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I was born into the Jehovah's Witness faith. Even though my way of life, my beliefs, my family, and my friends revolved around my faith, I made a decision even before I was a teenager, that I would leave my religion as soon as I was old enough to do so. Why?
As a very young child, perhaps 7 - 12 years old, there was a man who came to my Kingdom Hall for many years. He was always well dressed and he always sat in the front row. He never spoke a word. He looked very kind and loving. I could not understand what he could have done that was so bad that no one would speak with him. I knew he was disfellowshipped but I said 'hi' to him anyways. I was afraid to say anything more. Everytime I got caught, I would get scolded but I knew God would never treat people this way. I was convinced my religion was NOT God's organization no matter what anyone told me.
Because of the way Witnesses treated disfellowshipped people, I was determined to leave the Watchtower Society as soon as I was an adult.
I also noticed as I was going from door to door that some people were more loving and kind than my Jehovah's Witness friends. I could not accept the belief that God would slaughter good people who weren't Witnesses. That would make Jehovah even more evil than the wicked people he condemned to death. Many worldly people accepted me with unconditional love even though I was a Jehovah's Witness. That alone made me doubt that I had the truth.
Leaving the Watchtower Society at a young age was the best decision I ever made. I give thanks to God every day for showing me the truth about 'the truth'. And I give thanks to the poor disfellowshipped man who was treated so unkindly for many years by people who believe they are the most loving people on the planet.
The love Witnesses spoke about and the love I saw was two different things. I did not see the unconditional love Jesus taught his followers to have. It was all the proof I needed that the Watchtower Society is not God's organization. Eighteen years of brainwashing by Watchtower Society could not hide the obvious truth. God would never treat people the way Jehovah's Witnesses treat people who study the Bible and interpret it differently.
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