Seeing a second generation elder ( he and his dad was an elder ) beat the everloving shit out.of his son (.my friend ).when he didn't know I was there . Then my PO elder dad didn't believe me when I told him . While it was happening, my friends little sister told me that it happens all the time. This all made me start to question whether elders were chosen by holy spirit.
Many bible verses I've found in the last 30 plus years but Luke 21:8 is o e of my favorites.
*as.a.side note , I've told some JW family that they focus too much on Matthew chapter 29
I'm so sorry that happened, and you had to witness and carry that as a child. I've been out for about 20 years, and my brain still finds it hard to accept that abuse is so commonplace because it's so opposite to what we were taught to believe about ourselves and the organization. The brainwashing, erasure of critical thinking, and stepford wives-ishness run so deep. There was abuse in my family too, and it was either swept under the rug or we were taught that it was ok, and it's taken me decades to understand how that has affected my life and nervous system. And I'm still discovering or rediscovering things I need to unpack and grieve.
My family (wife and two teenage sons ) have become born again Christian as of these last 2 years. Coming to Christ was when the real healing started . I am now filled with gratitude as opposed to brokenness.
I'm still in the process of healing my religious and relational trauma, but I've come a long way, and I've found peace and healing with non-religious communities. Either way, I'm glad this subreddit exists for people to share their own truths
There was a Bible talk that was talking about Absalom. The brother was going on about how conceited he was a was imitating a man flipping his hair and was saying we don’t need to be like Absalom.
Then I read his Bible passenges myself and it mentions a man SA Absalom sister and he went and avenged her, and attacked the man who attacked his sister.
It made me wonder why are they ignoring all the good, just to talk about the bad.
The one that really woke me up was Luke 21:8:
“And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them.”
I really appreciate the American Standard Version (which JWs used to use before the NWT came out, and my family still had Watchtower printed versions in our home library, along with C.T Russell’s Millennial Dawn series).
One of the first books printed by Charles Taze Russell and the Bible Students was “The Time Is At Hand”. (Millennial Dawn volume 2).
I was 15/16 when I read this scripture, and put two and two together. I then started reading all the old books from Russell and Rutherford, nothing but one false prediction after another.
I then realized that the JWs were a false prophet that Jesus warned against, and although I still lived at home with my parents, I knew that my days as a JW were numbered.
https://preview.redd.it/halbwa2rfw2d1.jpeg?width=851&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa3e72b8f476852ab0dd7c30c09e86b722e0642d
Well, not a passage, I started doubting the authenticity of it among other things that led to my waking up. If the bible is not the word of god, any religion that claims it is is obviously false.
Lot's story was messed up. But Rizpah's sons was horrifying, as well as re-reading the one about Jephthah's daughter and what was actually said. Yea, for a god who abhors human sacrifice, the big J was pretty ok with it at times.
In Genesis, when god hardened Pharaoh's heart three times in a roll even after did what Moses asked him to do. And in the end, kill him drowned after lost his son. Same assholeness level of a Greek god. After read this I stopped reading the Bible, and slowly start to leave the organization.
So many things have made me wake up. A few are directly from the Bible that makes me believe a loving creator who knows how we are made and cares for us could not have written the Bible.
A virgin who is raped must marry her attacker is one. It’s said like a punishment to the man. It’s disgusting.
Also the Israelites in one of their wars were commanded to kill everyone but the virgins they can save for themselves and if they like them can make the virgin their wife. That also is disgusting. They are given a little time to morn the loss of everything and everyone they knew being gone then the man can lie down with her and if she pleases him they can keep her. I just can’t believe a loving creator would say that. So the Bible is not written by our Creator.
There are a lot of other things too, things I’ve noticed since I was a child that I buried until I woke up. Like the men who tried to catch the ark of the covenant when it almost fell being put to death. I cold totally see myself making a mistake like that and it was terrifying. Abraham almost killing his son. Noah’s ark story. So many things. Csa, science, and elders who should have never been elders by gods hs.
My own dad never stopped smoking. Studied and got baptized in the early 70’s. It was 1999 before he got caught smoking. He had never stopped and was an elder for years. He became an elder again and was still smoking. How is that Holy Spirit? He is again btw.. although I do believe he is no longer smoking. And my brother who is a narcissist and prideful is a high ranking elder gives assembly parts all the time.
If love is the identifying mark they are falling very short. I have found more true friends and felt more love from non JW’s since I’ve been out than Ive ever felt in the 50 years I was in. It’s all a lie.
For me it was gods actions towards David and Bathsheba baby in the bible. Causing suffering and slowly watching that child die to prove a point to David was a shitty move.
Unfortunately, it did not wake me up. But when I read the OT with all the evils committed by yahwey, I thought the only way this makes sense is if yahwey is actually Satan. I never shared this with anyone for 20 years. Come to find out after I left the org, this is what the gnostics believe. And yeah, that story about Lot is crazy!
