A question to ex jehovahs witnesses . . . . ?

Question

Why are you not one anymore? How do you feel? Do you still believe it? Will you go back one day????

Answer 1

Some Jehovah's Witnesses become inactive because they feel unable to continue preaching or certain other Christian obligations for a few months or even years. These are not counted in any JW statistics, but they are considered "brothers" and "sisters" by active Witnesses. Their standing is entirely different from those who are disfellowshipped or disassociated.


Jehovah's Witnesses practice the Scriptural practice of disfellowshipping for unrepentance of such serious sins as fornication, drug abuse, stealing, and apostasy. Baptized Witnesses who join the military or publicly engage in worship with another religion are considered to have disassociated themselves from Jehovah's Witnesses.

Contrary to the misinformation of anti-Witnesses, it is quite possible to become inactive in the JW religion without becoming disfellowshipped. As long as one's lifestyle does not bring reproach upon the congregation, and as long as one does not advocate one's disagreements with the religion, the congregation has no interest in "investigating", exposing, and disfellowshipping an inactive former Jehovah's Witness.

For those who are disfellowshipped or disassociated, a primary goal is to shock the person into recognizing the serious of their wrong so that they rejoin the congregation in pure worship. Since the primary bonds that are broken involve friendship and spiritual fellowship, it is well understood that family bonds remain intact. Parents, siblings, and grown children of disfellowshipped and disassociated ones sometimes choose to limit what they may feel is discouraging or "bad association" but that is a personal decision and is not required by their religion.

Former Witnesses who are disfellowshipped or disassociated are typically treated in accord with the Scriptural pattern explained in these Scriptures:

(1 Corinthians 5:11-13) Quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. ...Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

(Titus 3:10) As for a man that promotes a sect, reject him after a first and a second admonition

(Romans 16:17) Now I exhort you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them.

(2 Thessalonians 3:6) Now we are giving you orders, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the tradition you received from us.

(2 Thessalonians 3:14) But if anyone is not obedient to our word through this letter, keep this one marked, stop associating with him, that he may become ashamed.

(2 John 10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him.

(Matthew 18:17) If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation, let him be to you just as a man of the nations

Becoming baptized as a Jehovah's Witnesses is not a trivial step. At a minimum, a student must demonstrate months of regular meeting attendance and public ministry, then must himself express the desire to be baptized. The candidate then spends hours answering hundreds of bible questions wherein he expresses both a clear understanding and personal conviction regarding Jehovah's Witness teachings in at least three separate interviews with three different elders. The candidate must vocally agree to be baptized in front of hundreds or thousands of eyewitnesses, and must be publicly immersed in water. This is not a momentary emotional decision by an unreasoning child. Dedication as a Witness required hard work and determination at the time.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/19880415/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19970101/article_01.htm

Answer 2

i'm so overjoyed you requested former Jehovah's Witnesses to respond to this question. in the different case, how ought to you ever discover out why they left? There are some exciting solutions out of your non secular brothers and sisters - yet no longer one among them has arise with the glaring. at the same time as i replaced right into a Jehovah's Witness, I also concept I had the real faith and there replaced into no way i replaced into ever going to leave it. which will be truly stupid, does no longer it, to leave what you believed to be real that gave you peace of recommendations. Neither did I leave because i replaced into immoral or someone stumbled me or I in basic terms didn't want to stay as a lot because the Bible's severe criteria. I wasn't blending with worldly human beings, i did not soak up smoking or ingesting. in truth, i replaced into pioneering and that i replaced into married to a pioneer. So why did I leave? you want to comprehend that my father and mom grew to develop into Witnesses contained in the 1930's, and that i knew no longer some thing except what Jehovah's Witnesses believed. We were all looking ahead to the proper of 6,000 years of guy's life to end contained in the autumn of 1975 (i will provide the Watchtower quotations in case you doubt me) and that meant Armageddon ought to come quickly after. My father and mom believed they were the era that would see the fulfilment of the proper-time prophecies in Matthew 24 and they could be alive at the same time as the Millennial reign of Christ began. None persons made any of this up. all of us believed what the Society instructed us. guess what? This prophecy replaced into pretend - we are nevertheless waiting, 33 years later. because of this I left - pretend prophecies about dates and predictions at the same time as 6,000 years of human life will end. Any peace of recommendations I had replaced into shattered when I realised the quantity to which I were deceive. i'm now a born-lower back Christian with a heavenly desire and that i praise God that, by ability of the Holy Spirit, he presented me to an element of repentance and forgiveness. faith does no longer keep. in elementary words Jesus Christ can do this.

Answer 3

I was never baptized but I can say that after studying for 14 years with Jehovah's Witnesses it just seemed better to "be about it" than to "talk about it". I got tired of feeling like the gifts already given to me weren't enough. I like thinking for myself now and accepting responsibility for mistakes. I dont need a scapegoat anymore, just God's forgiveness.