I'm a person whom believes firmly in loving your neighbor & treating them with with respect. This has led me to study dozens of faiths, not because I'm seeking God's Truth there but simply to better understand & love the people in those congregations. I've seen many many saints and devils quote scripture to defend their beliefs, but I do want to better understand & love my neighbor.
That was my motivation for studying JW beliefs, attending their services, chatting with members etc. My very first service visiting: the speaker repeatedly threatened the members of his own congregation of all the horrible things that would happen if they left the JW organization. He advocated shunning those that left, scorning those outside the organization, and the evils of education outside of approved Watchtower materials. I was VERY taken aback.
Thinking this was just a bad apple, I tried a different congregation in another city, and was greeted with more of the same. And third, and fourth,a and fifth. And many times thereafter. When I asked questions I got recited responses that didn't really have to do with my questions. I grew very very frustrated at lack of answers and being scorned because I do not find God through the JW organization. It all and all was a very negative experience.
Just a few question JD...
How long ago was your experience, as we are a progressive organization and I have not heard of anything like that for many decades. Our message has not changed, as we still believe what the Bible says about false teachers, but our method of delivery certainly has. Christendom has its own "fire and brimstone" threats of hellfire.....but we have never had that. The worst thing that can happen to anyone in our ranks is what is contained in the scripture that pertained to the first Christians....
1 Corinthians 5:11-13....
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the evil person from among yourselves."
Excommunication is simply disfellowshipping. Removing a person from fellowship with the congregation. They are not prevented from attending meetings and are encouraged to come back into the fold. No one is disfellowshipped lightly. It is a form of discipline, but completely lost on today's world. (Hebrews 12:5-6)
2 John 9-10 also mentions those who want to bring in their own ideas, causing divisions among the brotherhood....
"Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting".
Today that may seem harsh, but it is straight from God's word.
So any church that does not practice these forms of discipline, cannot claim to be obedient to the teachings of the Bible.
Too many churches are so lenient that the unrepentant sinners sit among them whilst they are afraid to expel them because they might not get their money each week to pay the pastor. Where is faith in God then? Can anyone expect God's blessing if they are not obedient to the word?
The "evils outside of the organization" are usually in the form of hostility from those who are ex's with an axe to grind, or others who have misinterpreted something they heard a very long time ago, or from hear-say.
If you went to the meeting with a wrong attitude...looking to find fault, no doubt you would find some....we are not perfect by a long shot, but we do know our Bible, and we will teach anyone who wants to know.....but there is never any compromise on what the scriptures tell us is true. Those who become JW's do so because they want to, not because they are scared into it by some perceived threats. God's word needs no excuses for not obeying his directives.
You already had a spiritual home, so with what attitude did you approach all those churches you went to? Weren't you comparing what you already accepted as truth with what you were hearing at those services? You said you weren't looking for God's truth, because you assumed you already had it.....but under the guise of "understanding" these other faiths, were you not looking to simply reinforce your own views?
Just trying to understand where you are coming from....