WELCOME /ABOUT ME / PURPOSE OF SITE

The Proclaimers Book in chapter 7 discusses the fact that in 1919 the brothers were imprisoned and received discipline from Jehovah. This was a serious and grave blow to those Christian Witnesses, and their preaching work nearly came to a standstill. Some felt that they as God’s people were being disciplined. Jehovah’s Witnesses today, nearly 100 years past the date of 1914, must face the fact that again, like way back then, there are some disturbing problems with the teachings and the leadership of the Watchtower Organization.

My goal is to shine a light on this, and gain more knowledge and wisdom. (Proverbs 4:5-9) “What Heavenly Father do you want me to do? Lead me in knowing your will and make me receptive to the Holy Spirit.”  is a daily prayer for me.  Coping with the things myself and many thousands of other sincere brothers and sisters have learned through deep research and study is not easy. I receive an almost daily stream of messages and emails from ones that are suffering at the hands of the harsh policies and struggles with their own Christian conscience.

All of those that are “Awake Witnesses” (as opposed to those that are asleep to the problems with the Watchtower leadership) risk the loss of friends and family. We experience stress, fear, and pain as some of our most cherished beliefs have been exposed as inaccurate. So what do we do?  Please be assured that the goal of the site is NOT  to say “Leave the Truth! The elders in my Hall are cruel and the friends gossip and I have been wronged- the Kingdom Hall cannot be a Christian place!” Some places on the internet are like that. This place is not. We serve Jehovah/YHWH and his anointed Son Christ Jesus because we love them- we don’t do what we do just to please men or to put up a false front for appearances within the community.

But can someone be an active Witness of Jehovah and still investigate the chronology of 607 BCE and 1914 CE? What about the true facts on the blood issue, disfellowshipping, numerous failed predictions, the faithful and discreet slave class, and others? Deep in my heart I know that something needs to be done and some things need to change, and that yes I can be pleasing to Jehovah despite my past involvement in teaching and enforcing the policies and beliefs of the Watchtower Society leadership.

How could change occur? Will it happen by accident or by the power of God’s Holy Spirit? Or will there someday be a “critical mass” of ones like us that make it happen? No one but the Son and the Father knows those answers. So let’s meet together here and talk, as fellow Christians. All are welcome to read and comment on the scriptural discussions. Please enjoy the site, and don’t stop studying and praying no matter what. By all means, “wait on Jehovah”- but in the meantime, don’t let 30 years go by and then wonder if you should have done something. Get involved- tell us your story if you can. Join the dialogue- for knowledge and wisdom come to those who actively seek to understand the deep things of God.

With Christian Love,

Eric, aka “JJ”

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ABOUT ME

I used to go by JJ, as I had to remain anonymous for the first two years authoring this website. I was baptized almost 30 years ago, and was raised “in the truth”. I had many assignments over the years- regular pioneer, full-time Bethel service at Brooklyn, circuit and district talks as a servant and elder for about 20 of those years.

Due to reasons of conscience I stepped down and have discontinued meeting attendance and the formal door-to-door field ministry. I did this not because I hated these activities- quite the opposite! Going in service, giving public talks and other parts had been an enjoyable and honored pursuit of mine for many years.  But how could I go out and tell others something that I deep down in my heart feel is in error? Things such as Jesus invisibly “coming” in 1914 to take Kingdom power, or that Jesus is not actually our mediator cannot be correct in my view, nor supported by Scripture. I cannot teach or advocate something that I have come to believe through many hours of deep study and prayer is wrong. Virtual worship of a Governing Body of eight imperfect men also bothers me greatly. Notice what Mankind’s Search for God says about Martin Luther:

When pressed once again to recant [and stop disobeying the Catholic Church], Luther made his famous statement: “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason . . . , I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.” (Mankind’s Search for God, pages 316-317 par. 23. Bracketed words added for clarity.)

I live in the Central Coast of California, and am recently divorced, as my ex-wife (who is still an asleep Witness) initiated legal proceedings against me as a result of me fading from active participation as a Jehovah’s Witness. She told me that I was “poisoning her children” by sharing with them my Bible-based convictions that Jesus is the only way truth and life, not any man. My two children mean the world to me, and they are worth any sacrifice I could ever make, so while this has been a difficult thing to go through, it is not unexpected as Jesus said that a man’s enemies would be person’s in his own household.

So why am I writing this blog? What possible reason could I have? “Is this guy a hypocrite?” A faker? An evil apostate? All of these are legitimate questions that you as a visitor to this website could ask. I was compelled to anonymity for obvious reasons for the first two years of being an Awake Witness, or a member of the “Conscious Class” as it has been called. Any Witness speaking contrary to “mother”, aka the Watchtower Society is automatically branded an apostate and subject to serious discipline and possible disfellowshipping. Since my ex-wife turned me in to the elders and they investigated me, I decided to let my light shine and speak nothing but truth to them, and a few other close friends. They have all shunned me now, and that is their conscience, their choice. I still have love and affection for them as brothers.

There is an interesting website at: www.jwreform.org that bears looking at. Obviously the brother or sister that authored the site is a sincere Christian and one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are quite knowledgeable about Watchtower policy and procedures, and God’s Word. They seek to change the Organization from within. Is that even possible? I have prayed about this many many times, and honestly don’t know if it could ever happen. Maybe if enough of us “stones cry out” who knows? Psalms 127:1 says “Unless Jehovah himself builds the house, it is to no avail that it’s builders worked hard on it.”

I will always love the truth and Jehovah God and his Son Christ Jesus- that will never change. I still read the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, along with many other Bible translations, as I have for decades. I love the friends in my former congregation and don’t want to discourage or tear them down, or get them to stop serving Jehovah. But I feel like I have to speak, and share what I have learned! Perhaps we can all figure some things out in the process. I don’t know it all- in fact I know so much less now than I did when I began this journey. “Such is life” as they say. I do know that God loves us, and that he does not love me or you any less than another!

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THE PURPOSE OF THE SITE

Why is a formerly very active, “strong in the truth” Witness daring to post questions and comments about things that aren’t 100% in agreement with what is found in the Organization’s literature?

I guess it’s therapeutic, that’s honestly one big reason. But another is that maybe there are others out there like me/us that love the friends, love Jehovah and Jesus and don’t feel comfortable in “Christendom”. Maybe those of us that dare to ask these questions are compelled by our conscience to DO or say something, no matter how small the gesture is. I came across an interesting post the other day where the Q was asked: “Am I one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” He listed things like:

• I don’t believe in the holidays or in joining the military
• Or the trinity or hellfire and I share the good news with people
• I gather together and I believe that entire Bible is God’s Word

Then he finished by asking that question. Some commented that no, he had to subscribe to and believe in everything the Watchtower Society said and if he didn’t then he wasn’t one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But what about Isaiah 40:13 that says “you are my Witnesses”? That was written a very long time ago by Jehovah’s prophet under direct inspiration. Can we be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and not believe every single thing that appears in a Magazine, letter, Kingdom Ministry, or book published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society?

My purpose in publishing this blog is to figure that out. I don’t have all the answers- but our journey on the cramped road won’t end until our natural lives or this system comes to an end. Recently I’ve figured out some major things- and seen a lot of stuff happen in the organization that have compelled me to ask this difficult question. I want to share what I’ve learned with other ones of you that are out there and may feel as I do…and get your advice and counsel too- I need it! I also hope that we can study and appreciate God’s Word here unencumbered and without fear of backlash if our views are divergent. We can agree on a lot of things, maybe even most things. And in the process build up our faith and Christian maturity.

75 Comments on About

  1. GB says:

    Cool about page! I do not like my email being required at all. Keep up the good work JJ!

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  2. C.E.F says:

    I don’t have a problem leaveing my e-mail address, I have four, some are personal, other are just for this purpose, that is, so I can still communicate via e-mail and still keep my personal business personal. Just a thought.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    I have been a JW since 1964 and would like to chat with you JJ.
    The danger here , and I am grateful everyday that Jehovah has allowed me to have a better understanding of the Bible, is not trading one idol for another as the WTSociety has become an Idol to alot of friends ITs a lonely path to be on for sure. We are All under obligation to test everything we hear.. 1John 4:1 Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression, but to test the inspried expressions to see wheather they originate with God….

