Ex-JW Elder, Now Catholic: Thank You, Catholic Church!

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DelsonJacobs

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Another thread that I posted and which involved Jehovah’s Witnesses was going off track. But several people had questions for me since I had once been one of them and left to return to the Catholic Church that I was raised in as a boy. So I would like to start another so people may continue to ask questions without feeling limited to the previous thread’s subject.

I want to thank the Catholic Church and its members because you made coming back home so easy. Some of you may have done nothing more than prayed for people like me to come home to Christ, but I am here to say thank you. Your prayers had great effect on me.

I have been back in the Church for about 20 years now. I was told by the Witnesses that I would never be able to do this, not now. But here I am.

I was also told:
  1. “You will never grow past 40 in this system of things.” I am now 50.
  2. “You will not reach marrying age nor need to go to college because the world will be gone soon.” That was at my baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1980.
  3. The Watchtower of January 1, 1989 predicted that our preaching work would “be completed in our 20th century.” I have celebrated New Years Day every January 1st since the year 1999.
  4. Before I left, my congregation elders told me that if I left their religion I “would soon die at Armageddon.” When I told them I expected to be around when 2014 comes (since 1914 is a special year to them) and past then, they replied: “The world won’t be here for 2014.” Today is January 3, 2014.
I truly believed that I was in the one true religion when I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I believed these things they told me (except the last one). I preached horrible things against Catholics and Jews and people of other faiths, claiming all of you were blinded by and thus worshipers of the Devil. For this I am so sorry.

Among other things, I began to study and read the Church Fathers. I learned the original languages of the Scriptures and did not need to rely on any English translations. I even witnessed God work miracles for a friend of mine who had cancer and the healing of my cousin from Lupus, all due to the intersession of Catholic saints.

It was very hard to admit I had false beliefs. It was difficult and even frightening to walk back into a Catholic Church.

But you made it easy once I did. Thank you for your love and prayers.

Mendelson Jacobs
 
Delson we are delighted to welcome you home to our Catholic faith and community.

I praise and thank God for His wonderful graces and blessings in your life.
May God continue to abundantly bless you, and to bless others through you.

Kind wishes,
Trishie
 
DelsonJacobs said:
Another thread that I posted and which involved Jehovah’s Witnesses was going off track. But several people had questions for me since I had once been one of them and left to return to the Catholic Church that I was raised in as a boy. So I would like to start another so people may continue to ask questions without feeling limited to the previous thread’s subject.

I want to thank the Catholic Church and its members because you made coming back home so easy. Some of you may have done nothing more than prayed for people like me to come home to Christ, but I am here to say thank you. Your prayers had great effect on me.

I have been back in the Church for about 20 years now. I was told by the Witnesses that I would never be able to do this, not now. But here I am.

I was also told:
  1. “You will never grow past 40 in this system of things.” I am now 50.
  2. “You will not reach marrying age nor need to go to college because the world will be gone soon.” That was at my baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1980.
  3. The Watchtower of January 1, 1989 predicted that our preaching work would “be completed in our 20th century.” I have celebrated New Years Day every January 1st since the year 1999.
  4. Before I left, my congregation elders told me that if I left their religion I “would soon die at Armageddon.” When I told them I expected to be around when 2014 comes (since 1914 is a special year to them) and past then, they replied: “The world won’t be here for 2014.” Today is January 3, 2014.
I truly believed that I was in the one true religion when I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I believed these things they told me (except the last one). I preached horrible things against Catholics and Jews and people of other faiths, claiming all of you were blinded by and thus worshipers of the Devil. For this I am so sorry.

Among other things, I began to study and read the Church Fathers. I learned the original languages of the Scriptures and did not need to rely on any English translations. I even witnessed God work miracles for a friend of mine who had cancer and the healing of my cousin from Lupus, all due to the intersession of Catholic saints.

It was very hard to admit I had false beliefs. It was difficult and even frightening to walk back into a Catholic Church.

But you made it easy once I did. Thank you for your love and prayers.

Mendelson Jacobs
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:gopray2::hug3:
 
DelsonJacobs said:
Another thread that I posted and which involved Jehovah’s Witnesses was going off track. But several people had questions for me since I had once been one of them and left to return to the Catholic Church that I was raised in as a boy. So I would like to start another so people may continue to ask questions without feeling limited to the previous thread’s subject.

