hope you are all well.
If you have been following the soap-opera of my life and the letter I wrote my dad then you may be interested in the latest.
My dad has been here visiting and we had a good long talk yesterday about my letter and what has brought me to the decision to leave the org. He listened to everything I had to say and AGREED with everything I had to say. His own doubts arose when he became an elder and got a clearer picture of the abusive tactics that are used on the sheep. He also has big problems with the sexual rules that the GB has. He also said that when the Dateline episode came out he knew it was a cover up by the WT and it's bothered him to this day. The poor guy, he really feels like he needs to stay in the org. and be an elder again because he realizes how many people are being abused by abusive elders. He kind of wants to reform things from the inside out. We reasoned on that for awhile and he finally did say " you can't change the vast majority of men in this org." I really tried to stress where the blame needs to lie. Not with individual elders who are complete asses sometimes, but with the men who give these abusive men power and then let them destroy lives with this power. I also tried to get him to ask himself at what cost to himself was he willing to carry on such a crusade. He and my stepmom are suffering physical and emotional problems from being witnesses. I do think he is thinking differently about the GB today.
We covered everything from 607 ( he wants to look at the info. I found, for his own peace of mind he said) to the scriptures about the GB's supposed authority, to Jesus saying the helper was the holy spirit, not an organization, to the secular education changes, to what Russell was REALLY saying that would happen in 1914, to individual cases he has sat in on and some of the horrible outcomes that he still has to live with. I am still unpacking but I told him when I unpacked my research I would send him some and he can look at these things himself. I want to give him some days to digest the conversation and then send a little info to him at first. ( please don't bombard me with all the things some of you think I need to send right away.) I feel he will do better with little bits at a time.
Later that night, we went to dinner and he said to me " I just want you to know I will never shun you, I just won't do it. (then shaking his head he said) I just don't know what I'm going to do with all this. being a witness."
Everything went so well. It's still nerve wracking but I at least know he will still be in my life no matter what, and that's all I really wanted anyway. I am truly happy it's been so great with him, because I also spoke with my best friend and that's been a nightmare. She is threatening to turn me in by this weekend so I've had to do some damage control to put her fire out so I can get through my brother's wedding in 3 weeks without anyone questioning me while I'm there. Eh, you win some, you lose some.
thanks for letting me share this with you all.