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  4. Jeremiah says:

    Hi JJ:
    I am an active member and an elder in my congregation. I also live in the Pacific timezone.I was baptized in 1976.
    I have been familiar with the problems in the organization.Jehovah has disciplined His people as a group in the past, and it seems it will happen again.
    I would like to chat further with you.
    Jeremiah

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    • JJ says:

      Thanks for your comment brother Jeremiah.
      You mention that you’ve been aware of problems- when/what do you think was the turning point for you? What have you seen or learned that has caused your Bible-trained conscience to move you to this point? 

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  5. greybeard says:

    Yes nice about page. I’m with you on this “journey”. I’m with ya bro! You have been a friend of mine for a long time. I am glad we have a place to be open and share our thoughts. The END hasn’t come yet and here we are saying “what happened”??? Many of us have not planned any kind of retirement. Many of us were self employed waiting out this system… we were told it would end soon…. yeah keep talking… keep talking

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    • Scepticalone says:

      Hello:

      I have, in the last five years withdrawn my support of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I could not see how my conscience about some terribly flawed teachings and continuing to go to the meetings can be reconciled. When I did withdraw and being honest as I possibly could about it I was treated very badly by the Elder body even possibly accused of attempting to start a sect by a remark that I shared with someone in the congregation about the organization’s policy on higher education. I was an Elder for over 24 years and associated with the organization for more than 55 years. I could never go back to the way things were and I feel very happy at my awakening even though my life has changed in many ways. What started me on this road was the very scholarly work entitled: “Three Dissertations on the Teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses” by Greg Stafford. A very respectably worded work but very trenchant in its presentation. I recommend it very highly.

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  6. Lester Kite says:

    Hi JJ, fine looking blog.
    I’m an ex Dub from London in the UK, I’ve been out many years now since 1993 and also divorced from my then Dub wife.I was DA’ed in absence by some deceitful work by my BoE’s in my previous cong, I had a year previously appealed a JC hearing on the trumped up charges of Apostasy in which I was found guilty on the first hearing, my crime? voicing contrary viewpoints of the WTS, in which included Gods Channel/The Sign of the Last Days/The Blood Issue/The Sealing of The 144k in 1935 act, all through this period I was keeping up to date with “apostate” publications written by Ray Franz/James Penton/David Reed and Randy Watters also was the 2 fine works by Carl Olaf Jonson;The Sign of the Last Days When? and The Gentile Times Reconsidered.

    A lot of water under the bridge since then I now have a wonderful wife and lovely kids and I life I could never have imagined as an active Dub constrained by the restrictions and limitations that the WTS enforces on it’s masses.

    Any lurking Dubs who may pop on here; try to find out the real truth that the WTS does not want you to know because the WTS will one day be destroyed as a false prophet in accordance with the words at Duet 18,20-22.

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  7. JJ says:

    Brother Kite

    Christian greetings, and thanks for your comment on the site. As one of many of JWs that are in “stealth mode” I am particularly interested in your comment where you say:

    “I now have a wonderful wife and lovely kids and [a] life I could never have imagined as an active Dub constrained by the restrictions and limitations that the WTS enforces on it’s masses.”

    If you have some time, could you elaborate on what you mean exactly? Is this happiness due to less guilt, less pressure, more free time, Christian freedom of thought, etc.?

    JJ

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  8. Lester Kite says:

    I suppose JJ being a R&F Dub in the 80’s and 90’s the focus was geared up to the idea that the Old System would not go beyond the 20th century and how much importance was emphasized on the door banging work and pioneering and remaining childless enabled you to gain these goals, after all having kids could wait until the new system! and although I was stuck in a miserable marriage I still believed that God had an organization on Earth and that The WTS had been commissioned to declare his message for mankind, how wrong I was !
    Your final sentence nicely summarized the feeling many get in fulfilling themselves after years trapped in a dangerous high controlling dangerous cult such as The WTS.
    The years during my time as a Dub proceeded the great Apostasy at Brooklyn in 1980 and life as a Dub was full of prohibitions and hard line attitudes, shunning/the blood ban/higher eduction/apostate thinking etc were all enforced to the highest degree possible also the Governing Body was still made up of the hard line appointees from the 70’s with Ted Jaracz all but running the Org, if ever there is a place called Hell then these evil , perverted men deserve to be there suffering for an eternity for all the years of misery they have inflicted on their members.
    Oh how time is a great healer!

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  9. Lester Kite says:

    Sorry if I come across as very “anti JW” I thought this was an ex JW site, forgive me JJ, but in a way it just goes to show how ununited the WTS is, they have the worst membership retention out of any religious cult.

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    • JJ says:

      I appreciate your thoughts Lester. There are varying degrees to how bad we think the WTS is. I am “pro-JW” but not so “pro-WTS” lol. My question was meant to get your feelings and observations on having left the Org and now having a happy fruitful life. This is something that many of us as enlightened JWs wonder about.

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  10. Lester Kite says:

    I get where your coming from JJ

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  11. Anonymous says:

    If I might be so bold here. I don’t understand the term “dub” and R and F.. IT was explained to me from the beginning when we started studying that the WTS was a tool only for printing literature, not a Cult. And we as Jws, if you please, follow what the Bible says. And still to this day, if its not in the Bible I don’t believe it or swallow it including anthing coming through the Watchtower… My life has been totally skewed by people not understanding this simple approach. But this is not about me. Its about Jehovahs name and the reproach Satan has put on Jehovah. When Jesus gave his pronouncement against Jerusalem, He cried, and thats how I feel. I grew up in that “dont go to college or get married” idealogy of the 70,s . I never signed a contract with the WTS. and those decisions were still mine and mine alone, if to marry or have children or go to college. Alot get the idea that we have no choices, and that the WTS controlls everything.. They only control what you let them control. I am happy for you that you have a satifying marriage. In this system with Satan ruling the earth happiness is a fleeting thing..and an easy time was not promised by Jesus. We were promised a Great Tribulation and tested by Satan to the fullest as all of Jehovahs people have been in the past. AS far as the blood issue.
    That was Jehovahs only request made to Noah, to abstain and respect lifes blood and again Paul discussed it in Romans to stay free from Blood.. What part of that is hard to understand??
    I refuse to watch “vampire movies” where respect for lifes blood and respect for sex is thrown away by Who??? Satan and the demons who trample on EVERYTHING Jehovah holds sacred.. And YEs, I have already been the the surgery room under that fire…
    I hope you figure out that these are Jehovahs people and Jehovah will deal with them in His own Just way which is always Perfect Justice. The entire Bible book of Isaiah Jehovah reveals how He is going to set matters straight regarding His people..
    Hoping you continue to Read the Bible and remember that Jehovah is the Judge of his people.

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  12. Lester Kite says:

    Annonymous;
    Dub means J Dub/elyoo, and R&F means rank and file JW’s who blindly follow the lies and false teachings from the GB of the WTS without so much as batting an eyelid

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  13. Lester Kite says:

    also Anonymous where in the Bible does it say that the WTS was selected in 1919 to be Gods mouthpiece on Earth?
    Where does it say that blood transfusions are to be refused in a medical emergency?
    Where does it say that the sealing of the 144k was sealed in 1935?
    Where in the Bible does it say that JC began to rule invisible from heaven in 1914?
    Where does it say that organ transplants and vaccination are not acceptable to the eyes of God?
    Where in the Bible does it say that membership of The UN the Wild Beast of Revelation is acceptable?
    Where in the Bible does it say that ownership of a ID card is unacceptable to God?
    There seems to be a pattern emerging and that pattern is that The WTS is a false prophet that will soon be destroyed,Duet 18,20-22.

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  14. Blog says:

    Hi, Brother.

    i enjoy reading your articles.

    i have a blog in Indonesian, which exposing WT teachings and show the real truth,besides WT dishonesties, etc.

    i ask your permission to adapt your articles for my blog.

    nice blog! what a spiritual blessing!