I want to thank the Catholic Church and its members because you made coming back home so easy. Some of you may have done nothing more than prayed for people like me to come home to Christ, but I am here to say thank you. Your prayers had great effect on me.

I have been back in the Church for about 20 years now. I was told by the Witnesses that I would never be able to do this, not now. But here I am.

I was also told:
  1. “You will never grow past 40 in this system of things.” I am now 50.
  2. “You will not reach marrying age nor need to go to college because the world will be gone soon.” That was at my baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1980.
  3. The Watchtower of January 1, 1989 predicted that our preaching work would “be completed in our 20th century.” I have celebrated New Years Day every January 1st since the year 1999.
  4. Before I left, my congregation elders told me that if I left their religion I “would soon die at Armageddon.” When I told them I expected to be around when 2014 comes (since 1914 is a special year to them) and past then, they replied: “The world won’t be here for 2014.” Today is January 3, 2014.
I truly believed that I was in the one true religion when I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I believed these things they told me (except the last one). I preached horrible things against Catholics and Jews and people of other faiths, claiming all of you were blinded by and thus worshipers of the Devil. For this I am so sorry.

Among other things, I began to study and read the Church Fathers. I learned the original languages of the Scriptures and did not need to rely on any English translations. I even witnessed God work miracles for a friend of mine who had cancer and the healing of my cousin from Lupus, all due to the intersession of Catholic saints.

It was very hard to admit I had false beliefs. It was difficult and even frightening to walk back into a Catholic Church.

But you made it easy once I did. Thank you for your love and prayers.

Mendelson Jacobs
Click to expand...
You are in my prayers, brother. Your testimony is inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
 
Ex-Jehovah’s witness right here. I’m so happy I came to the Church. I love all the witnesses that I’ve been friends with to death but this is the true church. I’m so glad I’m here. It was so hard to believe all the lies of the Jehovahs witnesses and all the misintuperations but now I’m here and I believe the Church with all my heart. This is the one true religion. It was hard leaving at first but I had to do it. I found my way. I am happy you found the truth also.
I was in the same boat, preaching horrible things about the Church. I tried so hard to convince myself that I had the right religion. I’ve never been Catholic in my whole life. Not really any Catholic influences either. I dabled in paganism before my convert to JW. As I studied scripture with a man from my Hall I kept battling Catholic Theology. More and more I started believing in the Chuch while I was trying not too. I questioned “where did the apostles go?” I could not find a sutable answer. They gave some scripture to explain the fall of the early Church but a little reading in context did much to get rid of thoese ideas. Nothing added up. I didn’t understand scripture as a whole. Now that I’m with the Church I understand the bible as a whole so much better. Things just add up and you don’t have to force things together. It just kinda flows. I am so happy I’m with the Church that Jesus instituted nearly 2000 years ago. I hope that all will come to the true Church
 
Glory be to God!

I too am on a spiritual journey, though I am currently a Mainline Protestant. I feel more and more that I will convert to the Catholic Church as that I am believing with growing faith that she has the fullness of God’s revelation to man and the authority of Christ and His Apostles.

On a side note: I recently overheard the manager of a McDonalds I used to frequent (before I graduated from college) tell a customer who was visiting different churches (he claimed to have tried Protestant, Catholic, everything) that she was a JW. It makes me sad to think of her, and possibly that gentlemen now too, being deceived by false doctrines- and also sad that truly Christian communities somehow failed to reach them. I’m glad you’ve found your way home!
 
Thank you all so much. I really want you all and everyone reading this to know that prayer for people you don’t know and never see really works–so how much so those you know of! Never stop praying for those who are still lost in the shadows.

Their teaching that the world would end in 1914 or at least before the generation that witnessed 1914 (and World War I which began that year) passed away has hit me greatly with the arrival of 2014. From their teachings that millions alive in the 1900s would never die, to teaching that Abraham and King David would be resurrected in 1925, or that 6000 years of human existence (an adventist way of saying “the end of the world”) would come to an end in the autumn of 1975—nothing they have claimed was part of “the truth” ever came true. That is 100 years of very bad Biblical interpretations.

Being alive today means I have now spent more years as a real and true Christian than I did when my family left me as a teenager in that religion–I even had to plan an escape to leave! I can’t imagine what things I would have to be telling myself in 2014 in order to remain a Jehovah’s Witnesses would that I was still there!

Hurray for 2014! Hurray for all peoples of goodwill, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, Muslim, Hindu etc. who pray for blind eyes to be opened. God bless you all and thanks!
 
