Hi all!

Billygoat

I have been out for almost 10 years now. I've been on the net almost non-stop for the last several days. Surprising myself on an hourly basis by the testimonies of other xjw that are out here. Naive as it may sound, I thought I was the only one that had a past with the JW. My parents still tell me that the majority of DF end up 'coming back'. I cannot believe you all are out there! Have you ever found a long lost friend??? I know that's not the case here, but I feel so much relief knowing there are people out there that REALLY understand my past because they've experienced it! Godspeed to you all - I plan on coming back and hearing more.

Billygoat

PS: Would anyone happen to know a Tyson from Wichita?

Yerusalyim

I heard tale once that the average Witness CONVERT lasts about two years in the Borg. Anyone else hear a similar deal?

Oh and welcome to the Board Captain Crunch

YERUSALYIM
God is truth, and light his shadow.

Plato

Billygoat

I never heard that. But after being away for 10 years, I am surprised to hear the organization is not growing that much. My parents talk constantly about how many people are 'coming to their senses' and 'coming to Jah'. I'm still a little shell-shocked that there are so many DF testimonies out there.

Billygoat

trevor

Billygoat

You still look a bit like a sheep to me - they aren't that different to look at.

Glad you found us. There is life after the Watchtower Society - in fact life begins after you leave. Welcome to life!

'I was an oak, now I'm a willow I can bend.'

Billygoat

Thanks Trevor! My dad started calling me that as a small child - I was a little stubborn back then. He loved my independent spirit as a child, but that changed when I became a teenager. All of a sudden my independent spirit was squelched. :) Little did I know that my stubbornness would give me the backbone to think for myself as an adult. Thank God!

think41self

Hi Billygoat

Welcome to the board! It is a relief to find others who share a similar past...and it is very therapeutic to talk to them and hear their experiences! You might want to check out the personal experiences section on this board and see more about us. You will find many lively discussions on this board. I hope you stay around and at least make some new friends.

think41self

WildHorses

Hi Yerusalyim,

I lasted three years, although you could say six cause it took me three years to be brainwashed enough to get baptised.

Mulan

Hi Billy,
I think if you research it, you will find that most disfellowshipped people do NOT come back. If they did, the organization would be about twice the size it is now. You might share that with your parents. In the old days, they used to report the number disfellowshipped in the yearly report in the yearbooks and January WT. Ultimately they had to stop doing that, as it exceeded the number baptized by quite a lot!!

Welcome to the board. There are lots of great stories.
Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)

hippikon

My parents still tell me that the majority of DF end up 'coming back'.

A reliable source tells me its more like 25% actually go back after being DF. It used to be that 50% of new ones eventually dropped out. It would appear by the figures that it is now closer to 70%.

USA

Year 1999 Peak 980,650 + year 2000 Bptzd 30,290 So we should get 1,010,940 for the year 2000

Year 2000 Peak 988,469 = 22,471 missing Presumed left

As the number left is more than has stayed I think the WTS should think about this.

*** Rbi8 Matthew 23:15 ***
15 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one YOU make him a subject for Ge·hen'na twice as much so as yourselves.

"But it does move"
Galileo

outnfree

Welcome to the Board, billygoat!

I'm only out for 3 months (and 5 days! ), but I have found this board to be a godsend!

I have/had an unbeliever for a mate, who never, ever wanted to discuss religion and does not want to discuss it any more now that I have left! He is happy that I am out, but he doesn't want to hear a word about what I've discovered. And my children, who WERE raised pretty much as Witnesses, -- well, their eyes pretty much glaze over at most of what I relate to them about my research and the stories on this board. They are just relieved to be done with it. But I need MORE to deal with the loss, and I need to DO more to help others (like the silentlambs), so I am very, very happy with the insights gleaned and the friendships made here at j-w.com.

I wish the same joy and release for you!

outnfree

Hi all!

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