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  15. Amber says:

    Hello I was so happy to come across this website. I was raised a JW my parents divored about 12 years ago. My father was an elder. My mom quickly left the organization I didn’t find out why until recently. My dad still preaches the end of this system stuff and is currently not talking to any of his daughters. He has condemned us for a religion/organization that he doesn’t even practice. Less than a year ago I started feeling the overwhelming need to find God. I am not disfellowshipped I just stopped going. When my parents were getting divorced and elder and his young son came by to “encourage us” and basically called us hookers. We were only 18 and believed in the JW doctrine very much. We were actually very good kids and wanted to please Jehovah. I couldn’t imagine going back to be a practicing JW but prayed nightly this prayer:
    “Please Jehovah I have everything I want except I need you and I have a huge spiritual void. I am soooo confused. I miss the sense of security I had as a Jehovah’s Witness, I miss the sense of family, I miss knowing my future in a beautiful paradise, perfect, healthy, and worshiping you. I need to go back to church, but where do I go. I don’t feel comfortable going back to Jehovah’s Witnesses, something doesn’t seem right and I don’t want to feel judged and guilty again. But if that is the Truth and your word then please give me the strength to go back. Where ever your truth is please guide me, I want my children to grow up happy and with the desire to help others. I want them to follow your path not because they are forced or feel guilty, but because they have the overwhelming desire to have complete faith in you and Jesus sacrifice for our sins. Not to judge anyone but to just love them as you and Jesus do.”
    Go to my website and read more about my journey. I am excited to keep up with your website and your journey. BTW I am now going to a local community Christian Church. I am learning more about Gods Word than ever before.
    http://seek-happiness.info/ind.....-yourself-

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  16. JJ says:

    Amber thank you for the kind words and sharing your story. You have Christian freedom and that is the essence of what Jesus meant in John 8:32 when he said the truth would set us free.

    Your Bro,
    JJ

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  17. Amber says:

    Amen to that Brother JJ! I will be praying for you!
    May God bless you and transform you and your life to be what he has planned for you. May God use you to reach other JW that have doubts as you do. So you all can be set free. You are a blessing and will help many people with this website.

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  18. Amber says:

    This was very interesting to me so I wanted to share http://contenderministries.org.....es/nwt.php. Also I wanted to share my experience when I first got the nerve to go to a church not a KH by myself with my 4 year old. I was so nervous and felt so guilty. I walked in to see very happy and nice people. They had a great kids program with arts and crafts teaching the kids about how much Jesus loved them. I sat in the back row and listened to the most beautiful worship and praise people had their hands in the air and just sang to God. Most times since then I and my husband fight back tears during worship at church. As my husband said you can feel the holy spirit in the room. No other literature just the bible is used. I learned more about God’s Word in the sermon than I did in 20 years of attending multiple meetings a week at the KH. Also as I walked out the door I was handed a bag full of goodies to hand to the next homeless person I see with a message about Jesus and hope. I truly hope that you get to experience this someday. Much love!

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    • Clay C says:

      Amber, thanks for sharing your experience with attending another non-JW church. I had a similar experience as well. I stopped going to the KH meetings about 11 years ago, due to the hypocrasy and judgemental behavior of those in the congregation. I too felt lost, missed the sense of belonging and needed some grounding. A friend suggested a wonderful church. I went first to his Sunday School class, where quite literally in an hour, learned more than I had during 40 odd years as a witness. I then attended the main service where I was welcomed by everyone, and not JUDGED by a single person. The turning point that caused me to stop going to the KH was the first meeting I had been to after a lengthy illness. I had missed almost 4 months of meetings. I “thought” I was so happy to be back at the KH. Immediately following the meeting, I was approached by a “sister” (and I use the term loosely), who excitedly asked me where I was visiting from. I told her that I was actually in this congregation, but had not been to the hall in about four months…at which time she said “OH!” disgustedly, wheeled around, and marched off. She left before I had a chance to tell her my absence was due to an illness. Bewildered, I then went up to an “elder” to say hello. He asked me why I had missed so many meetings (even though I had called the elders to inform them of my illness, and this very “brother” had come to see me in the hospital). I said, “well if you remember, I have been quite ill.” His response “oh well sometimes you just have to ignore you weaknesses and come to the meeting anyway!” Seriously…so you have some magical knowledge of my personal condition and what I am capable of doing? I then moved on to say hello to a “sister” I had known since we were teenagers, and she stopped dead in her tracks as we were approaching each other, turned and walked away without speaking. Well at that point, I had had enough humiliation for one night, and left the KH. I sat in my car for an hour bawling my eyes out wondering how compassionate God loving people could behave so badly! Never went back, never looked back.

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  19. Amber says:

    Oh ya one more thing I am currently reading out of the New King James Version. I have the study bible and I love it.

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  20. Yannis says:

    Very nice blog JJ, and no doubt useful to the numerous conscious class. I am an ex-JW with a wife and two small girls. We are now Greek Orthodox and we thank God often for leading us there.

    May the Lord bless you on your spiritual journey!

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    • JJ says:

      Same to you brother Yannis. May I ask how you came to choose Greek Orthodox?

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      • Yannis says:

        Because i’m Greek so it just made sense. :) Just kidding! I like to think Holy Spirit led me to Orthodoxy because it was the farthest thing from my mind when i left in 2007, even though my parents were raised Greek Orthodox. I never knew anything about it, i was under the impression that they were just Catholic-lite. Boy, was i wrong.

        I got tired of all the debates over scripture on Paradise Cafe and i thought to myself, how can one know what to believe? because everyone has their own interpretations. What is right belief and what is wrong? So i decided to study the Early Church, before the Council of Nicea, to see what they believed because surely what they believed had to been right since they were so close to the disciples era.

        The more i researched the more i became convinced that there was no Great Apostasy, that God is powerful enough to prevent the truth from extinguishing until Russell’s time. The scriptures fortold that men would fall away, would apostasize, these would not remain to corrupt the entire Church but they would leave.

        I also came to the conclusion that God wouldnt have chosen the Orthodox to compile the New Testament if they didnt have the truth.

        In short, studying the early Christians led me to Orthodoxy.

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  21. Trudy says:

    Hello, congratulations on your web site. ( a good 0ne)
    I was born and raised into the ‘truth'( watchower doctrines) but finally made (Truth) Christ my own nine years ago. (John 14:6)
    I hope many Jehovah’s Witnesses find your web site.
    And that they get hold of Ray Franz’book, Crisis of Conscience and his “Christian Freedom book. It is excellant.
    Also we must make sure of ALL things, including whether or not our religion is really based upon the teachings of Christ.

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  22. Patrick says:

    Hi brothers and friends in Christ,
    I am a seeker myself,(never got baptized into the organization, so to speak) and I am deeply disturbed that all these bros and sis’ sitting in the kh´s are kept hostage by the WTBTS in order not to see the bright light of salvation as stated simply and clearly in the bible. There is a bad motivation behind the leadership as they read “apostatic material” and by now should be largly aware about the true spiritual light found there (sometimes). Especially concerning the salvation of every chosen believer. The fact that the number of partakers steadily rises puts huge pressure on the GB. THEY MUST REPENT AND REGAIN THE SPIRIT in order to get into a position of building the house with the blessing of our heavenly father and his Christ. What is discouraging me is the ever increasing number of articles by which they urge everyone to stay clear of their God-given ability to think and to weigh arguments in light of scriptural texts.
    This site is well done and not overladen with stuff. I feel the urge to help JW to get closer to Jehovah and Jesus, but how can I help. In fact I need help to help.
    Love from Luxembourg (Europe)

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  23. just a girl says:

