What first gave you doubts ?

rick1199

We all know the big problems with the WTS, but what was the first thing that made you realise there were problems with the organisation ?

With me it was realitivly small stuff like an 8 year old getting baptised and a comment my best mates made about another of our friends asking if we should be hanging round with her as she might be bad assciation (she had just been reproved, but they had been mates 20 years).

How ever the first time I ever thought something was really wrong was when I was about 11 and my Grand Farther died, and mu Mum wouldn't go to the funeral, I remeber thinking that surely it was better to say good bye properly than worry about if the service was in a church.

What about you, what first made you realise there were problems ?

cyber-sista

I always had doubts, but I was in denial for about 20 years. My first slap in the face was when there were some elders mishandling situations in the congo including my life. I thought that certainly the Organization would do something about these things. I wrote the benevolent society 2 times begging for help. I received one form type letter with a few old WT quotes in it. My second letter again pleading for help was never answered, but the elders received a letter and from what the elders told me it was in favor of them. I talked to a CO too and he to supported the elders. It was just a bunch of nonsense what they all said--nothing that made any sense nor could it be explained to anyone logically. It was then I realized how insane this religion was and there was no protection for the flock and the wolves in sheeps clothing was the WT Organization. Then I found out more...

EyeDrEvil

For me, from the start, it didn't set with me that in a world with so much diversity, from the local level, all the way to the international level... HOW in the world could there be only ONE WAY to celebrate and worship God -- Wouldn't that same God make allowances for differences in: local/societal norms, cultural standards, individual preferences, family upbringing, etc.... That stayed in the back of my brain for years....

Then, when I just couldn't make sense of it anymore (based on seeing the track record of "God's people), I cracked open a few books -- Awakening of a Jehovah's Witness (D. WIlson) and Crisis of Conscience (R. Franz).

Glad I finally did listen to that little voice in the back of my brain saying, "WAKE UP!"

EyeDrEvil

Emma

I don't know why, but the judging of everyone in the world but jw's as worthy of death was an early sticking point for me. Then came just how much gossip there was about others in the cong, feeling better than "weaker" ones, and the pain I experiences at seeing my teen's baptized - I knew how harshly they'd be judged if they mistepped. It was a fast slide from there.

Emma

Corvin

I was disfellowshipped for nearly 14 years and always had the mindset that I would return once I had my life and heart in harmony with "Jehovah's progressive organization".

I thought that in the organization there were only individuals who overstepped, lied, lead double lives and held double standards. I was determined to return one day as a someone who had brought his life into harmony with the Bible. I was getting closer and closer and the more I brought my thinking in logical harmony with the Bible, the more I began to see that the rules and policies of the organization were not in harmony with the Bible. I began to become outspoken against the hypocritical methods and manner in which my ex-wife and her new husband were treating my children. I really started to take exception to the way the elders in their congregation were, or should I say, "weren't" handling the violence and abuse in that so-called Christian household. I was astonished that the elders were not doing what was reasonable, loving and logical in behalf of my children and would not even hear their cries for help. They made it quite clear to me that because I was disfellowshipped, I had no say, and my objections and input would not be considered . . . all the while my kids continued to suffer to the point of a suicided attempt and constant thoughts of suicide. They were quite unqualified to handle these matters and I therefore had to bring in the "worldly authorities" to get some relief for them. They would have sacreficed my children in all of their self-righteousness.

I was three months away from reinstatement and chucked it because I knew I could not be a strong advocate for my children if I were under the unholy aegis of the organization. I began reading on line the experiences and trials of those who had gone through similar things. I saw that the troubles in the organization went all the way to the top and I suddenly realized that God's approval is no more on this organization than the Catholic Church. I then began to put the organization itself under the same scrutiny with which they hold all other religions, and they failed miserably to meet their own standards. . .

. . . now here I am. I have custody of my kids. They are happy and growing and I keep them from the brainwashing and lies of the WTBTS as much as possible. They are now doing things normal kids get to do without the guilt and shame they use to feel. We escaped.

