I needed it to be "the truth." Long story, but I fully invested in that. I came in in 1987 and got baptized in 1988 as an adult with a JW mother. There was relative stability for a few years at that time. The shakeup of 1980 was unknown to me and I was too young to know much about the 1975 doctrines that captured my mother.
1995's generation change started me realizing that even "the truth" wasn't constant. And that bugged me, but I plugged along. 10 years past 1995, I had seen double standards and nepotism, elders thinking they know what Jehovah wants more than others because they can spout off scriptures and paraphrase the Watchtower article that elaborates on them. The religion wasn't about upbuilding each other, it was about staying in line.
So a series of events that seemed non-Christian to me (well- unloving and controlling) started me to examine Watchtower. I pioneered for a year, giving Jehovah one last chance to prove himself to me in my life, but I also started reading secular thoughts on Bible history and science teachings on what fossils, archaeology and the universe say about where we came from and how we came to be. I actually held back for awhile about actually going to "apostate" materials. But one day, I said to myself, "What prevents me from googling 'Watchtower' and going wherever it takes me?"
Between my personal experiences and the internet, although it had taken me a long time to realize that the Watchtower did not have "the truth," it only took me a short while to
know that the organization always puts itself ahead of the individuals and that any good people within were only good despite the
Watchtower. I didn't need to stay within the organization.
So my eyes opened fast to read about false prophecies and a Governing Body member with a book and coverups over various stuff. I resigned as an elder in 2006 and faded extremely fast to stop going to meetings at all by the Memorial of 2007.
Before fading away, I actually hinted strongly at problems within the organization and I am pretty sure the C.O. instructed the elders to steer clear of me. Y'all know- Somehow, I could weaken their faith too. So they have given me very little attention in all the time since then despite my never disassociating.
OnTheWayOut
JoinedPosts by OnTheWayOut
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42
When was it time for you to walk away from your congregation meetings and the WTBTS?
by RULES & REGULATIONS inthe basic virtue for a human being is to be true to yourself – the integrity of thought, emotion, and action.. .
ten years ago ( after 32 years as a jehovah's witness), i finally decided that my own mental sanity and being true to myself was more important than attending congregation meetings and serving the watchtower society.
i stopped (years before) field service, the ministry school, answering at the watchtower studies, missed numerous meetings and walked in minutes before the meetings started and left after the closing prayer, i knew it was time to leave.
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OnTheWayOut
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Disability Discontinued for Lifting Religious Pamphlets!
by Atlantis indisability discontinued for lifting suitcase of pamphlets!.
https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20191202/news08/912331976/disability-discontinued-for-man-caught-lifting-religious-pamphlets .
petra!
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OnTheWayOut
That JW should be thrilled that Jehovah "cured" him and he can go back to work.
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Why are the Jehovah's Witness Tennis players allowed to "serve two master"?
by I_love_Jeff injw broadcasting sept 2019 issue commentary.
according to the jw in the sept 2019 episode, the ukrainian soccer player andriy nesmachniy (go to 1:04:14 in the video) "abandoned" his career for jehovah????
he retired at 32 years old, the normal retirement age among soccer players.
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OnTheWayOut
I am pretty sure Venus and Serena never were baptized. Prince definitely was baptized, but he pretty much towed the line in front of the elders and only put on a show as a show business character. Oh, you and I could not do that, but he already had money to give, so of course they didn't say anything. And Venus and Serena have money to give, so of course they won't say anything about 'bad association' relating to them. It's really that simple. The JW's never had a special care for celebrities officially like the Scientologists have, but unofficially it's about the same way.
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Unpopular Opinion on Convention Protests
by Jehalapeno ini think it's really sad that people that wasted countless hours preaching for a cult are deciding to waste more hours on that same cult after leaving it.. get a hobby.
enjoy life.. "the best revenge is a life well-lived.
" - some person said this..
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OnTheWayOut
I have mixed feelings about protesting JW's at conventions or at the Memorial as someone named Rick F. does.
For the most part, protesting is done to benefit the protesters. It gives them a sense of fighting back. It can have little effect on JW's, and in-my-opinion even feed their persecution complex.
But most JW's that are not reached even the littlest bit or those that dig deeper into the womb of Mother Watchtower to deny anything protesters have to say- these people would not be reached anyway. In other words, maybe it doesn't work on the majority of JW's, but nothing really will work on those people.
There are whole other groups of people in that crowd- children of JW's and visitors and weak JW's. I doubt that dressing up as Satan or trying to tell them that the Bible is full of lies would even reach too many of the doubters, visitors, and young ones. I think that a very strong attack on the Bible or a very strong message that Watchtower is not properly Christian won't really reach them. But telling them via signs or whatever that Watchtower is hiding the truth about child abuse can get their curiosity. Telling them that shunning is wrong can get their emotions. Maybe telling them that Watchtower has a plethora of failed prophecies will work on a few of them.
