I used to be a Jehovah's Witness and left 4 years ago. I am now learning who God really is. I have a friend who is still a Witness and I am trying to get her to leave. Why did you leave?
2007-05-23 11:11:07 · 14 answers · asked by aaron_gonzalez21 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's sad when individuals perceive "bad" or "negative" experiences of any kind, so that they abandon former friends and fellow worshippers.
Some people even pity Judas Iscariot because Jesus "was wasteful", or "argumentative", or "told Judas to do wrong", or "ruined Judas' finances", or "pushed Judas to suicide". Respected members of their community said that Jesus hung around with sinners (see Mark 2:16), broke the Sabbath (John 5:18) and blasphemed (Matt 9:3), so the friends of Judas fully understand why he felt like leaving Jesus.
(Matthew 26:8-10) [Judas] became indignant and said: “Why this waste? ...Jesus said to them: “Why do you try to make trouble for the woman?
(John 13:27-30) Jesus, therefore, said to him: “What you are doing get done more quickly.” ...Judas was holding the money box... he went out immediately.
(Matthew 27:3-5) Judas...turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men... So he threw the silver pieces into the temple and withdrew
(Matthew 27:5) [Judas] hanged himself.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
2007-05-23 17:13:37 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Yes, I was one for 16 years and left 3 years ago. There were a lot of reasons I decided to leave, but the main ones were:
1. The lack of love in the organization. All they cared about was if you were at the meetings and in field service. I got more love and concern from mainstream Christians during my divorce and depression.
2. They are 100% wrong about their 607 b.c date for the Babylonian exile...and that destroys the whole premise of their being God's organization.
3. They forbid people to examine the Watchtower Organization with outside sources...if it's the truth, what are they worried about.
4. They change what they believe is the truth often, and call it "new light." But the new light contradicts a former truth. Thus the former truth was actually a lie.
5. They disfellowship people and cut them off from family and friends for reasons such as smoking and not agreeing with something the Watchtower believes is current truth. These people are not put back in good standing if a correction is later made by the Watchtower for that particular belief.
6. They think the Watchtower is essential for salvation, instead of just accepting Jesus's ransom.
There are other reasons, too. It was the best decision I ever made to leave. I am a much happier person and have a closer relationship to God. I thank God every day for helping me to see it for what it was.
keiichi: The Bible is not wrong. There is no way to exactly date some things that happened in it without looking at secular sources, though, and that is just a sad fact. Going by historical evidence that can't be refuted, such as astronomical diaries, and also inscriptions found, and many other proofs, there is no way to get around that 607 b.c. is wrong. You should read The Gentile Times Reconsidered by Carl Olaf Jonsson.
Just the fact that 1914 didn't bring in Armageddon, like Charles Taze Russell taught for 40 years, should show that something wasn't right with the Witness calculation of dates. They've been forced to make "new light" of what "this generation" means, because so many years have passed without their predictions coming true.
Just research. If you're right, you'll still be right.
2007-05-25 13:27:10 · answer #2 · answered by hodgiegirl2000 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I often purely clarify my history and ask them in the event that they actually think of they are going to tell me something i've got not heard quite a few variations of already. Lutheran parochial college former member of assembly of God then Presbyterian replaced into married to a Mormon, then a Methodist quite a few kinfolk in the Jehovah's witenesses one in each and every of my terrific friends replaced right into a Southern Baptist preacher. area of the relatives (on the Pennsylvania Dutch ingredient) are nevertheless relatively Quakers some Amish and somewhat some Menonite friends and associates yet another stable pal replaced right into a classic Tlinget shaman and that i'm an atheist.
2016-11-26 21:01:58 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I will never consider myself a former JW, but I was forced to go to the church until I was a teenager. It's almost like they live to judge their members more than they live to worship god.
We had an earthquake in my town when I was a child and the Kingdom Hall set up a pantry to collect food for members. They actually started turning needy people away that they did not recognize as members even though they had massive amounts of food. I'm sure that there are some kind Jehovah's Witnesses out there, but I have honestly never met one.
2007-05-26 16:16:48 · answer #4 · answered by SaraB 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I left because they were hypocrites. Shortly after joinging their "church" I started getting critisized for everything that had nothing to do with spirituality, from wearing pants instead of dresses to plucking my eyebrows before "going out in service". It was all crap.
Meetings were centered around obeying the Watchtower Society, since they were they were God's chosen people. I refused to worship a book publishing company, I only worship God.
They had lots of reasons why they had changed so much of their beliefs over the years, and lots of excuses why the world didn't end when they said it would, but still persisted in taking ignorant, uneducated shots at all other religions.
I have since joined a real church, and have found a spiritual joy I have never known before. I am truly blessed since leaving the Jehovahs Witnesses.
***laughing at keiichi - I heardly call it disrespcting God to wear pants in church. Get a grip buddy. Find me a scripture on that, huh? God hates pants. lmao
2007-05-25 01:31:50 · answer #5 · answered by Tanya Pants 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I was never a JW, but I know enough people who were. They left because they saw problems with 1914 as a date of Christ's return and who the focus of the New Testament was. (It was Jesus - not Jehovah)
2007-05-27 01:43:38 · answer #6 · answered by Buzz s 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I was raised by Witness parents. I was baptized when I was eleven. I'm 23 now and I'll be one of Jehovah's people until I die.
Tom: You were never a Witness. You couldn't become a baptized Witness and then suddenly "find out" that we don't believe Jesus is God. A Bible student finds that out in the first couple of studies.
2007-05-23 12:10:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 2⤋
There were many reasons i left but here is a short list
1. their bible translation is biased
2. false prophecies
3. Jesus is an angel
4. belief in many "gods" (Satan, Jesus, angels)
5. 2 classes of Christians
6. Jws are the only true religion
... and many more
2007-05-27 08:13:31 · answer #8 · answered by RiS85 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's easier to pretend you don't know better. That's why people stop being bible students. Gives them an excuse to do what they want when they want, and pretend that God will accept you if you're gay and all that other crap.
I guess the bible doesn't explain enough about who God really is eh? You need someone who beleives in hell or the trinity to tell you TRUTHS? Ha. Well, to each his own. One day you'll learn.
2007-05-23 13:33:31 · answer #9 · answered by pancakes & hyrup 6 · 5⤊ 3⤋
Unlike Tanya Pants who disrespects God in his house (Does she also wear pants to Weddings and funerals?)
JWs worship only one God and Being as Jesus instructed his disciples to do.
Luke 4:8 In reply Jesus said to him: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”
2007-05-25 04:22:37 · answer #10 · answered by keiichi 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