The beginning of the end for me was when I questioned the elders on the child abuse policy-I honestly could not believe the 2 witness rule would apply that that particular situation. I knew our congregation had alleged cases of child molestation from years past, but the perp in question was disfellowshipped. All of a sudden, after about 13 years, she wants to come back. I was told the reinstatement process would be lengthy. HA! Being related to the elders got her in in under a year. When I questioned it, I was told all the same garbage-Jehovah has forgiven, the elders know best, etc. One elder even told me if I didn't like it, I could go to another hall! ( For all the lurking elders in this congregation, you know who I am now! LOL) It raised quite a stink. I even had one elder's wife come to my house and ask me why I cared so much-"it didn't happen to YOUR kids." GRRRRR!
Elders tried twisting the scripture about "men who lie with men-but that as some of you were" to prove I was forgive this person. I blew a gasket and told them that being gay and being a child molester were 2 different things, but you could see they didn't get it. I asked how they knew this person was better-a certificate from a counselor, anything, and of course I was told to just believe, Jehovah knows, etc. etc. Finally I told all the elders they were no better than the Pharisees!
So....that was the beginning of the end for me. I was the one treated like a pariah for not welcoming this person into my bosom. And after the unkindness shown me at the hall (the shunning was quite evident even though I wasn't neither DA or DF'd), I decided during the last meeting I went to that know way on God's green earth were my kids going to feel like second class citizens to these losers. It took me quite awhile to do some investigating into the Watchtower, because I was still following their rules about not going to "apostate" sites, etc. But when I did, it finally clicked. There were SO many things that weren't right-the cliques, the materialism, even though everyone pretended they weren't, the group of 40 somethings that seemed to be forever stuck at 20 with their parties, the doctrine changes,etc..
When I discovered this site, I have to admit I didn't leave the computer for HOURS! And when I showed my husband the UN stuff, he literally cried. But it broke the last tie we had emotionally to the Borg. I was scared at first to show him what I had found at JWD, but when I told him, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off him. He said that if I left the Witnesses, then we were going together. How wonderful! I was still only going to the store at night, etc, so I wouldn't have to see any of the jerks, but he told me to forget that religion-it is in the past now. And that has been my attitude ever since
Well, that is just a bit of our story. I'm glad to finally come out of the shadows and post!