AboutDerrick Holland Expertise I was raised in the religion known as Jehovah`s Witnesses for 13 years. Since becoming a born-again Christian, I have researched extensively this religion, especially their doctrines and their history. I can answer questions about their doctrines from the perspective of Biblical Christianity.
Experience 23 years of Biblical research into the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, and how they differ from the teachings of the Watchtower.
Question How are you---tell me what made you change from a JW and is now a follower of Christ Jesus? and for how Long?
Answer Hey Patricia! Thanks for writing.
Well, the fact is that the JW religion was the religion of my childhood. My mom herself was raised in this religion from about the time she was 12, and drifted away. When I was 2, she started attending the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and was eventually baptized. Although my father never joined the religion himself, he did study with them for a time and attended many of the meetings with her. He never opposed her in any way in her involvement. When my parents divorced, my mother wound up marrying another JW who had also divorced his wife, who was also a JW. Pretty complicated. I attended the KH up until the time I was 15 years old, when I heard the true Gospel and understood it for the very first time. This occured at a gospel singing at a local church, and it was then that I understood exactly what Jesus' death meant for me personally. I knew I was a sinner, and that it was only the blood of Jesus Christ that could save me, and nothing of my own merit.
So the fact is, I was never a baptized member of this religion. It was the religion of my childhood. In fact, although some JWs on here try to deny that there was ever any prophetic significance attached to the year 1975, there was. It was that year that I was supposed to be enrolled in school at the age of 6, but my mom was so convinced that the "end was coming", there was no point in exposing me to the "world" in such a way. Of course, I did get to start the following year when the end failed to come as expected. But the JW religion was pretty much the only religion I ever knew up until the time of my parent's divorce, when my father began attending an Adventist church.
You ask how long I have been a follower of Jesus Christ....I became a Christian back in 1985, just before my 16th birthday. That was 24 years ago. My life changed from that moment on, and it has never been the same. Since that time, I have researched the major teachings of JWs and also what the Bible has to say about those teachings. I believe most of their moral teachings to be pretty much correct, with a few exceptions. I believe most of their major doctrinal teachings to be in error, and sometimes completely opposite of what the Bible says.
If you have any further questions that I can help with, please feel free to ask.
