by SpannerintheWorks 13 Replies latest jw friends
Whenever I have conversed with one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I feel that they are 100% convinced that the WBTS is "right".
On this Forum, we have many people who were once one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but now totally reject it.
How did you feel witnessing to people whilst you no longer believed in it, or knew you were about to leave?
Spanner
hi there
truthfully i dont remember the last time i went out it was all too routine by then i just wanted to get home. i am certain that in all my ministry, only a tiny fraction of it could be considered "meaningfull".
Of course i wasa kid with no mind of my own preaching hogwash to people who were missing the news or their favorite soaps to listen to me, so thats hardly a surprise.
josephus
This is why I never really advanced as an Unbaptized Publisher. I couldn't promote something I didn't believe in myself.
I remember one of the last times I was out on field service. I was in really rotten spirits that day (probably because I was spending the day preaching the bad news). The elder I was working with told me I was doing really well in the truth, and I've been progressing quite well. That really confused the hell out of me.
I stopped witnessing right after I stopped a bible study I was conducting. It was a couple and they asked really good questions. Questions that I didn't have the answers to. I talked to an elder about some answers and he couldn't come with any either. None that make an ounce of sense anyway.
Giving them the old "faith" crap wasn't good enough, especially when the society had screwed up every single prophecy.
I remember very clearly, my last day. It was a Saturday, and I told my husband I would never go again. The only people I talked to, were the only ones home that morning. They were Mormons and we just chatted about life and religion, and how people can disappoint you. I never offered them a thing. I imagine they were a bit confused. I was with Princess, and she knew.
A few weeks later my husband talked me into going out with him on a weekend, while he was still trying to be an elder, for appearances. He promised me he would only make a few calls on people in the congregation, and I could stay in the car. We called on an elderly couple (elder and wife) who were recovering from illness, and I did go in to see them. They were so nice, and still are. They still ask about us (I hear).
I too cannot remember the actual last time I went out but I do remember that it was a long time coming. I would just encourage bible reading and talk about daily things , but I would never invite anyone to the kingdom hall or offer literature or reference the witness way at all for about the last 9 months before I stopped going to meetings.In my case coming into the "truth" took about a year and a half , stayed 20 years , and took about a year to leave. I always felt so intrusive when I went door to door.Never liked it and will never do anything like it again!!!
Sandy
Never have thought about nor remembered my last time in service. Too bad, would have made it more enjoyable to know that never again will I do it.
I remember quite clearly my last time witnessing, it was summertime and a large group of JWs and myself were walking a small hillside territory near an open field. I clearly remember walking and looking down, sort of dragging my feet along. I said to myself "what a gorgeous day, I should be at the beach." I suddenly looked up and noticed everyone around me walking the same way I was walking, looking down and shuffling feet.
I suddenly realized that I was fed up. I couldn't take it anymore. We all looked like zombies with big bulky bags and briefcases. I thought about how stupid and lifeless everyone looked, myself included. I was 21 at the time and I said to myself that there is no future here, this is no way to live, just knocking doors and waiting for the world around me to die someday so I can do my living in an imaginary paradise. Disregarding the consequences, I turned around and left. Didnt care anymore. A year later I discovered the internet. The rest is history.
Toward the end, i was leaving in the middle of the talk/WT to go to walmart and shop. Strangely enough, so was another sister. (LOL)
Toward the end of FS, i was only hitting laundromats. So for sure, my last time witnessing, had to be dropping off a mag at a matt.
toward the end, i was telling people at work i had been raised a JW, but was sort of like a "back-sliding baptist"(a phrase u would understand if u lived her in texas). so i have been denying being a jw for some time now. just not offically.
Once I knew I was leaving, I didn't go out any more. I just stopped, dead in the water. Cold turkey.
