Are there any ex-cult members? Like ex-Jehovah's WItnesses?

Question

I just recently left my family religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. I am 23 and I don't believe it's true anymore. Any ex-JWs around here who can say why you left? Or give me some advice for this time of confusion?

Answer 1

Princesspie,

The step you have taken to leave the WrongTower required a great deal of courage. The steps you have yet to take will require that you remain courageous, because your family members and former "friends" will use a great deal of psychological 'passive-aggressive' pressure to convince you that you've made a terrible mistake. I know. I left this self-serving, arrogant, hypocritical pit of snakes after 34 years, most of that as a servant, elder, convention speaker, etc.

For the 34 years I was a 'golden boy' I would have responded to your question much as some of the JW 'trolls' on this site have done - to tell you to pray, question your commitment and sincerity, encourage you to write so I could encourage you to stay, and generally spout the 'party mantra' that we all learned by rote. Some will suggest that you are actually disfellowshipped - or that some of us who encourage you are disfellowshipped - even though we left of our own volition. See, it is difficult for them to comprehend that someone might actually *WANT* to honor god with our WHOLE HEART and MIND instead of just swallowing the pablum that is force-fed to us by a small, self-serving, elitist group. When they suggest that we are disfellowshipped, they are actually committing slander and libel, but they know they can hide like cowards behind the anonymity of the internet, so they do it even though their own organization - which they claim to suppport so thoroughly - that organization has published instructions to avoid this kind of forum and not to bring reproach by committing slander or by lying.

The fact is, even though I kept my mouth shut for most of that time - the lies and hypocrisy, the cover ups by elders and Circuit Overseers, the excuses and evasions of clearly misleading articles in the magazines, and even the complicity of the Bethel legal staff in promoting perjury in a court case I was familiar with - it all eventually opened my eyes to see that the Watchtower organization of today has been co-opted and hijacked from the pure worship originally being sought by the small group in Philadelphia over 100 years ago.

You are embarking on a long journey, since you said you were born into the beliefs and you're now 23. It is all you've ever known, and your confusion is normal. I've listed a few sources below that helped me, and I encourage you to do as much research as possible and to quickly begin communicating with other ex-JW's as a support group. If you don't develop a good support group, it will be very easy to slip back into the fog because it was a comfortable old shoe.

Do not become discouraged because the early part of your rebirth is difficult. Many psychologists estimate it takes a minimum of 5 - 7 years to really make the transition. Steven Hassan at http://freedomofmind.com has published some outstanding research papers on the phenomenon of exiting high-control groups. He addresses many feelings that I encountered, and which others have told me they also experienced.

You may find that in some interactions with others you feel totally like a dork, because what is common to them is new to you. Don't despair. You don't have to explain. People who have not experienced it won't understand no matter how much you try, because it is so foreign to them.

In my case, I developed new friends - real friends, not conditioned on agreeing with their theology - who found it hard to understand why leaving a 'church' was so traumatic. After all, if they leave the Baptist and begin attending the Methodist, it doesn't cost them their friends and family. But, for us, it is a major step to leave the WrongTower, because it costs us every human relationship we've ever valued. One reason it is helpful to have a support network of other former Dubbies is because we 'understand' certain comments, acting-out, fears, etc, without you having to make a long explanation.

I actually credit one former Dubster with helping to save my life. I found her story at http://www.freeminds.org/ , sent an email, and was blessed by a great support network that helped me pull myself back into the sunshine. One place she referred me to is a listserve called 'jesus-witnesses,' http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/apl/jw/1jw-home.html just a meeting and discussion place for ex-dubbies to share fears, experiences, primal screams, and other support. I have never met my ex-dubbie 'angel,' but we have exchanged emails for several years.

One thing I would suggest is that you NOT immediatedly move into another religious affiliation. You really will need a year or more to "find yourself" before you can objectively pursue a religious affiliation. Be content with being SPIRITUAL. God does not need a church name in order to find you.

Good luck on your journey. Please let us former Dubsters know how you're doing, and contact us for support and help.
It takes time, kiddo. But believe me, there *IS* life after the Tower .... and it is G-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-D!

Answer 2

Dear Princess,

Yes there are and I'm going to send your question to the ones I've met on YA these past few weeks.

Princess Yum-Yum, Sasi and View from a Horse are 3 that quickly come to mind.

I was never a Watchtower Witness but my mom is one. One of my cousin's told me a couple of years ago that she left when she learned the truth about some of the lies the organization tells.

I have a book by David A. Reed who had been an elder but he left the jws after he learned the TRUTH about Jesus Christ. The book is Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse. I believe he started a website for former jws called
Comments from the Friends.

Until you hear from some other ex-jws check out a wonderful chart called One Truth Exposes a Thousand Lies - Traits Shared Between Jehovah and Jesus at http://www.soulright.com

God bless you, Princess and thank you very much for sharing your good news with us.

Answer 3

jehovahs witnesses can be very stubborn about their own beliefs and the beliefs of people around them. no doubt, you felt very controlled and trapped following your familys' religion.
no matter what, you must remind yourself that despite your differences in lifestyles and beliefs you and your family should remain respectful of each others' viewpoint. we all have our own choices to make.
it must be confusing for you right now because jw's are told to have little or no contact with non-JW's, so you might be feeling a bit weird around your family. if they start treating you differently now that you don't follow their religion anymore, you must realise that they are being told to act like that by the governing body.
jehovahs witnesses have a religion that is incredibly hard to forget once you are out of it because you lose all your social contacts and it feels like your world has fallen apart.
i reckon you should find other ex-jw's to talk to about things. people can and do have successful lives after escaping from this dangerous cult.
try www.jehovahs-witness.com

Answer 4

I left the JW organisation over 30 years ago, mainly because of their false predictions about when Jesus was supposed to come and take up Kingdom authority, i.e., the end of this wicked system of things, Armageddon and then the 1,000 year reign of Christ. You see, my parents had been looking forward to this momentous event since the 1950's, and it was just round the corner. That's almost 60 years ago, and, guess what? Armageddon still hasn't arrived. And there is no slanderous untruth in that statement. It's all documented in the JW literature from pre-1914 till now and can be checked out by anyone if they care to do a little bit of research.

