I've visited this board before and enjoyed it very much.
I was disfellowshipped many years ago, then went through 7 years of not even thinking about JWs. Three years ago I started studying the Bible. At first it was very hard to study without going back to the "default settings" established by 45 years in the WTS. But, I disproved many doctrines to myself and felt comfortable that I was o.k., past the endoctrination.
Yesterday, I had a customer who had heart problems and was afraid that he was near death. I had started a Bible discussion with him. He said that because of facing death, he had been studying the Bible for a year. He asked me many questions and we had a very good discussion. Finally, he asked me if I was a preacher and where my church was located. I told him that I was not a preacher, that I did not attend church, that I was a Bible student.
The man continued to ask Bible questions, saying that the church that he was studying with was not very satisfying spiritually, and that he wanted to go where he could develope the faith and love that he had seen in me. Finally, I asked what church he was attending. He said Jehovah's Witnesses.
For some reason, I just couldn't continue the conversation. I wanted to warn him, I wanted to tell him my experience, I wanted to tell him about NGO's and pedefiles and 1914 and 1975 and on an on. I wanted to tell him to run like hell. But, I couldn't. Today, I feel like that organization still has some hold on me. I hate that feeling.