    I just stumbled upon this site looking to find encouragement for someone else. I haven’t looked through here well but-WOW,I am in awe brother and want to tell you Thanks cause I am crying out and sighing and groaning over them WAY more then they would ever over me in a legitimate way, but has backed away from the KH totally. I had actually went to my 1st convention in 1986 but not baptized til’89 then caught that little weirdness in 91 and still hung around solid til’94 then sorta hit and missed cause they kept blaming me for not baptizing others in my family-(which took til late 90s) then the excuses of the WTB&TS for the 10 years there-Augh! In 2001 I was told they would not give me lit. unless they saw me put money in the box-I left that hall and went to another-then another city- by 2008 just left everything when talks were speculation or personal opinion and no longer what I was taught at the first (which always had scriptural back up within both Hebrew/Greek and by 3 scripture minimum)(I should have left with the excuses of 1991-2001 being in the belly of the beast thing)(or when home bk stdy arrangement stopped) in the last 4 years no one came by til right before this memorial- and then showed me some scripture and applied it wrong totally when I looked through the aide and insight book- Through this I met a young pioneer just DF within the last 3 semesters of school when she asked me if I was a witness and I said kinda- Kinda what kind of answer was that? She is still not re-instated (Df for things that go on in the nursing rooms and bathrooms by tons of sisters btw) and watched how easy Satan could get rid of a solid elder and a family in pioneers with falsehood and a lack of investigation, then watched the the family became unbalanced cause of the stigma and kicked the child out of the home-with a new CO 3rd since we came here and no visit-that child and another pioneer persecution- We had a family meeting and decided 1st Century would have had the passover at home not everyone went to Jerusalem so had a discussion at home instead of going to the hall for the memorial-that is how bad it has become- I now identify myself as a non-trinitarian Christian down a Methodist line Unitarian type some where between Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses leaning more to the later- since I ignore holidays, a CO on war and never stop talking Jehovah, his purpose or kingdom under Christ- I feel in what I have read here-although the stories of horror not my own but similar-finally validation- I was always apprehensive of organized religion seeing it all a snare and racket- the bean counting, lack of balance and current misapplication in speculation and personal opinions just plain pushed me away from the joy I had learned at the first and have seen Jah’s hand in every aspect of directing me- so trust if I am wrong he would have let me know but I know HE is working something out and this site was my proof [I had been asking what to do for all these people I talk to-I do not want to send them right back into what I have pulled them out of with our conversations] It was about 1990 book study when I said this comment about the only way the society could keep what they are doing up is by dividing up- the book study conductor tracked me down and reminded me I had said that when they did split to body and legalese- I had forgotten it but remember it being a logical step when he reminded me at a convention he found me at thinking with the IRS money issues with Bennie Hinn and books and publishing etc.. That MY group who published what I felt on religion had now fell to that very same monetary snare depressed me and elders just said I was prone to start trouble when I asked sincere questions-that they would have answered before I was Baptized- which is why I regret that at times for they dumped me on a roadside to be pecked at- but I have become stronger in some things and weaker in others- but I know something is wrong- and I can’t deal with wolves sitting down- I want a torch to beat them back- so instead of causing more confusion I just left and took the family with me- and if we are lost- they better find a city of blood for our deaths are on their hands- Matthew 18:6 (http://bible.cc/matthew/18-6.htm (God’s word version))cause Matt 7:21-23 now a direct shout out to and for them

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  24. John S. says:

    I was given the choice to strive for the heavenly calling,which I accepted and am currently striving to help other witnesses and ex-J.W.s believe in the anointing and appreciate there are many anointed Christians in the world as Jesus said in many places.These he refers to as his brothers,sons of the kingdom,heirs of the kingdom,sons of the light,etc.These ALL have received the adoption as spirit/human creatures,because the Holy Spirit of Christ and Jehovah lives inside of them.The New World translation has tampered with the verses throughout the book of John ,1 John, Paul’s letters and others that translate to say that God is “in union with”,not IN the adopted one.I strongly urge all lovers of truth to examine this for yourself.

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  25. AwareBeing says:

    JJ you’ve put your finger on an important topic; you’ve termed: “Conscious Class!” This is an appropriate description for Christians with a Watchtower background. Less applicable words; awakening or awareness for example, have an Eastern or Middle East like connotation. What you have expressed is quite possibly; the identifying mark of all of us here on your blog! I’ve been saying since 2008 that “the great crowd”, will be “a mixed company” similar to the group that left with Moses. Your ‘on-point’ phrase: “Conscious Class” indicates that the minds of honest worshipers will be firing on most synopses. Thank you for the insight, it helped me to define the matter much better.

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  26. JJ,

    I would love for you to contact me. My contact information is for anyone to write to me, I am not afraid of any man or organization. I am comforted that you are trying to help my brothers and sisters and also myself. I needed this encouragement years ago, but I had to struggle on my own.

    I also read some of John S., and maybe I misunderstood him in one comment that he made that was the only one I had read from him at first. Since then, I have read other comments and he seemed more helpful and “Real”.

    I TRY to never judge, but I do observe and react, and I do not like others to judge me when they do not know me at all.

    My contact info is kindloving2001@yahoo.com and if you block it from showing in the public forum, I do understand, but you do have my contact information, so PLEASE contact me, I need help and encouragement on a more personal level.

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  27. hey guys,
    it looks like we have a similiar mission.
    let’s connect and see how we can help each other.
    http://www.jwtruth.org
    daniel

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  28. Daniel Metz says:

    I have looked at this site and it strengthens my faith that Jehovah God is using the Governing Body to remove the unsuitable fish from the dragnet. It has helped me understand the psychology of the “Conscious Class”, those who are just pretending to be Jehovah’s Witnesses but don’t really believe what is taught in our publications, but don’t have the honesty and the faith in Jehovah to ask for help regarding their doubts, or the honesty to disassociate themselves from the congregation.

    This site helps to distinguish those who truly support Jehovah’s sovereignty and are ready for a world in which the obedient will be raised to perfection with the “waters of life”, from those who live a double life and think that as long as they fool the elders everything is OK.

    Jesus said: (Matthew 11:25-26) . . .At that time Jesus said in response: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to babes. 26 Yes, O Father, because to do thus came to be the way approved by you.

    Only babes will understand the truth of God’s word. Brothers Russell, Rutherford, Knorr and the Governing Body since then have been “babes”, humble enough to preach the good news and humble enough to be corrected when needed. The predictions of dates for the end which they believed in and printed allowed Jehovah to sift out those only serving God to get a reward and not because they love God’s sovereignty, just as Jesus sifted out the selfish among his disciples when he taught them about eating his flesh and drinking his blood.

    Raymond Franz on the other hand, was a man who did everything he could to furnish his career, who feared persecution, who loved writing and giving talks but disliked preaching, and who lived a double life for at least a decade because he loved the attention he got as a member of the Governing Body, as I have gathered by reading between the lines in his book Crisis of Conscience.

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    • JJ says:

      Daniel

      Welcome to the site! I am glad you are commenting here and opening up a dialogue with us. Being able to express our Christian viewpoint is a wonderful thing and there isn’t one of us here that would say we know everything.

      You mention some of us having doubts. That isn’t really the word I would use at least for myself. It is more like we have many questions- and there is no provision for asking questions at the meetings. There isn’t even the avenue of writing the Society anymore since a recent questions from readers brought out that they no longer will be accepting personal letters from publishers that are troubled by a particular teaching or policy, or even something that has never been commented on before. We are then referred to the local body of elders for any questions to be answered.

      If you have served on a body for any length of time as a number of us here have, you will understand how frequently they do not have an answer to a congregation matter or other problem and then seek to be told what to do by a branch representative.

      As to the veracity of Ray’s books, I can only say that I was there in Brooklyn for some years and confirmed many details of what he wrote about. I have personally contacted over a dozen brothers that have firsthand information about what was written. They confirmed many portions as well. When leaving, the brothers offered him a sum of
      money and special pioneer status, which he declined. He had virtually
      no money or possessions to his name, and was not a young person when he left. Jesus said wisdom is proved righteous by it’s works. He said this after opposers had called him a variety of epithets. Ray’s behavior speaks in a similar way, and there are literally thousands of brothers and sisters who were touched by his humility and loving attitude before and after his 40 years of full-time service spent with the WT organization. That time was spent in the missionary field, traveling work, and then in deep study at Bethel working on the Aid Book and many other publications that are still read and studied by Witnesses to this day.

      There has also been a study article considered only just a few months ago that said Jehovah’s Witnesses would not read so-called apostate books or websites, not even commenting on their blogs. If you feel that this site would be considered “spiritually dangerous” or suspect, why have you disobeyed the governing body’s clear direction on this? Perhaps asking your local elders to read your comments here on the site and get their advice as to how to proceed would also be helpful to you. I ask this not in an argumentative spirit, but because I really would like your thoughts on the question.

      With Christian love,
      JJ

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  29. Daniel Metz says:

    The quality of the “spiritual food” here compared with that in the publications of the Watchtower Society strengthen my faith that I am associated with Jesus’ faithful and discreet slave. The Calvinist beliefs here don’t satisfy me. Those of our publications do.

