Apparently, my mother's first husband's mother was a JW and converted my mom half way through their marriage. They divorced with one child and she married my father(a non-believer) a few years after, being DF'd for a short time b/c of sex I'd guess. Then I came along-- and my little sister. My father forbode(or forbade?) us to go out in service when we were about 8 years old. We did anyway behind his back whenever we could. I was baptized at about 13 or 14 and became a pioneer immediately and had regular parts at the circut assemblies. When I was around 17 I started questioning everything. I wanted a relationship with my father who lived in the same house as I did. I finally began seeing how ridiculous the oganizations demands were and that they were out of line. I started dating a guy from school-- at 19 we moved out together to get away from my mother and all the gossip I was hearing about me( I was in that congragation since I was 6). Living with my bf at 19 soon fell apart and I moved back home and started going back to meetings. I was publicly reproved and told never to see my bf again or I would be DF'd. That lasted a good month and then I came to my sences and realized I was surrenduring myself to a beast that would only start to use me as a puppet again so I stopped going to meetings again and have been inactive ever since. My father died when I was 21 and since the only hatered I harbor against that religion(NOT THE PEOPLE) is that for the first 15 years of my life I had NO relationship with my father. He became my best friend from 15-21. My father was stolen from me twice -- in the begginning of my life and at death. It's undeniable that growing up as a JW has shaped the person I am today but I'll never forget that they took away my father for the first years of my life. My belief is that if there is a God he is above any human thinking and the bible, of course, is only an outline for us. He would know we are not perfect and judges us on an individual basis. Only he knows the core of our being and our intention towards him and the greater mandkind. In short, stay true to yourself and to those you love and let God be the judge of you if you believe there is a God. Life is too short to be constantly picking apart others which is all people did in the JW religion. Live life and truly appreciate everything and everyone that has been given to us.