But I just cannot imagine using all kinds of time similar to the time that JW's use to promote their ideas in order to hopefully reach a few people. I think that the internet and books are already available to those ready to find what's wrong with Watchtower. I think they will find "us." I would have a different view of protesting just 2 decades ago, but today- Go find a hobby. Enjoy your life. -
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Is a jw condemned for lack of belief.
by Crazyguy2 inif someone lacks belief is that somehow mean he’s done in their eyes and no way back?
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OnTheWayOut
To clarify, lack of belief in the Bible as gods word?
If one has a crisis of faith that becomes known to the elders, they can still be a brother or sister in good standing if they don't violate the rules and they work on that lack-of-faith problem.
If one flat out states that the Bible is not the Word of God, then it lends itself to their condemnation. You cannot believe in the organization if the organization believes in the Bible and you deny it.
But even then, if you were willing to keep your problem to yourself, many elders would say "Work on that" or "Keep that to yourself." -
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Anyway coming back from my blunder?
by Crazyguy2 inmy oldest boy got pissed that i started going back to meetings so i had one last conversation with him as he moved out.
(only went back to try and not loose whole family) during the conversation things got a bit heated and i mentioned a couple of false prophecies in the bible the rest of family heard so now they think i don’t believe at all.
guess their right think my going back was just a ruse, yes that’s true to.
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OnTheWayOut
I have to echo what Pete Zahut said.
We don't know your whole situation, but don't seek a divorce based on any JW stuff. If your mate does that, its not on you. Only get divorced or move out or whatever you want to do because you actually want to do it, don't let the JW's decide for you.
The best think I have ever heard from a forum like this one was where a disfellowshipped person was told they are not supposed to talk to the Witnesses, and they answered back, "NO, you are not supposed to talk to me. I can talk to anyone I please to talk to." -
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I am a Watchtower survivor
by Sour Grapes ini really like calling myself a watchtower survivor.
it is not demeaning to other people and is not a negative statement.
when a jdub sees that term it may make them think about why i would call myself a survivor.
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OnTheWayOut
"Watchtower Survivor." I like it.
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Life Update 2019
by passwordprotected init's been a while since i was anywhere close to being active here, or on any other ex-jw forum or facebook group.
i rarely think about the religion and have little-to-no interest in it.. however, i do, very occasionally pop in here.
hence this update, 3 years on since my last one - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5720228449222656/update-on-my-journey-8-years-after-end-watchtower-control.
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OnTheWayOut
Hey, that is a great update with a lot of positive thoughts and hopes in there. Thanks for sharing.
I thought about my life and how I barely interact with them. My JW mother and my JW wife do not bring up any JW topics. I have no idea who the current elders are at the congregation my wife still attends and I was an elder at. I don't have anything to do with with JW's except for my mother and my in-laws, and occasionally my wife's best friend in the Caribbean.
Recently, my wife said that a lady at the hall asked how her husband was doing. She said "Fine" or some other non-answer. When she relayed the story, I said "You should have told her about my promotion at work, how happy I am in that position, and that I was out of town with my best friend at an Elvis Costello concert at the time." Of course, my wife doesn't go into all that secular stuff. She honestly was just relating a query about me. And her short answer lets me know she tells the elders no more than those one or two word answers, too. -
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My first encounter
by SB10 ini don’t know if the woman i met yesterday will ever see this.
but i will forever remember that day for the rest of my life.
my grandfather has been in icu for the past 3 days.
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OnTheWayOut
Sorry about your grandfather and strength to you as you deal with that.
As far as thinking this was a sign from god to help you find comfort during this time, be careful. I don't know if she followed you or if she was good at reading people and there was some hint for her to offer that particular message and literature. But I fell for "God sent them to me." If God sent JW's to me, then I have nothing nice to say about God. It's a cult, they want to recruit you and cause you all kinds of new problems in your life. -
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The Latest From The Loony Left
by Simon inso apparently, not only can people identify as men or women, regardless of reality, but they've now declared that people can identify as black or white as well!
no word yet from rachel dolezal, who will no doubt be declared a visionary, and sadly michael jackson didn't live long enough to celebrate.. i must say, now that i am a black woman, my views on reparations have completely changed.
y'all owe me some reparations bitches to make up for slavery yo.
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OnTheWayOut
There are things that people believe that go too far. But it's not limited to the left.
There are people who believe that more guns will make everyone safer, that they should not listen to scientists but rather to businessmen and personal opinions of non-scientists about climate change, that Planned Parenthood kills babies and sells body parts, chemtrails are a government conspiracy to poison people, and some even accept that women cannot get pregnant from genuine rape.