by CakeMonkey 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Sure, I had some doubts for years before I left. I bet nearly 100 percent of JWs have doubts.
The internet is where I could find "apostate" literature and read it. I found out about Ray Franz's book Crisis Of Conscience and found it and read it. So now I am free. I do thank the internet for this. I had been inactive for years for other reasons, but thanks to the net I am sure as heck not going to go back ever.
Flyin'
Roger that,cakemonkey and welcome. 
When I exited 1-5-92 there was NOTHING! Today,there are 2 million EX JW's including tens of thousands dedicated to exposing the WT$ for the fraud that it is.I am proud to serve in our mighty army. Our JWD motto: There is life after the cult "Help today is only a mouse-click away" 
Watchtower Whistle Blower www.DannyHaszard.com
I started having doubt but would only read about 10 minute worth of crisis of conscience at the library,, my feeling of guilt would over power me so that I felt sometime utterly doomed for reading that book. This would happen every couple of years,,as the years went by I was bocomming more comfortable with the doomed feeling,, and would regularly fall asleep at all the borring meetings. As time went on in 2/01 I read a article about mind control at Randy Watter's site and the WT's hold on my mind me was broken completely.
I would deffinately say the internet accelorated my deliverence from the BS of the GB.
Before the advent of the Internet, in many countries other than the US there had been practically no information about the GB and the workings of the WTS.
I mean we had our local petty "apostates", but few of them even begin to compare with American exJWs, for rather obvious reasons. You guys had direct contact with the WTS leaders, you speak their language, you live their culture, you see through them, you basically know a hell more than we have known or even imagined so far.
And you can share this info with anyone interested for free.
THE WEB IS AMAZING...
Danny,
I can't say the internet helped me get out. I've been out for 18 years and only recently found the internet information which also led me to CoC. But now I am one more in the number Danny was referring to committed to bringing down the BORG! Because of the internet I'm able to help other people not join or get out. I know if I would have had internet as a teenager - before I was DF'ed - I would have eventually looked at an apostate website. The curiosity would have been too much for me! So I am so glad it is there for the disgruntled young people.
Edited to add: WELCOME TO JWD CAKEMONKEY!!!
I'm not so sure the Internet helps very many satisfied Witnesses quit associating with the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation's sponsored meetings. I am pretty sure the Internet helps many Witnesses who are dissatisfied or who are already away not go back.
More important, new recruits who have Internet access are checking out the Witnesses before making a commitment to them. More than a few that I am aware of have stopped their studies or they have reversed the study and are trying to "help" the Witness:-)
This undoubtedly is disrupting the pipeline of new recruits in Western countries. This is a clever company. I am sure they will come up with a new hook like they have always done in the past. All they need is a constant supply of vulnerable ignorant people. I guess there will always be scam artists like the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation and it's trademark religion, Jehovah's Witnesses.
The internet didn't change my mind, in fact my JW mindset wouldn't even let me research the JWs on the internet, and this was after I left. But what it did help me do is prove that my feelings were right. It made the break quite permanent for me.
The internet only helped me solidify and clarify in my mind what I was already feeling - that the WTS was full of crap! It also helped me to diminish the feelings of guilt that I had by seeing the reality of the WTS. Two sites in particular - this forum and Randy Watter's website. My email discussions with Randy were greatly helpful as was reading the book "Releasing the Bonds", along with, of course, Ray Franz' books. I would have had NO exposure to these books if it weren't for the Internet. I also wouldn't have realized how many honest, open-minded, rational, reasonable and caring people were 'apostate'. I thought they were all the bitter, vehemently opposed people we are told about as JW's. What I've realized is that, rather than trying to escape the 'rules' of the Bible, they are simply realizing that being a Christian is not tied up in their association with a mind-controlling cult, but rather about developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. As JW's we were told that apostates were simply rebellious people who wanted to defy all Bible principles and live a life of debauchary. While that may be true in some cases (like mine...lol), for the most part that is just BS propaganda. Thanks to this forum, the (mostly) wonderful people in it, Randy Watters, and several other prominent 'apostates', I have seen the truth behind the WT$ and all it's machinations.
There are over 10 TIMES the amount of "opposing web sites" against the WTS as there are for the Catholic Church! The Catholic Church has 995,000,000 more followers than the WTS. In fact, I believe I read that the number of "opposing sites" against the WTS are more than opposing sites for all other Christian religions combined.
Why? The WTS is a sham, a fraud, an outright deception, unChristian and a destroyer of minds
Why? Is is because they have the truth and it was phophesied that Jesus followers would be persecuted and that is how they know they have the truth.