I wandered for many years in a spiritual wilderness, but although I had given up on God, God never gave up on me, and 11 years ago this March, I came to understand Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. What a happy day that was! I pray that you, too, will come to know who Jesus trully was, what he has done for mankind, and who the risen Christ is now. I pray with all my heart that you will discover the liberation and freedom that comes from being in a personal, covenant relationship with God and that you will come to understand that God's grace and love and forgiveness extends to EVERYone who trully seeks, that it is not merely a select few who go to heaven.

I was interested to see how some people were curious to know why you had left (even although you already said it was because you don't believe it's true anymore). What business is that of theirs? The only advice I can offer during this difficult time of confusion when you may be shunned by your family, is to turn to God in prayer, continue to read the Bible and associate with Christians who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. I shall pray that the Holy Spirit leads the right people to you and that you will come to know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Please email me and I can perhaps be of some support to you.

Answer 5

I am so pleased to hear you left this dangerous and destructive cult. I myself was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and left when I was 20 years old. Although I still have family members in the organization, my parents left a few years ago after they learned the real truth from the Bible, not Watchtower leaders. My parents left due to their questioning of certain Watchtower practices and dogma which could not be reconciled with the Bible. I understand this is a time of confusion for you. But I can assure you, the more you investigate about this bona fide cult, the easier it will be to move on with your Watchtower free life. Many (including myself) have made an ongoing effort for all to see the real truth behind the Watchtower organization, and you can visit this website at the link below. This will answer any questions you have and further solidify that you have made the right choice.
http://sixscreensofthewatchtower.com/

Answer 6

Personally, I'm an Independent Baptist, not a Southern Baptist, and my advice is...

Read the Bible yourself. Don't read some paraphrased version, but the real deal - the King James Version, and learn for yourself what you believe. At my church, everyone is encouraged to learn themselves because our whole church is just based on what the Bible says. Only. God wrote the Bible, and God doesn't lie.

:) WIsh you the best! =)

Answer 7

Ex-wiccan, ex-atheist, and ex-mormon, what I am trying to say is I got out of the Mormon church and that was the cultic church that held me more then the first two religions (36 years).until I got saved. I cannto tell you were to go, because I would tell you to get saved and become a christian, because thatis what I am, but because I know some wex-mormons, the first thing they did was become an atheist and then a christian. If you are not in this boat, then take a theology course and search out other relgions and then find a church.

Answer 8

I agree with you. It is truly sad to see them so willfully blind to truth. ...and to others in here, who parade around, misquoting God's word, teaching false doctrine, and think they are above other, ..such as Jase wolf, .. You truly need to go read John 8 for a change, instead of just quoting false preachers in another cult. Jesus did NOT SAY YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT I AM GOD. You are bearing false witness against God himself, for John 8 is god's word and the very words of Jesus himself. He did NOT SAY BELIEVE THAT I AM GOD. show it. quit this lying against God. Who did Jesus say I am? He clearly said, I am the SON OF MAN. when you have lifted up the SON OF MAN THEN SHALL YOU KNOW THAT...I..AM...HE...SON OF MAN. So what did peter say, when Jesus asked , who do you say that I am? did Peter say, you are God? Of course not. He said, son of God. Did Paul say, I now believe that jesus is God? not ever. Who did Philip tell the eunuch in Acts 8, that Jesus is? Did the eunuch say, I believe that Jesus is God? No. He said, I believe that Jesus is the son of God, as Philip had told him. You are the one telling lies against god. the JW are closer to truth in this area than you are. But they do not have it right either. No need running to where Thomas said, my Lord and my God either. He is our Lord and our God, BUT ONLY BECAUSE GOD, HIS FATHER, SAID NO WORSHIP MY SON. He is still a MAN, AND STILL SON OF GOD...but we now worship him, obeying God. This is where the JW are missing it. and you are missing it altogether, claiming that Jesus claimed to Be God. No such thing. You are trying to carry the lie that mary's little baby was god. that is a lie of the devil. This is truth that FEW FIND AND MOST HATE.

Answer 9

Hey, you know what? Find a religion that suits you better. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as you can believe in it wholeheartedly. I'm not a huge fan of JW's myself, mostly because I dislike proselytization, which the Jehovah's Witnesses seem to think is their call of duty. Forcing your gods on people is not right! XD

Answer 10

I am from JehovaWitness and am glad to left. They support lie in congration that cause hurts to peoples. I come America to see freedom and JehovaWitness do not freedom but dictator in congration. Say not inspire or prophet, but hate any that qustion or disagree. I saw lie from congration leader who lied and on tape but congration leeder even when tape he lied and said tape not true. How tape not true?

After left they no one talks or looks but avoid in store like leprosy. How is that Christs? They make freedom hard when freedom is to be good. You are brave. I hope for you much success and joyful freedoms.

Answer 11

My sister was in a cult years ago, Church of Christ. They treated her much the same way as JW's (my sister in law is a JW). She did leave and it took her a while to get herself back together and back on track with God. She is now a very strong Christian who loves God with everything she is.

The best advice for you would be to read the Bible yourself, in prayer ask God to give you understanding and truth