Corvin

iiz2cool

It started off with little things, like elders trying to control areas of my personal life that had nothing to do with the bible or religion.

Attitude towards education.

The change of the second baptism question in 1985.

Then it was ok to be deceitful at times; it's a strategy in theocratic war.

It was ok for a ministerial servant to cheat me out of $3000, but I was not allowed to take a 'brother' to court, even though the debt was documented.

"Generation" change.

Elders were appointed by holy spirit, even the ones who sexually abused my wife as a child.

Child molesters are protected, while victims are DF'd if they speak up.

UN affiliation.

Walter

myauntfanny

I was raised in The Truth and I really disliked it as soon as I got old enough to have opinions, but I figured something was wrong with me, not them, till I was about 14. Then I started getting disgusted by the hypocrisy, a whole bunch of stupid things happening at once. Finding out that all the righteous elder's kids were having sex, for example. I really didn't think the adults were behaving very well either, constant gossip and cliquing and ridiculous melodramas. Then a friend told me that her father had been sexually abusing her and her sister, and she'd gone to the elders and they'd told her to just keep quiet about it. That was just the straw that broke the camel's back. It's not really reasonable, but in that moment I thought, there is no god. And I've never for one single second been tempted to go back.

Mulan

The very first thing for me was the Prodigal Son story in the Greatest Man book. We were studying it at book study and my husband had been having doubts for years, so I didn't dare tell him what I saw in that chapter. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I was doubting too. He was the conductor by the way.

But................to me, the eldest son was behaving badly, and I saw a real similarity to the congregation's way of treating disfellowshipped people. The father, on the other hand, welcomed his son. There was nothing to indicate there was ANY evidence the son had changed. But the father was so happy to have him come home. It didn't say to me, what the text was saying. I kept that to myself for awhile, but it started the ball rolling in my mind.

Then we did the chapter on the Pharisees and how Jesus condemned them for the way they treated people. I immediately saw JW's as Pharisees, pointing their noses in the air, and pointing fingers and judging people. And Jesus ate with those who had been put out of the synagogue, and the Pharisees were critical of that, and it wasn't presented as the way to be. The Insight book said they were "disfellowshipped" from the synagogue. One of our fellow heretics who was still attending pointed that out, to great volatile discussion at the group we attended. Anyway, it all made me think that the similarities were too strong to ignore. I wonder how they can read that stuff and not see themselves so clearly.

Sassy

that is so true.. I thought about that myself... funny thing was I didn't think about myself as doubting though..

well all my life I have had a problem with the shunning.. if the sign of Jesus' followers, the identifying mark was love? then how can people be shunned and humiliated before they can be forgiven? The fact that family members could not even have a natural relationship with their own flesh and blood?? something is wrong with that.. which is why I never shunned personally myself..

but the true doubts for me came after I quit for personal and selfish reasons (tired of the BS) and refused to believe that a loving God would make me stay married to my second husband who was the biggest liar ever.. and married me only for a green card and then was a tryrant after the wedding.. and the elders trying to force me to stay with him even if he was making me prefer death than a life with him..

something was so wrong with that..

then I came here and joined and read the threads that I would never have read in the past...................and I saw the whole world with new eyes

Undaunted Danny

The 1975 fiasco failure because I was in the thick of it.I was there in 1967 age 10 when the'profitcy' was first proclaimed.I was there for the fallout,being strung along with the,"how long did it take Adam to name the animals,4 year extension?

In my final exit what clinched it,was how mean and malicious they are to each other.They are truly dog eat dog viscious,and demented.

My maternal devout JW grandmother was a jezebel psychopath,she was nefarious(wicked in the extreme).This was a woman who was our "Grammy" how could she have turned on her own children?She ate her young,even wild animals don't do that...

Why it took me so long to,"peek out of the cult cocoon and come to my senses".Was the 'stockholm syndrome'.It plays like this:Satan wants you to leave the 'truth'.So he will try every hook and crook,including turning your own family members against you.

What first gave you doubts ?

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