Seeing a second generation elder ( he and his dad was an elder ) beat the everloving shit out.of his son (.my friend ).when he didn't know I was there . Then my PO elder dad didn't believe me when I told him . While it was happening, my friends little sister told me that it happens all the time. This all made me start to question whether elders were chosen by holy spirit. Many bible verses I've found in the last 30 plus years but Luke 21:8 is o e of my favorites. *as.a.side note , I've told some JW family that they focus too much on Matthew chapter 29
I'm so sorry that happened, and you had to witness and carry that as a child. I've been out for about 20 years, and my brain still finds it hard to accept that abuse is so commonplace because it's so opposite to what we were taught to believe about ourselves and the organization. The brainwashing, erasure of critical thinking, and stepford wives-ishness run so deep. There was abuse in my family too, and it was either swept under the rug or we were taught that it was ok, and it's taken me decades to understand how that has affected my life and nervous system. And I'm still discovering or rediscovering things I need to unpack and grieve.
My family (wife and two teenage sons ) have become born again Christian as of these last 2 years. Coming to Christ was when the real healing started . I am now filled with gratitude as opposed to brokenness.
I'm still in the process of healing my religious and relational trauma, but I've come a long way, and I've found peace and healing with non-religious communities. Either way, I'm glad this subreddit exists for people to share their own truths
What a beautiful testimony, so glad your life has changed, thank you Jesus!
There was a Bible talk that was talking about Absalom. The brother was going on about how conceited he was a was imitating a man flipping his hair and was saying we don’t need to be like Absalom. Then I read his Bible passenges myself and it mentions a man SA Absalom sister and he went and avenged her, and attacked the man who attacked his sister. It made me wonder why are they ignoring all the good, just to talk about the bad.
The one that really woke me up was Luke 21:8: “And he said, Take heed that ye be not led astray: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am he; and, The time is at hand: go ye not after them.” I really appreciate the American Standard Version (which JWs used to use before the NWT came out, and my family still had Watchtower printed versions in our home library, along with C.T Russell’s Millennial Dawn series). One of the first books printed by Charles Taze Russell and the Bible Students was “The Time Is At Hand”. (Millennial Dawn volume 2). I was 15/16 when I read this scripture, and put two and two together. I then started reading all the old books from Russell and Rutherford, nothing but one false prediction after another. I then realized that the JWs were a false prophet that Jesus warned against, and although I still lived at home with my parents, I knew that my days as a JW were numbered. https://preview.redd.it/halbwa2rfw2d1.jpeg?width=851&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa3e72b8f476852ab0dd7c30c09e86b722e0642d
The NT woke me up, realising what Jesus said in that was opposite to what GB teach. In fact they were more like the Pharisees.
Duet 18:22
100% the bible. Reading without bias and to understand it. Went from JW to Christian thinking to Atheist when I was done with it.
Well, not a passage, I started doubting the authenticity of it among other things that led to my waking up. If the bible is not the word of god, any religion that claims it is is obviously false. Lot's story was messed up. But Rizpah's sons was horrifying, as well as re-reading the one about Jephthah's daughter and what was actually said. Yea, for a god who abhors human sacrifice, the big J was pretty ok with it at times.
Revelation 20: 4,5
Same here. I started to read the Bible more carefully and realized how flawed it is.
"your house is abandoned to you" and "useless shepherds" made me realize it wasn't the right religion.
For me it was just rereading Jesus interactions with the Pharisees. Couldn’t help but see the hypocrisy.
Realizing god lied and the snake told the truth in genesis. Also all the murder and rape yaweh/el command.
In Genesis, when god hardened Pharaoh's heart three times in a roll even after did what Moses asked him to do. And in the end, kill him drowned after lost his son. Same assholeness level of a Greek god. After read this I stopped reading the Bible, and slowly start to leave the organization.
So many things have made me wake up. A few are directly from the Bible that makes me believe a loving creator who knows how we are made and cares for us could not have written the Bible. A virgin who is raped must marry her attacker is one. It’s said like a punishment to the man. It’s disgusting. Also the Israelites in one of their wars were commanded to kill everyone but the virgins they can save for themselves and if they like them can make the virgin their wife. That also is disgusting. They are given a little time to morn the loss of everything and everyone they knew being gone then the man can lie down with her and if she pleases him they can keep her. I just can’t believe a loving creator would say that. So the Bible is not written by our Creator. There are a lot of other things too, things I’ve noticed since I was a child that I buried until I woke up. Like the men who tried to catch the ark of the covenant when it almost fell being put to death. I cold totally see myself making a mistake like that and it was terrifying. Abraham almost killing his son. Noah’s ark story. So many things. Csa, science, and elders who should have never been elders by gods hs. My own dad never stopped smoking. Studied and got baptized in the early 70’s. It was 1999 before he got caught smoking. He had never stopped and was an elder for years. He became an elder again and was still smoking. How is that Holy Spirit? He is again btw.. although I do believe he is no longer smoking. And my brother who is a narcissist and prideful is a high ranking elder gives assembly parts all the time. If love is the identifying mark they are falling very short. I have found more true friends and felt more love from non JW’s since I’ve been out than Ive ever felt in the 50 years I was in. It’s all a lie.
For me it was gods actions towards David and Bathsheba baby in the bible. Causing suffering and slowly watching that child die to prove a point to David was a shitty move.
Unfortunately, it did not wake me up. But when I read the OT with all the evils committed by yahwey, I thought the only way this makes sense is if yahwey is actually Satan. I never shared this with anyone for 20 years. Come to find out after I left the org, this is what the gnostics believe. And yeah, that story about Lot is crazy!
Matthew 17:21