LennyFL said:
Ex-Jehovah’s witness right here. I’m so happy I came to the Church. I love all the witnesses that I’ve been friends with to death but this is the true church. I’m so glad I’m here. It was so hard to believe all the lies of the Jehovahs witnesses and all the misintuperations but now I’m here and I believe the Church with all my heart. This is the one true religion. It was hard leaving at first but I had to do it. I found my way. I am happy you found the truth also.
I was in the same boat, preaching horrible things about the Church. I tried so hard to convince myself that I had the right religion. I’ve never been Catholic in my whole life. Not really any Catholic influences either. I dabled in paganism before my convert to JW. As I studied scripture with a man from my Hall I kept battling Catholic Theology. More and more I started believing in the Chuch while I was trying not too. I questioned “where did the apostles go?” I could not find a sutable answer. They gave some scripture to explain the fall of the early Church but a little reading in context did much to get rid of thoese ideas. Nothing added up. I didn’t understand scripture as a whole. Now that I’m with the Church I understand the bible as a whole so much better. Things just add up and you don’t have to force things together. It just kinda flows. I am so happy I’m with the Church that Jesus instituted nearly 2000 years ago. I hope that all will come to the true Church
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God Bless you! Welcome Home!

:hug1:

I have some relatives from my extended family who are JWs. They are very loving people and I wish they can also find out the truth!
 
@DelsonJacobs, and LennyFL, I’m still making my way through some struggles, but I feel I can really relate to what you’ve said here. It’s relatively rare for a seriously devoted Witness to become drawn to the Catholic faith, so I appreciate knowing there are others out there. Thank you for posting. It is so sadly true that Witnesses significantly downplay their failed predictions. Those were not just ideas or suggestions. We based our lives and deepest expectations and hopes of our hearts on those statements, believing we had special understanding from God. And it pains me to say this, but the Witness portrayal of the Catholic faith is unjustifiably and inexplicably dishonest. They exaggerate the negative and carefully avoid mentioning anything positive (of which there is such an overwhelming abundance).
 
Winston_Smith said:
It’s relatively rare for a seriously devoted Witness to become drawn to the Catholic faith, so I appreciate knowing there are others out there.
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I was wondering about this also. One would think that after being so controlled and misguided in one faith, would never again think of joining another faith with structure such as the CC.

Thanks be to God for all of you for being open to the Holy Spirit! and Winston, I pray your journey is pain free brother! :signofcross:

Peace!!!
 
Winston_Smith said:
@DelsonJacobs, and LennyFL, I’m still making my way through some struggles, but I feel I can really relate to what you’ve said here. It’s relatively rare for a seriously devoted Witness to become drawn to the Catholic faith, so I appreciate knowing there are others out there. Thank you for posting. It is so sadly true that Witnesses significantly downplay their failed predictions. Those were not just ideas or suggestions. We based our lives and deepest expectations and hopes of our hearts on those statements, believing we had special understanding from God. And it pains me to say this, but the Witness portrayal of the Catholic faith is unjustifiably and inexplicably dishonest. They exaggerate the negative and carefully avoid mentioning anything positive (of which there is such an overwhelming abundance).
Click to expand...
Glad to know you are out there too.

The good news about all this is that about 45% of all my friends who were Witnesses when I was eventually left too–and not excommunicated (disfellowshipped, as they put it) but left.

We have discussed the same thing, how we are made to put full belief in the predictions of the Watchtower while we are members–under pain of being disfellowed and shunned to the point that not even family members are discouraged from speaking with us! But when the Governing Body gets something wrong–well, they don’t judge themselves with the same measure they judge others.

But more than just point out their failures, we can pray for them too. Their revised NWT Bible shows they are beginning to accept mainstream Christian teachings. The revisions, if they had been made by the Governing Body of my day, would have put them all out of the organization. So who knows what more prayers, preaching the truth of the Church, and sacrifices on their behalf can do?
 
DelsonJacobs said:
Another thread that I posted and which involved Jehovah’s Witnesses was going off track. But several people had questions for me since I had once been one of them and left to return to the Catholic Church that I was raised in as a boy. So I would like to start another so people may continue to ask questions without feeling limited to the previous thread’s subject.

I want to thank the Catholic Church and its members because you made coming back home so easy. Some of you may have done nothing more than prayed for people like me to come home to Christ, but I am here to say thank you. Your prayers had great effect on me.

