What was your crisis

by JG 38 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  In_between_days

  My Crisis:

  There was alot of things that annoyed me about the religion, but I guess my turning point was a while ago when an elder hurled my dad into the "backroom" (I was about 18 at the time) and presented him with a book that I had left at his house, (I was freinds with his daughter) it was about evolution. He told my dad this is exactly one of the reasons why he considered me to be bad association for his daughter. My dad was pretty good about it, he thought the elder was a bit over the top to do that, though he did encourage me to take the book back to the library.

  I remember thinking "When I have time, i'm going to really look into this organisation - properly" So when I got older and got my life sorted out I did - I did research in books and on the library, as soon as I saw proof for the JW contradictions I left officially.

  I have never read "Crisis of concience", though I plan to.
• 

  SYN

  One day I just decided I didn't want to be a Dub anymore. I'd been tossed about like the proverbial "sheep amongst wolves" simply too long, so I wanted out!

  They've been digging in the Euphrates Valley and have uncovered a layer of agrarian culture 8,000 years old, and an older caveman culture. Recently, they reached another layer of fused green glass.
• 

  Francois

  I had serious doubts all along with many things. Ironically, a lot of the things that disgusted me the most was one of their publications which was to explain away all the sleazy stuff from their past. This was the JW apologia, "Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose." It's really a hoot the way they apply these giant prophecies of the past to teeny, tiny little things they did in the present.

  Sort of like "In those days the words of Jehovah's servant will be like fires on the heads of the false prophets and when the true prophet speaks, mountains will split open pouring fire and condemnation on he that speaks falsely in Jehovah's name" and that prophecy, according to the JWs, was fulfilled when Nathan Knorr lit a fart at a Bethel party in 1941. (I made this up of course, but you get the picture.)

  In the end, I grew a beard. And their reaction is what did it for me because the issue led to questions they couldn't answer, which led to more questions they couldn't answer, and so on and so on. At the last, I packed up my stuff following a divorce - but in the middle of a series of meetings with a JC - and moved three hundred miles away. Haven't been back since. Never will. Don't give a flying fuck what they think. Just want the world to see them for what they are. Like we do.

  Francois
• 

  LB

  I had the blinders on for awhile. But what got the lights turned on was a simple thing. A really horrible man was appointed a servent. He was mean, a drunk and never had a good word for anyone. Myself and a couple of regular pioneers approached the elders with our concerns and of course got ignored.

  Then I began to question much of what was being taught. But when my meeting attendence got spotty of course the tongues began to wag. The talk behind my back, but loud enough for my wife to hear got her to leave also.

  What always came back to mind is Christs words about how you can identify his followers, by the love shown among the brothers.

  
  Never Squat With Yer Spurs On
• 

  Farkel

  For me it was the blow jobs. They banned blow jobs. I was able to handle all the lies, back-stabbing, guilt trips, my idiotic conviction and sentencing over alternative military service, false prophecies, renegade elders, no college, rank hypocrisy and wasting the rest of my life pioneering and selling useless printed trash while living in poverty, but when it came to banning blow jobs, well, that did it.

  Every man has his breaking point. Yes, it was definitely the blow jobs.

  Farkel
• 

  Jewel

  For me it was a documentary on some cable channel. My oldest daughter was probably 18 mos old. I hadn't been to a meeting in probably 3 years, but still had a BUNCH of angst about the whole thing-at this point especially the "fact" that my lack of faith was going to doom my child.

  Then I saw this show about orphanages in Russia. There were these beautiful, innocent children living in horrific conditions: filthy, no medical care, not enough food, physical abuse, etc. I was angry with the Russian officials who were living in relative luxury and allowing these poor children to suffer so. Then I got to thinking about how Jehovah-a reportedly omnipotent god-was allowing this horrible suffering and millions more examples of suffering around the globe so he could win his cosmic bet with Satan.

  I decided then that, if there was a Jehovah, he was a monster and not something that I could worship.

  I let alot of fear and anger go at that moment.
• 

  JT

  Farkel YOU ARE ONE SICK PUPPY

  BUT WE LOVED IT

  the guys here in the server room wanted to know about the BAN on BJ

  so i explained it to them and once again they can't believe that folks would allow thier church all up under the sheets

  only in wt
• 

  Dawn

  ((((((((((saltiest))))))))))))
  You were a victim and should NEVER have been treated as a defendant. You should have been counseled, supported, encouraged, and loved. I am so sorry for the way you were treated - I wish I could hunt those d&** elders down for you and wring their necks!!

  As for my moment of crisis - it really came on gradually but there are two that stand out in my mind:

  1) There was too much emphasis on "appearances", ie: what type of clothes to wear, how long your skirts could be, whether men should wear flares or not, beards, etc. etc. etc - and everyone seemed to be focusing on how things "appeared" to outsiders instead of what was going on inside their own heart and with their brothers/sisters. Like when a "weak" one wasn't invited to get-togethers because others didn't want to be seen with them and marked - arent' we suppose to encourage the weak ones?

  2) Being told that I could not understand the bible without the help of the society..
  

  "We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the ‘faithful and discreet slave' organization." (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981.)

  So God can work through 40+ authors over thousands of years to create a manuscript of how to live your life - but can't make it so we can understand it until the late 1800's with the help of a few men in New York?? Come on - get real!!!
• 

  KathyJ

  My moment of clarity...that would have to be after I decided to leave the org and not go back and my dad, who is PO in his cong, paid me a visit. He was trying to convince me that I should come back for 2 reasons: 1) Because what would he tell my mother (who died when I was 11) when she was resurrected and I wasn't there. He thought he might tell her that I just didn't care enough to stay faithful. 2) I was killing my children......I realized that they would do anything to keep a person under their control - even if it was the most hurtful things they could think of in order to instill fear. That kind of nailed it for me!!
  .........by the way, Kathy who? lol
• 

  Englishman

  ..yeah, the blow-job crisis.

  I mean, it just comes natural to a gal doesn't it?

  Englishman.