Left Behind
I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier. I do hope you at least come back to read the responses to your comments.
Most of us here do know exactly how it feels to have your family ripped apart. Most of have been there from both sides of the fence.
I would like you to think about somethings.
What would be so powerful for someone to walk away from all his friends, the beliefs, their family and their God?
What would be so powerful to a person to know that the family and friends will shun him and still make the choice to leave?
Many here have made the choice your brother has made. Believe me when I say it hurts us to do so.
Some people do go off to live lives of "sin" as defined by the WTS. But most of us are decent people leading decent lives. Personally I don't smoke, don't drink, not having sex, not doing most of the things the WTS says we do.
So if it isn't some "sin" that we leave then what is it?
After reading so many of the posts on this board, I think I can say with confidence that most of the people here have realized how wrong the WTS is and how controlling. Most of us have realized that we cannot live in a society that says one thing to the followers and does the exact opposite for themselves. We have realized the treeible injustices done in the name of Jehovah God and can no longer support the any organization that condones those injustices. If you want examples of this try reading the Best of section of the board.
We have paid a huge price for the right to have a clear conscience. We lost our families. You still have them. We walk away with nothing. Nothing!
Nothing but the most valued things that God has given us - a clean conscience and our freedom.
For me it was worth it.!!! Hard to do but very well worth the sad losses. I still miss my mother and uncles, aunts and grandmother. That part won't ever go away.
BTW: I left an abusive/elder husband, my home, all my friends, my work with the deaf group in the congregation. For a while I even lost my daughters until they could not tolerate his abuse any longer and they got a lawyer to have to custody changed.
One more BTW: Two weeks ago my sister committed suicide in great part due to the WTS and their teachings