    I write this because on this page you only hear those who agree with you. I think it my duty that you know that there are believing Witnesses who are “Conscious of the ‘Conscious Class'” and can help those who have doubts stay strong in the faith.

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  30. andrew says:

    I commend you Daniel at least for giving so-called “apostate” books, such as a Crisis of Conscience a cursory glance.

    A book I would recommend to you is Don Cameron’s “Captives of a Concept”. This book would also help you understand the ‘conscious class’ better and their reasons for doubting that the society was appointed by Jesus in 1918/1919.

    I would ask that you reevaluate your judgment of the brothers and sisters here. I’m not sure if you are an elder but I served as one for 13 years. I can tell you that doubts are not tolerated for very long. Sure, if you allow the elders to convince you that you are wrong and the society is right it won’t be too bad. But the elders are not equipped to handle well-reasoned arguments that the organization is not “God’s channel”. If you do not change your mind on this issue you will be disfellowshipped.

    Why would a JW who has realized this go to the elders to be DFed or why would he DA himself? He has done nothing wrong. He realizes to please God he shouldn’t follow men, but God’s son, Jesus. Where does the Bible say Christianity is membership with an organization? Why must we lose loved ones because we simply question or have doubts about certain doctrines?

    The organization has set itself up as the only way to God. It claims that when it speaks, God is speaking. It claims to question it’s authority is to question God himself. Is this showing humility?

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  31. Daniel Metz says:

    I am not opening up a discussion with you. I wrote my conclusions about reading this site and Ray Franz’s book. I have intention of trying to build faith in you that Jehovah and Jesus are using the Governing Body and approve of what they teach and the direction they give to the preaching work. Faith is part of the fruit of God’s spirit and if you don’t faith anymore, it is maybe because Jehovah sees that you are not really qualified to be subjects of his kingdom. (Hebrews 10:38) 38 “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith,” and, “if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

    In the New World, there will be only one government, one religion and no other views will be tolerated. There will still be humans giving direction, called “the Chieftain” and “the princes”. Anyone who doubts that they are speaking for God will not survive the thousand years.

    You want to reform Jehovah’s Witnesses from the inside. Brother Russell tried that at first, but then he realized that he needed to start a new preaching work about the Kingdom. Maybe you will do that one day: start your own magazine, use the radio, organize a house-to-house preaching and Bible-study work. But I doubt it. That takes strong faith, which you don’t have.

    It is much easier to post criticisms of Jehovah’s Witnesses and on a website, the way that Evangelicals do.

    You want us to follow the blueprint of Ray Franz for how he sees a Christian society should be. We are now studying the apostolic model in the Bearing Witness book, which shows what arrangement Jesus blessed, but it takes faith to believe that Jesus is using imperfect men. Diotrephes didn’t have such faith. I can imagine him saying: “What authority does John have to claim that he and his associates are “the only way to God, that when he speaks, God is speaking, that to question his authority is to question God himself. Is this showing humility? I follow only Christ and he guides me by the holy spirit. I have a personal relationship with him and do not follow men.”

    I also know a brother who spoke to a brother who was at Bethel when the apostates were found out. He said: “They don’t want to go door to door.” In this simple language, he expressed the basic problem. They like Ray Franz (who shows a picture of himself in the preaching work in his book and calls it “witnessing” in quotation marks, which reveals to me his contempt for this work) did not want to humbly witness about Jehovah the way we do. They wanted to “study the Bible”, using the Calvinist commentaries of Christendom, which excuse the disunity in belief by saying that Jesus prayer for unity will only be fulfilled “when we are in heaven” (I heard this from an Evangelical).

    My analysis of Ray Franz’s psychology is not shaken by these words. You have to read between the lines of his book. Those who read it and became apostates are grateful to him because it gives them the intellectual justification for the desire in their heart: to be like this world.

    You love this world. You don’t want to stand out from it. That’s why you want blood transfusions whenever a doctor says that you need them. That is why you want to celebrate Christmas and birthdays, the way your unbelieving relatives, neighbours and workmates do. You want to have a comfortable retirement in this system of things, because you want to slave for Riches and God at the same time. Jesus told us that that was impossible.

    The end didn’t come in 1975. I was 15 at the time. My parents helped me see that it was not certain, though many brothers believed it, as did Brother Fred Franz. The present Governing Body members may have believed it would come in 1975 but they were not sifted out the way Raymond Franz and the others were. They continued to serve Jehovah because they have faith that Jesus is “with us all the days until the conclusion of the system of things” and Jehovah will sift out those who are not really supporters of his sovereignty, the way Jesus got rid of those “not putting faith in him” in John 6.

    But I have chosen Jehovah’s sovereignty and will continue to serve with those who have faith in all of the Bible, not in the skewed version of Raymond Franz, the prophet of your planned reform.

    He left Bethel with all those letters that he reproduces in his book. Why? Because he PLANNED to write it, despite his claim that he only wrote it because of the way he and the other apostates were described in the Watchtower. Ray Franz was a DISHONEST man. Maybe he looked humble and was kind, but he liked the attention that he received as being a member of the Governing Body. He may have been planning to leave because of the stress of his pretense of being a believer, when he wasn’t, but he got found out and was exposed. In fact, he gave himself away in the discussion where one of the Governing Body spoke about reports of Governing Body members teaching their own thoughts. He immediately tried to defend himself, thus exposing his own deviation from our faith. He complains about how he was called to a meeting back in Brooklyn by Brother Schroeder, without being told that evidence had been found against him, and says that that was “unchristian”. But I put myself in Brother Schroeder’s shoes. When he found out the depth of Ray Franz’s deviation from our teachings, he must have been shocked that Franz had been such a hypocrite for so long, and not resigned earlier, as an HONEST person, who has faith in Jehovah and Jesus, would have done.

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    • What is the faith of a Watch Tower Society member like now since the Governing Body inadvertently killed all of its 1914 and 1919 doctrine by now saying Christ hasn’t actually returned yet? The WTS “New Light” in strongly alluding to themselves now as being the Faithful and Discreet Slave is in direct conflict with prior teachings. How can anyone not see the deception, the not knowing a matter but still teaching on it?

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  32. Daniel Metz says:

    As I have said elsewhere on this site, continue to analyze our publications to see what the Governing Body is doing. They are two steps ahead of you, because they have Jesus on their side. I think I know where their strategy is, and, if it is what I think it is, it is BRILLIANT.

    The seraphs are working to keep Jehovah’s organization clean of those who are spiritually, mentally and morally unclean. The fact that they have not yet exposed JJ (if it is still true that he is still going to meetings and in service) indicates to me that his actions serve Jehovah’s interests in sifting the congregation, in removing those who are not really obedient enough to live in the New World, where we will not only have to follow the directions of the heavenly government through human representatives, but we may have to adjust our thinking to what will be required of us in the new “scrolls” that will be revealed. In the New World, there won’t be apostate websites to try to reform Christ’s government or to get supporters for online “surveys” to remit to the “Chieftain” class, and “to the media”, to try and get them to relax the requirements of the “scrolls”. Those actions are, I think, only possible in the present world ruled by Satan.

    So enjoy the freedom of Satan’s world while it lasts, while you are still alive in it. I will continue to serve Jehovah with those who “are no part of this world” and are happy not to take celebrate its holidays, along with those who are ready to WORK for Jehovah, trusting that he will bring the New World when it is the best time, and reward the FAITHFUL with everlasting life.

    I am not following the direction of the “faithful slave” in this matter, for a very good reason. But I realize that I can get caught in a subtle trap: spending my time analyzing your responses to my posts and then feeling moved to post something else in response. That way I would have less time to preach the good news to Muslims and Hindus (my present specialty) and less time to feed on the spiritual food from the “faithful and discreet slave”.

    For that reason, this will be my last post. I will not answer any response to it. I had to say my piece, and did so.

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  33. Daniel Metz says:

    One more thing.

    JJ wrote:

    There isn’t even the avenue of writing the Society anymore since a recent questions from readers brought out that they no longer will be accepting personal letters from publishers that are troubled by a particular teaching or policy, or even something that has never been commented on before. We are then referred to the local body of elders for any questions to be answered.

    This is a distortion.

    The October 15, 2011 Questions From Readers asked the question “What should I do when I have a question about something I read in the Bible or when I need advice about a personal problem.” The question was about two types of things one could write about.

