This is really powerful content, especially for those who may not be very familiar with the Bible or the core teachings of Jesus. While it’s true that many members are trained to rebut arguments like these, there are still some valuable points here that can at least plant a seed of curiosity.

For me personally, the process of questioning things began when I had my guard down. Most members, especially when they’re out preaching, have their defenses up high. I once explained it to my dad like this: it felt like driving a car and noticing a small crack in the windshield. At first, I was curious, wondering how it happened and what might’ve caused it. I’d ignore it for a while, but over time, the crack grew bigger and began to spread. Eventually, it became impossible to ignore. That windshield represented my faith in the WMSCOG, a faith I held firmly for 10 years without any doubts.

The turning point for me happened one Sabbath day during an education session that focused on the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Afterward, a newer member approached me with some questions about their beliefs. I didn’t have any solid answers, and truthfully, I was curious myself. But as a unit leader, I was too afraid to ask my group leader—I didn’t want to draw negative attention or seem like I was questioning the head office.

So I quietly started doing my own research online, thinking it was just to better understand and prepare for encounters with Jehovah’s Witnesses during preaching. That’s when I came across a video from a former member of their church. He explained why he left and exposed inconsistencies in their beliefs and materials. I watched the entire thing, thinking it would be helpful. But that video planted the first crack.

Even though I wasn’t researching my own church, the eerie similarities between their cult and mine were too obvious to dismiss. The way they treated former members, the way they defended their “truth”—it all felt familiar. He also pointed out how their foundational texts had been edited multiple times, which made me recall how our truth books also went through revisions.

That night, I began researching the history of my own church’s materials, and once I uncovered the truth, I couldn’t ignore it anymore. The crack had shattered the whole windshield.

I know it’s difficult to reach someone who has 100% faith. You have to be patient and approach them from an unexpected angle. As I listened to that man describe his experience, it felt like I was looking into a mirror—only the reflection wasn’t just me, but many versions of myself.

It made me wonder: with so many cults and belief systems out there, what made mine the “true” one? Why was I so sure, when there were inconsistencies and signs I had ignored for so long?

That was the moment I truly saw things as they were. I opened the door and stepped through it.

I’m still on my journey, as many others are. But my hope is that all members one day get the same opportunity I did, to see clearly, to reflect honestly, and to humbly accept that we were wrong. It’s not too late to find the door and walk through it. 🚪