believe in God and the Bible, but I won't get involved with another religious organization again in the hopes that it will show me the path to salvation. The WTS failed to do so, and I don't believe any other religion is any better.

  Quendi
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  Chemical Emotions

  Ive never noticed racism, but yes, sexism and extreme homophobia is rampant. And the shunning is horrible.

  I once heard a an elder say in a talk at a convention or assembly, (can't remember) that in the New System of Things (he announced happily and loudly) "THE GAYS WILL BE GONE!" People seemed to enjoy that comment.