    The answer to this question said “The brothers who work at the branch office or at the world headquarters cannot answer every question about subjects that have not been explained in the publications… If you need advice about a personal problem or decision, they would be able to help you since they are nearby, and they know you and your situation.”

    JJ’s comment distorts what has said.

    If one is “troubled by a particular teaching or policy”, one can always write. I have. I suggested that the book for elders be put officially online, so that elders knew that all the congregation knows what elders are expected to do. I was not chastised for this but got a very nice answer from my branch. I don’t know if Jehovah agrees with my suggestion.If he does, I have faith that it will happen. If he sees it as unwise, I have faith that it won’t.

    An elder in Montreal, Jean Renan Sanon, whom I know personally, regularly writes to the Governing Body. He told me that he wrote them, explaining that he thought the term “Presiding Overseer” led elders and others to believe that he has more authority than the other elders. He suggested that the term be changed, in French, to “coordonnateur du collège des anciens”. About 3 years later, that change was implemented, with the exact term he suggested, namely, “coordinator of the body of elders.”

    This and my own experience proves to me that the Governing Body has a Writing Correspondence Desk precisely because they WANT to know how we feel about the literature and what is going on in the congregations. They must realize that the reports of circuit overseers tell only part of the story. Because of such letters, there are even corrections in the Awake! magazine in letters from our readers.

    The Question From Readers only meant that the Writing Correspondence Desk is not a Writing Department, to comment on verses that have never been discussed before in our publications.

    JJ’s interpretation is a distortion of the message.

    The same is true with the recent attempt on this site to use the experience in the February 15 Watchtower to claim that Jehovah’s Witnesses tolerate spousal abuse. This is also a distortion. Our position on spousal abuse is clear in articles that are on the subject. The husband wasn’t right in hitting his wife. That is obvious to any Witness reading this article. The sister realized though that she was not applying Peter’s counsel for unbelieving wives. When she did, there is no evidence that her husband continued to hit, as do spousal abusers. No evidence whatsoever. The fact that some elders have not taught the teachings of the faithful slave but have distorted it does not mean that our publications tell sisters they MUST stay with a spousal abuser.

    *** lv p. 221 The Bible’s View on Divorce and Separation ***
    In all cases involving such extreme situations as those just discussed, no one should put pressure on the innocent mate either to separate or to stay with the other. While spiritually mature friends and elders may offer support and Bible-based counsel, they cannot know all the details of what goes on between a husband and a wife. Only Jehovah can see that. Of course, a Christian wife would not be honoring God or the marriage arrangement if she exaggerated the seriousness of her domestic problems just to live separately from her husband, or vice versa. Jehovah is aware of any scheming behind a separation, no matter how one may try to hide it. Indeed, “all things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of him with whom we have an accounting.” (Hebrews 4:13) But if an extremely dangerous situation persists, no one should criticize a Christian who, as a last resort, chooses to separate. In the final analysis, “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.”—Romans 14:10-12.

    I know that JJ isn’t honest enough to disassociate himself, but at least he should try to not distort what the faithful slave teaches.

    His “surveys” sent to the Governing Body from those who regularly come to this site will not affect the Governing Body, and the majority of us Witnesses, those who have faith in Jehovah, wouldn’t want them to.

    All of these attempts to make us more popular, (as Ray Franz clearly wanted the Malawi brothers to buy a party card to avoid persecution, which would only have led to Kamuzu Banda requiring more support, such as flag salute or army service), WILL FAIL. The last time we compromised on neutrality, we were conquered by Babylon the Great, in 1918-1919.

    So all of the posters can keep posting here if it makes them happy. I hope they are happy now, living as they please. I am supremely happy serving Jehovah and Jesus with the Governing Body. I love their firmness for Bible standards, their teachings of love for mankind, but hatred of lawlessness and fearless exposure of “law-defying people”.

    (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12) . . .But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents 10 and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. 11 So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, 12 in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

    (Matthew 24:48-51) . . .But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.

    (Matthew 25:19-30) . . .“After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 So the one that had received five talents came forward and brought five additional talents, saying, ‘Master, you committed five talents to me; see, I gained five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 Next the one that had received the two talents came forward and said, ‘Master, you committed to me two talents; see, I gained two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 “Finally the one that had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be an exacting man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not winnow. 25 So I grew afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 In reply his master said to him, ‘Wicked and sluggish slave, you knew, did you, that I reaped where I did not sow and gathered where I did not winnow? 27 Well, then, you ought to have deposited my silver monies with the bankers, and on my arrival I would be receiving what is mine with interest. 28 “‘Therefore TAKE away the talent from him and give it to him that has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone that has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but as for him that does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness outside. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.’

    Reading the “gnashing of teeth” here, noticing the lack of the joy that I have with my brothers and sisters in my Facebook group, and seeing the unrepentant, dishonest DISTORTION of our beliefs here, prove to me once again that the Bible is true.

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  34. andrew says:

    Daniel, I’m sorry to read how hard-hearted you are. In certain points it reminds me of myself how I was. Please meditate on this text with an open heart.

    Luke 18:9-14 ” But he spoke this illustration also to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and who considered the rest as nothing: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself, ‘O God, I thank you I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give the tenth of all things I acquire.’ 13 But the tax collector standing at a distance was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward, but kept beating his breast, saying, ‘O God, be gracious to me a sinner.’ 14 I tell YOU, This man went down to his home proved more righteous than that man; because everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted.”

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  35. andrew says:

    Daniel, you seem to equate being a believer as being a believer in the organization. If someone has deep faith in Jehovah and his son, lives a morally clean life, and shows love to God and neighbor but does not accept the org. as God’s channel, in your opinion is he a believer?

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  36. JIM says:

    The Bible states in the 14th chapter of John that Jesus is the WAY and the TRUTH.It also states that the Holy Spirit is the teacher.So why would anybody replace them with a man-made org. is beyond me.The 15th chapter of John states that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches,there is no one in between. So why would anybody put the org. between Christ and you is beyond me.If this was not so,the Bible would not state these facts.Salvation is between you and Christ.If you are sealed with the Holy Spirit you belong to Christ and are a member of Gods Kingdom.The Bible has a name for some one who tries to come between you and Christ.May Christ live in you and you in CHRIST

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  37. DanielB says:

    I guess we got the answer to that Andrew . It’s like those who say first God , then country , while in truth it’s COUNTRY first .

    As he said , to each his own . . .

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  38. Borgfree says:

    Daniel Metz is a good reminder to me as to why I am so glad I left the organization.

    Keep going Daniel, you will help many OUT.

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  39. Three Standing says:

    Kingdom Halls at one time had windows. Little birds could see outside while sitting inside and other little birds could see inside while sitting outside on the ledge.

    JW Struggle is a Kingdom Hall with windows. Never close up those windows! Let all the little birds see and learn the good things you have to say as well as the hard truths salted with love.

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    • JJ says:

      Welcome Three Standing- nice to have your comment!

      The “no windows allowed” question has been wondered about for years and no one seems to really understand why. But you are right, a view is always nice and never bad. Thank you saying we have one here. We do not want the “truth to be veiled” as Paul said.

      In Christ,
      JJ

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  40. Elaiah says:

    Dear Brothers,

    This email comes to you from the authors of the website: http://www.AnointedJW.org.

    We are anointed Christians who are associated with the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society who are attempting to effect positive change within the organization. We know that many of the cherished teachings of the Society are not only wrong, but extremely harmful. And we know that once members of the association discover these errors, their action is to disassociate themselves or fade away, believing that there is nothing that can be done. As a result, they are leaving behind so many of our brothers and sisters who do not have a clue that they are on a destructive path.

    We are also quite aware that the efforts of ex-witnesses to reach the active ones are mostly ineffective since the active witnesses look to the “slave” above even the Bible. As such, we deduce than any effort to save those left behind must be done right within the congregations. That is the work we have chosen to do.

    Rather than try to debunk each erroneous teaching, we elect to focus on the one teaching that was most important to Jesus – sonship with God in the Kingdom of the Heavens. We believe that once the members of the association realize they are all sons of God, it will move them to assertive action to help others achieve that realization. And once the Society realizes that the masses are waking up, they will be forced to acknowledge this truth and change their direction, or to come out from under the sheep’s clothing and reveal that their true intent is to control the sheep rather than care for them.