I have been back in the Church for about 20 years now. I was told by the Witnesses that I would never be able to do this, not now. But here I am.

I was also told:
  1. “You will never grow past 40 in this system of things.” I am now 50.
  2. “You will not reach marrying age nor need to go to college because the world will be gone soon.” That was at my baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1980.
  3. The Watchtower of January 1, 1989 predicted that our preaching work would “be completed in our 20th century.” I have celebrated New Years Day every January 1st since the year 1999.
  4. Before I left, my congregation elders told me that if I left their religion I “would soon die at Armageddon.” When I told them I expected to be around when 2014 comes (since 1914 is a special year to them) and past then, they replied: “The world won’t be here for 2014.” Today is January 3, 2014.
I truly believed that I was in the one true religion when I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I believed these things they told me (except the last one). I preached horrible things against Catholics and Jews and people of other faiths, claiming all of you were blinded by and thus worshipers of the Devil. For this I am so sorry.

Among other things, I began to study and read the Church Fathers. I learned the original languages of the Scriptures and did not need to rely on any English translations. I even witnessed God work miracles for a friend of mine who had cancer and the healing of my cousin from Lupus, all due to the intersession of Catholic saints.

It was very hard to admit I had false beliefs. It was difficult and even frightening to walk back into a Catholic Church.

But you made it easy once I did. Thank you for your love and prayers.

Mendelson Jacobs
Click to expand...
Have you written your story anywhere on the board? I’m always interested in how JW’s get out…I’ve only known one other Elder to leave (though I’m sure there’s been quite a few). I have met Bill From Silent Lambs. I’d love to hear your story. My ex-wife was a JW when we married. I was able to get her and two of her three sons out. In spite of being divorced since 2006 neither she nor her sons have returned to the organization.
 
Yerusalyim said:
Have you written your story anywhere on the board? I’m always interested in how JW’s get out…I’ve only known one other Elder to leave (though I’m sure there’s been quite a few). I have met Bill From Silent Lambs. I’d love to hear your story. My ex-wife was a JW when we married. I was able to get her and two of her three sons out. In spite of being divorced since 2006 neither she nor her sons have returned to the organization.
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Not in its entirety.

I guess I will get around to that, but I want to avoid a long story.

For now I can say that what happened to me was truly rare. I witnessed the power of intercessory prayer that caused several healings, including my cousin’s from Lupus, all while still one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It was a series of experiences connected with these that made me leave. I was in good standing, I had even given a public talk just days before I formally left. But I experienced something very Catholic in front of several other witnesses (not JWs) and there was no denying it.

It was very tough for me, however, because I did not happily return to Catholicism. The experiences however were very Catholic, very real, very powerful, very clear. I went kicking and screaming because the last thing I wanted to do was return to that I had left and preached against. I had also learned just shortly before that my ancestry was Jewish, so it was a very confusing time.

But God was patient. I went out on a limb with none of the “proofs” the JWs demand or offer you. I went back home to the Church with faith from above–I surely did not have it.

I did once try to share the experience with ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses some years ago on a still-popular ex-JW message board. But so many ex-JWs become atheist that I was shunned and instantly “disfellowshipped” from their forum for mentioning even part of the story. People even claimed I was a spy from the Watchtower and my membership was revoked before I said too much or was even able to explain myself fully. I think they thought I was someone else they recently had problems with on that site, but I’m not sure.

So no story for now. One day maybe. Besides, the Catholic Church has all that anyone needs to go to her. I didn’t come in because of any story like mine. I came in because I experienced God and the truth of the Church firsthand from the Church itself. It’s not miracles that save, it’s God and his grace.
 
EX-JW here… started studying as a teenager, was baptized… then left in my early 20s. Loved being a JW - attending meetings, going out in service, and attending the district conventions. Loved my brothers and sisters. When I began to see the holes in their theology - all the false prophecies - I was literally sick to my stomach. Leaving the organization was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

I became a Christian a few years later - thanks be to God. And I became Catholic in my late 30s. It made sense to me because I never stopped believing that God had an “organization” or Church He was guiding by the power of the Holy Spirit. I recognized that all religions - especially Christian ones, may be partly true - but only one could be completely true.

Thankful I found the truth in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. 👍

Pray for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Most are wonderful people who are very devoted to serving Jehovah. It’s so sad that they’ve been brainwashed and have bought into the lies. May God remove the scales from their eyes…
 
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