Hello there, I'm Ruth Baker, glad you were curious enough to come here. I was a JW's for 29 years. Became a JW when I was 20 and left it when I was 50. The picture on my postings is of me now. My 2nd husband has never been a JW, but has been entirely supportive of me in every way. I've read "Crisis of Concious" and "Search of Christian Freedom" by Raymond Franz. I have come to realize that something I was so positive about, is nothing more than a man made religion. I realize I have been hood winked, willingly. I feel great sadness for those still in the WTBTS and their fear of reading the books by Ray Franz which could be so helpful in giving them true Christian freedom. The mind control of the WTBTS is very thorough over those who seek so hard to please God. There are two movies I would strong recommend every JW to watch they are: ZARDOZ with Sean Connery, and 1984. They have nothing to do with the bible or the Watchtower Society, but they do stimulate some very positive thinking about who and what we chose to follow religiously. I lost a son Dak Elliott McGill who was only 15 to death from an auto accident back in March of 2001. Dak refused blood while he was conscious and then his Dad refused blood for him at the hospital though it could have saved his life. I and Dak's brothers Drew & Dirk both were praying that somehow he would be given blood to save him. As it turned out at the 2nd trama hosptial they did give him blood but it was too late his heart had been to weakened because of lack of blood and oxygen. The hosptials told us Dak would have no chance to live at all without life saving blood immediately. Dak had been a bright and promising young man who had been taught to be faithful to Jehovah as protrayed by the WTS by us his parents. It contributed to his death I believe now. We his parents did not investigate the things quoted by the WTS about blood, nor did we really look into the bible to see if it was accurate. Our ignorance cost us both dearly. See his web-site: http://www.mem.com/display/biography.asp?ID=9894 Dak's death was one of many turning points for me to re-examine my life as a Jehovah's Witness over the past 29 years. In the beginning I just could not bring myself to read anything that might cause me to examine the Watchtower Society. But in time after being disfellowshipped for leaving my children's father, I did start to examine and look into more things. All those I had always believed were apostates were not. We had been told lies about those who leave too I discovered. Today I answer letters from people with questions about my story that is on Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reformation on Blood or AJWRB.ORG. Here is my story: http://www.ajwrb.org/experiences/mary.shtml When the story was put in I used the name Mary to protect the identity of my two other sons. But now they support my efforts to educate the public and JW's. I divorced my son's father and he has remained a JW and married another JW gal. He and I have found happiness with other new mates. My surviving two sons one being 21 and one being 16 now in 2004 are out of the JW's. They and I alike have chose not to be involved in religion as it has been an experience none of us will ever forget. Their Dad of course feels Jehovah and Christ will heap destruction upon our heads. Sadly he has not stepped beyond the restrictive teachings of the JW to really consider what the bible really says or means. Reading what bible scholars say is a real eye opener. Sincerely, Ruth Baker