    Finally, we believe that if enough Witnesses, whether active, inactive, or disfellowshipped, work together, we can effect this readjustment or, at the very least, expose the error. In either case, so many of our brothers will be saved.

    We invite you to visit our site and become familiar with our work at http://www.AnointedJW.org. We have a page entitled “Overview of the Site” which lays out the information contained on the site and suggests how to progress through the information. After you have viewed the site, please let us know your thoughts on our “Contact Us” page.

    Thank you for considering our request.

    Your brothers in the faith,

    http://www.AnointedJW.org

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  41. MOuthy says:

    Good site Thanks

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  42. freethinkerinjah says:

    greetimgs this is a test message on the computer instead of ipad to see if posting is easier freethinker

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  43. Lois says:

    http://www.probe.org/site/c.fd.....hat_Is.htm Believe you’ll find this information interesting.

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  44. Tessy says:

    The issuing acegny of the oath Knorr pledged tells everyone what that oath is. Specifically it says it is The applicant’s oath of affirmation of allegiance to the United States. Marvin further said: My point of children who suffered for refusing to pledge allegiance is that Knorr should have told the Witness community it was okay in his eyes to pledge the same national oath of allegiance that he pledged.Fourheavens replies: No, Knorr should NOT have told the Witness community that it was okay to pledge allegiance to the Nation. The children did what they should have done, and Knorr did the right thing in signing his name in order to have a passport. Knorr was never a patriotic person, and his signing his name in order to get a passport didn’t make him a patriotic person. However, if Witness children were to pledge their allegiance to the Nation, then they would be engaging in a non-Biblical patriotic ceremony. As I said previously, there was no issue with this until YOU decided to make it an issue.Fourheavens (aka Friday)

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  45. spike says:

    Daniel Metz has good reason to disobey YHWH’s representatives??!! YHWH, the God of truth, using the Holy Spirit that Christ promised would lead his followers into all truth, let’s his representatives claim to speak for Him, then give false dates and teachings so that those not rightly disposed can be tested and weeded out…. Disgusting.

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  46. spike says:

    I would like to respond to one more statement from Daniel Metz.
    He says ” The seraphs are working to keep Jehovah’s organization clean of those who are spiritually, mentally and morally unclean.”

    There are no humans who can claim to be truly clean mentally, morally, or spiritually as we all fall short of our Father’s glory. We do have the ransom to cover our sins when we are truly repentant. The theory that qualifying for life revolves around blindly obeying men, or an organization of men is offensive to our Creator.

    There are many fine people in the WTBTS. There are also many who feel that they are above ” worldly ” people. They are like the Pharisees standing in the street, thanking YHWH that they are not like the common people. The time will come when Christ is manifest to all. Many modern day Pharisees will be shocked to see who responds to Christ’s call to mankind. His feelings are still the same, He would love to gather all to himself as a mother Hen gathers her chicks. Many will respond. The idea that Christ will destroy billions of people who have no idea of who he really is is a ridiculous notion. Saying that the eternal prospects for millions in, lets say India, rests on the fact of whether or not they took a Watchtower magazine in a 5 minute presentation at the door is ludicrous.

    To equate moral, mental, and physical cleanliness with obedience to men who have put themselves in the seat of Moses, is even more ridiculous. Especially when the legal representatives of those men, who are Elders supposedly appointed by Holy Spirit, will lie under oath in a court of law to defend ” the truth “.

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  47. Here is another great resource one should look at. http://www.e-prophetic.com

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  48. Como eu gostaria de saber inglês!!!!

    Apóstolo TDS

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  49. Bryan says:

    JJ,
    Keep up his work. Its simply great that our only mediator showed you the way out. GODspeed. No men allowed between us and YHWH

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  50. Domenic says:

    I was baptized in 1968. I have been DF twice. Since I left the JW’s, I have gained a greater knowledge of the truth. My service to Jehovah has never stopped, nor my love for him.
    I thank Jehovah for this web site. Does the site have a mail box?
    Domenic

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    • JJ says:

      Domenic it’s great to have you here brother! You can email me at JWStruggle at gmail dot com.

      And you can also message any of the registered users here if you like, or join us in the forums as well.

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  51. jacqueline says:

    JJ, a poster named Deone on the http://www.friendsofjehovahswitnesses.com site posted a comment to you.
    We put up an article and the video from your Apostasy trial on our site and he is talking to you. If you like will you answer him. Your sister in Christ Jacqueline

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  52. Craig says:

    Dear JJ:

    I am a exJW (disassociated after 35 years). Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and maintaining this website! I have been encouraged, and surely many, many others!

    I recently read a great book on JW’s “Judgment Day Must Wait” by Poul Bregninge. It is very well researched, accurate and one of the best books I ever read!

    Please refer to: http://www.judgmentdaymustwait.com

    I am hoping that you can provide some awareness about this book on one of your upcoming posts on this site. I strongly recommend it as a MUST READ!

    Regards,

    Craig

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  53. Eric, thanks so much for the “Last Days” book. I feel the same way as the author and I love having his references I can use. I should introduce myself very briefly. I grew up in the Intermoutain West, I was LDS (Mormon) from birth and all through the programs, did a two year mission and married as the church suggested, virgin and 22 knowing nothing about sex. I have had an interest in JW’s and other Seventh Day offshoots such as the worldwide Church of God which has terribly strict rules, many the same as the witnesses. I found you and others helping ex-JWs or soon to be and thought your support was Christlike and loving. I watched one of your videos of the sister who was trying so hard to get back in and have a real relationship with her daughters and mother, but the Elders just kept pouncing on her with “so and so sisters saw you at McDonalds” and you did something that they had to report or “you aren’t able to block out your anger against your ex well enough”. I had tears steaming down my face and thinking the three men were the most uncaring people ever, this woman was crushed. I would have driven the hundreds of miles to encourage her myself and give her a couple of shoulders to cry on, but I think she was in the UK. Since them I’ve listened to maybe another 7 or 8 stories of guys losing their kids families and being shunned by parents and all their friends. Many more tears have been shed listening to their stories. The recording of the judicial meetings are just incredible, and so insightful. I have stated that I’m not an ex-JW, and at least one person felt I was a spy and told me to go away. I’ve commented on many ex-JW channels but it’s always been heartfelt and encouraging. I think the world of you Eric, John Cedars, Cora and Marc, and all the others. I hope I’ll not intruding. I am part of the cults but another one. I never was 100% in as there were so many things I could not believe, and any church taking the Old Testament as gods word when that god was a murdering monster lost me. I would like to feel part of your extended group here in the most positive way, I’ve also completed lots of research and scripture reading and I want to learn from all of you. Thanks for the kindness I’ve been shown.

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  54. Duke says:

    Peace be with you Eric,

    It is time to be prepared for the great division which is coming soon.

    Eric here is a link to download a book which will help all those who enlightened to expose the corrupt world system, and participate in the gathering of the harvest.

    Eric please make sure to give all fellow Believers the link so that they can also download “One Book”.
    “One Book” is a practical end time guide.

    http://marques.co.za/duke/Book_one-1.1.pdf

    I commend you for “The Truth About The Truth”

    I am,
    The faithful witness

    It is written:

    “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the
    days of the Son of man”.

    ” And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will
    return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may
    open unto him immediately.”

    Take heed, the time has come, Eric DO NOT censor(‘moderate’) this message.

    The reason why censorship is such an evil, is because censorship is the act of hiding the truth. Feel free to e-mail me.

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  55. Timothy says:

    You are doing a great job for God in making all these vital information available. Somehow the devil does not like what you are doing and the Watchtower and JW will never like it. To them you are apostates. But thanks be to Jehovah God who has helped and still helping you. May His grace and mercy continue with you all

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  56. Allison Qureshi says:

    I want someone to contact me to hear my story. I have had enough and I am ready to fight. I have been quiet too long, now I am fueled by my anger and sadness. Please email me and I’ll send you contact information.

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  57. GSD571 says:

    Hello JJ,

    I have been watching your videos for some time now, and, along with all the other great ex JW websites, yours is very informative and helpful. I just wanted to offer my story to you. While it may not be as compelling as others, there are certainly things I have experienced that will possibly help those on the fence make a clean break, or open up some eyes as to how things really work in the organization.

