Former Jehovah's Witnesses:?

Question

When it was revealed to you that pretty much everything that you had faith in was inaccurate, How long, if at all, did it take for you to trust biblical interpertation?
Do you still struggle with the "old Tapes" playing in yuor head? Do you have a hard time accepting Gods grace?

sorry in advance if there are spelling errors..I am a creative speller.

P.S. I am changing my name to lysdexic so I dpn't have to explain my spelling

deprogramming is sooo hard!

Sklmetti...You amaize me...You are 100 Percent wrong 100 percent of the time.....at least you are consistant....That is why you make such a Good JW....

Thank you Blake and God Bless you.

Answer 1

I was raised one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In my teens, my parents were disfellowshipped and we fell away from the religion. For a time after, I held to their teachings.

This continued until Christ sought me out and saved me. One night, I met Christ while at a Church and He transformed me internally. The impact of His love was so great, I prayed afterward, "Please do not let me fall into any more lies. Reveal to me the truth." He answered my prayer and continues today.

It took nearly 3 months for me to accept that Jesus was God, and over the next two years, I would debate myself about it. After much reliance on Jesus for help, I have been grounded in doctrine. However, it has taken a great deal of study and prayer.

For anyone who came from that religion and was indoctrinated with false teachings, I advice an in depth bible study with a small group at least once a week. In addition, it would be study specific issues with an open heart. Most importantly though, this person should pray to Jesus daily that He would cleanse their heart and mind of deception. Only He can impart truth for He is the truth.

If you are really struggling with this, I would like to help anyway I can. If you would be up to it, I would be willing to do a weekly bible study with you (either over e-mail or the phone). We could cover every issue until you feel confident.

The issue of grace is one of great importance. There is so much to say on this issue. There is not enough room to write it all here.

***I forgot to mention. I am not sure if you know, but the Jehovah's Witnesses rewrote the bible to fit their own interpretation. Therefore, be careful about what their bible says. The scriptures they quote are misleading and only support their teachings. They twist the truth.

Answer 2

Excellent point Suzanne. The old saying goes, "The best revenge is living well." Once they understand that people who leave are not drug addicts, prostitutes, perverts, or other such miscreants, as we are portrayed by the powers that be, they'll start wondering about what other lies they've been told to keep them in place.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, in that if they are truly happy in their station, peace be with them. Ignorance is bliss, after all. But the ones who are here in direct disobedience to their rules wouldn't be here if they were as "strong in the faith" as they claim to be, and if they weren't already having doubts.

What's interesting to me is that when someone disagrees with them, they are quick to play the victim and pull the "we are persecuted because we are the only true religion" card. (They can't help it; they're programmed). However, their age-old shtick for their door-to-door work is, "If you had the truth that could save lives, wouldn't you want to tell as many people as you can about it?"

Well, maybe those people who go to great lengths to show them the light about their religion, maybe they believe that THEY have the truth that could save their lives, or at least save them a lot of heartache. Just a thought.

Answer 3

This made me LOL: Other forecasts of this apostasy had been made through the apostles Paul and Peter each verbally and in writing, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself warned of its coming. In his instance of the wheat and the weeds (Mt thirteen), Jesus stated that the Devil might sow “weeds,” imitation Christians, “sons of the depraved one,” a few of the “wheat,” the “sons of the dominion.” These might exist till the belief of the procedure of matters, once they might be recognized and ‘burned up.’ Jesus stated that the Devil might sow “weeds,” imitation Christians: Meaning JW who act as though they care and are Christian which exhibit little or no Christian like approaches.... “sons of the depraved one,” a few of the “wheat,” the “sons of the dominion.”: Maybe the phrase kingdom is a hidden message that any one inside the Kingdom Hall might be 'burned up'. No one fairly is aware of all of us handiest understand what we suppose in our center. JWs pass judgement on simply as I do and I plan to be Judge correct again no longer from you however GOD and whilst that say come I will take what I get. As some distance because the JW as a complete admitting to their wrongs all people will see that punishment...

Answer 4

Faith is not build on humans or their religious beliefs Princess. I left JWs the moment realization hit the base, they are just humans entitled to errors and imperfections if they so choose.
Spiritual consciousness is not originated only by the bible. There are many sacred books one can study in order to gain deep and complete understanding about God/Goddess.
It the Spirit bestowing true knowledge on the ones wholeheartedly seeking it, not the biblical interpretations of any known religion or sect.

Answer 5

Former JWs have the problem that when they became JWs,they accepted what the Bible taught. And then when they left they rejected what they accepted from the Bible.
That is a statement that Ray Franz himself said in a talk he gave. He derided people for rejecting what they themselves accepted when they left the faith.

Thus your question is invalid since it is never revealed that pretty much everything that one has faith in is inaccurate as you stated.

You ignore the fact that only the JWs have accurate faith.

Answer 6

I literally envisioned a great house of cards collapsing before my eyes when I crossed the last threshold into believing that they had lied over and over.

I decided immediately that I had to throw out absolutely everything I had learned from them and start from scratch. Quite an enlightening process. I wouldn't presume to pretend I had replaced all of it. I do have perspective. I am suspicious of other interpretations to be sure. I trust my own judgment as my personal arbiter.

I also decided not to spend the rest of my life going "after" them. I don't picket Kingdom Halls or conventions. I don't send letters to old JW friends who I left behind. I sent two when I first quit... one explaining why I left... one explaining the dignity of those left behind. Those who want to be left alone are those who would not venture to willingly talk to anyone who's left.

I mentioned recently that I told an anointed sister that if she knew what I knew, she'd leave too. She could ask me, but I won't tell her otherwise.

So why am I here answering and asking questions about them? A cousin, whose mother is a JW but isn't one herself, invited me. She was frustrated with seeing the mindset of those who spout Watchtowerese as if it were the Bible. And she's right. In a public forum where religion is being openly discussed and questioned is exactly the right place to discuss the road we've travelled OUT of the Watchtower...

If what we say rings true for one person who's been hanging by a thread to the mind control dictates that tell him/her to suspend reason in favor of the "governing body," then it's worth the effort. If we give some perspective to the poor guy/gal whose spouse has been dragged in, maybe we can save a marriage. If we enlighten the public about the potentially lethal blood issue, we may just save some lives.

THAT'S why we don't just leave it alone.

Answer 7

I rebelled against all forms of religion for about 5 years, got involved in things that I shouldn't have, then during a funeral of my boss' son at an Assembly of God church, I felt something that I had been taught all my life was satanic-the holy spirit.

It took me another 2 years to ignore those repeatitive "tapes" in my head enough to realize that God was trying to draw me back to Him--not a creed, doctrine, organization etc, but HIM!!!

After I accepted Jesus as my personal savior and began to attend church, during sermons, I would hear the pastor say something that was "out of line with the society's teachings" and hear those tapes again. I learned to ignore them, although it took time.

I did have a difficult time understanding the concept of simply accepting God' grace, but finally have.

It takes a long time to "de program" from 30+ years of mind manipulations.

Thank you for such a great question.

Answer 8

There is nothing more inaccurate than the religions that hold to Bablylonian Dead Works, pagan holiday celebrations, and pagan hellenistic beliefs.

If the Jehovah's Witnesses do not have the truth that leads to everlasting life, then there is no such thing.

Answer 9

Many have invested everything in the 'imminent' apocalyptic promises of the Jehovah's Witnesses and have died broken and beaten.
---
Respectfully,Danny Haszard http://www.freeminds.org

Answer 10

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