    Your fellow struggler,

    GSD571

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  58. SL says:

    I have a real good friend who became a baptized Jehovah Witness about 12 years ago. We go back and forth excitedly but respectively about what are meant with certain scriptures and how certain religious groups including them came to their doctrinal beliefs. We speak freely with each other but he wouldn’t do so with others he barely knows. I knew him before being a Jehovah Witness and when he became baptized as one. He has been of great support to me many times whenever I felt anxious or angry or stressed out about something in my life with scriptures and made sense with a lot of things but it’s certain things I do question a bit about their organization. Nonetheless, I am sharing with you an email he wrote me as a result of one of our recent conversations. Please read, review and respond. I will place his statement starting and ending with quotation marks (It’s basically the whole statement below and hopefully as I place it bold and underlined it will appear as such).

    On Jan 31 at 5:21 PM my JW friend emailed me the below following:

    “I was thinking again about our recent conversations and concluded that you’re right. There’s just so much information and misinformation about everyone that calls themselves followers of the Christ. The UCG has similar teachings to JWs, as well as Seventh Day Adventists. The Catholics and Protestants differ primarily in methodology, but not in ideology. Everyone says everyone else is wrong, but at the same time most say that God loves us all.

    Well, I don’t want to complicate your quest for answers, so to keep it simple for you I just ask one thing as you go about your business: Consider the Jehovah factor. That’s all you really need to consider when deciding whether or not to scratch JWs off of the list. Why do I say this? Because all of the other groups (unless there is some fringe group I haven’t heard of) consider Jesus to be God. Whether they see him as part of a trinity or two-headed Godhead isn’t all that important. In the end, to them, Jesus is God. JWs do not worship Jesus, but Jehovah. So, if Jehovah/Yahweh is not the one true God who should be worshipped today then JWs are in fact engaged in false worship and as an organization is a false religion. Conversely, if Jesus is not God, then all those who worship him as God are engaged in false worship and are false religions.

    Amongst all of those who worship Jesus as God, an argument can be logically made that it doesn’t really matter exactly how you worship him just as long as you worship him and acknowledge what his death on the cross -his blood being poured out – is what saves. Everything else are small arguments that are not all that important, mere quibbles. With JWs, though, that argument cannot be made, because as soon as one says that Jesus is God we say that they are worshipping a god other than the one true God. There is no doctrinal reconciliation beyond that point. It doesn’t matter, for example, if one says we must keep the Sabbath, because they worship the wrong God.

    So, I think that your search would be more productive if you tackle the issue of whether Jehovah is God and is superior to Jesus or not. Then if you determine that he is not God, it only leaves you with having to decide which way you would prefer to worship Jesus as God, whether UCG, Catholic, Lutheran, Adventist, Mormon etc. See, they all believe that Christ is God. If you decide that Jehovah is God, then your decision is simple, because nowhere else can you find a group that eat, sleep, and drink Jehovah. As I said before, from a JWs perspective, who God is everything to us. We believe that he is to be worshipped in a specific uncompromising way, which means we can’t be dragnetted with those who say that the use of the name Jehovah is not important.

    So is Jesus God or Jehovah? The day that you unequivocally can say who it is then your journey will be expedited and you will reach your destination much quicker.”

    I will greatly appreciate your response.

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  59. MAURICE says:

    GOD BLESS YOU! NOW THAT I HAVE FOUND YOUR BLOG I WILL GET INVOLVED AND TELL MY STORY. IN ADDITION, I BELEIVE WE ARE WITNESSES AND WE SHOULD START ANOTHER ORGANIZATION [WITNESSES ALSO] AND KEEP ONLY THE GOOD FROM
    THE TRUTH AND IT WILL GROW! WE MUST INVESTIGATE, ASK QUESTIONS AND REFORM ALL THE SYSTEMATIC ERRORS FROM THE BELIEFS AND MAKE IT RIGHTEOUS AND PURE AGAIN! THEY DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS AND THEIR PRIDE STANDS IN THE WAY OF REFORM!

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  60. Diane Shade says:

    Hi,My name is de and I have been looking for a site that I could find others like myself that find themselves not out of the truth, but more like “out of the box thinking”, while looking in. I recently had a situation happen to me not once but twice, and tho the brother was “supposedly” spoken to, he is still in good standing with the congregation. He has never apologized for his behavior to me (he did say he was sorry to the elders and congregation). Not only that, but I was told to leave it to Jehovah,and forgive him. I tried so hard to put it behind me, but I kept running into him when we had to meet up for witnessing and watch his interactions with everyone as tho it was work as usual. It was like he was enjoying the fact he got away with it, .. and it wasn’t the first incident I found out later on. When I couldn’t bring myself to attend my congregation anymore, one sister dropped by some weeks later and when I voiced my concerns, she said she was sorry, and has not stopped by again, nor has anyone else. The only time anyone “texed me” was to ask for my monthly time in, and if I was going to the meetings or assembly… I recently got a call from a sister who’s husband was one of the elders that supposedly spoke to this brother. I know she was just curious to know what was going on with me, when I again spoke of my reasons, she informed me I was making a mountain out of a mole hill, and if I wanted to be a disappointment to Jehovah that was “my business.” Neeedless to say I was fuming and let her know it. What she has or has not said about our conversation I will never know, .. the only witness I have on my side is Jehovah, .. as I told the sisters and elders “my alliegance is to Jehovah and Jehovah alone.” I feel they pretty much made their decision as to who is in good standing and who is not.
    So now I find myself alone with Jehovah and talk and pray to him as to what to do. Tho my family is not in the truth, they do not throw any hardship on me nor does my husband bash them verbally. I get more love, understanding, and support from them then the whole congregation!!

    What is really sad is that I was baptized in 2012, I worked so hard to not only please Jehovah, but to help out anyway I could in the congregation. My other situation with them with a chiropractor that left me in a wheelchair for over 3 months is another story…………Same advice! There is something terribly wrong either with the org. itself, or this congregation. All I know is if this is the way they do their teachings, I fair better to defend myself in the outside world…at least we have laws to protect us against perverts!! And if other females had spoken up sooner, maybe this wouldn’t have happened me…then again maybe they did but were also “hushed up”. I’m not on this earth to please any human and maybe that’s why they turned their backs, I’m not afraid to speak up…and always in a respectful way.

    Sorry I rambled on,… guess I had alot pent up… Thank you for listening.

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  61. barbara says:

    well guys atleast you all have answer that question of it being a cult.dont seem like anyone of you were harass after the leaving.hey to each is his own.but if jesus said feed his sheep.then feed them.never let anyone stop you from serving johovah even if some at your hall are not so nice.the cannaanite women did let anyone stop her.

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  62. Let us reason, friends.
    If it were not for the marvel of the way the organisation has become built, then there would be hardly anyone talking about God in the world, in comparison with what there is.
    But I do feel the J W s do not show enough merciful sensitivity on the No Blood.
    I have studied 9 years with them.
    I thank God for them.
    But I hate the lack of forum, among people in general, and so thus am so happy in front of God for the internet.
    But the famine of hearing the Word of God is probably yet to come as mentioned in Amos 8 verse 11.
    This could be because we are giving up our paper Bibles and money, for electronics and the paperless economy.
    In verse 9, God decides to move the Sun abnormally, which could damage electronics on an unprecedented scale through the power lines acting like an antenna.
    In verse 12 it says people will go to the sea looking for Gods Word, this could make sense as ships have much tougher smaller and independent electronics.
    In the STUDY Watchtower of Nov 2014, a picture showing preparation for emergency, shows everyone with a paper Bible.
    This is an organisation that encourages the use of tablets and phones for video and I have still yet to find a Church supporting the paper Bible against emergency.

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  63. Theo Hikmat says:

    Good morning, I just wanted to invite you to check out my “Hidden From Jehovah’s Witness Video series on Youtube. It is a powerful resource of information helping people to reach Jw’s by showing them the secrets the JW leaders keep hidden from their members. Part 1-5 is already uploaded and part 6 and 7 are in the works and should be ready very soon. Thank you. you can find the videos at 2 links https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLNJOuTeFKRJYXqvNunrFjg
    and
    https://www.youtube.com/jasonzelda

    Thank you.

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