Excommunication is good!!!! (page 9)

I commend you Narrow on sticking with this conversation so far.
You remind me of myself in a way when I was 17 and in search of meaning and truth.
I was an open book, a blank page. I had little experience with the Bible and no knowledge of other religions. My home life was a mess and I was terribly depressed and worried about the world.

I too liked my teacher. She was also 17 and a pioneer. She was zealous and got A's in high school.
She was not depressed but looked forward to a paradise earth! I wanted that confidence too. The year was 1972. The Witnesses were saying that in 3 years something very exciting may happen and now was the time to get tight with Jehovah.

I studied, got baptized, got kicked out of my home for it, went to live with Witnesses. The girl even talked me into pioneering with her. I sign a commitment to pioneer and that night my study conductor had a nervous breakdown and quit pioneering, leaving me to pioneer alone in a congregation of 120 people.
I was abandoned in this new religion.
I still had alot of unresolved personal and emotional problems that none of their literature addressed.
I was the only pioneer. I went to the elders to try and get out of it but they encouraged me to continue.

I felt so alone.

The former study conductor moved away and I never saw her but once or twice again at a District Convention. She kind of turned weird and nervous. Not the confident proud/slightly arrogant girl I knew and admired in high school.
I spent the next 10 years as a housecleaner, single, lonely, going to meetings and coming home, watching t.v, and watching my pennies so I had enough to eat. I married someone with a handicap and went to live in his house and take care of him.

Fast forward another 20 years through a blur of meetings, conventions, field service, studies, meetings, assemblies, field service, boring meetings, arguing about taking a vacation sometime, studies, field service, conventions, crying about my wasted life, more boring meetings, field service, meetings, studies, field service, assemblies, boring field service, boring assemblies, boring studies, boring meetings, boring boring boring....until I had my nervous breakdown in 2001.

I was nearing 50 years old, I committed a sin while suffering a breakdown and was asked to leave.
My parents were now dead. My Witness family and friends began to shun me.

I had served Jehovah from my youth. I had spent my entire adult life doing nothing but theocratic related activities and I end up excommunicated and banished with no where to go.
I was sick. I needed rest and forgiveness. I needed spiritual help and I needed the love from my family and friends.
Instead I got the cold boot!
Excommunication is about as rehabilitative as burning at the stake or the guillotine!

I did continue to go to the meetings, but the shunning gets to you after 6 months or so. And like everyone says here, you have no idea how long they will extend the sentence. It is an indefinite period, up to the whims of a janitor body.

I prayed to Jehovah to forgive me. I asked Christ's forgiveness. I read the Bible. I felt their forgiveness. I felt the peace pour over my poor broken heart.
I realized the shunning was going on waaaaaaay too long for my good.

I quit going to the meetings and no one from the hall ever contacted me again.

But this is not a sad story.
I have adjusted to life on the outside as I should have at 17 years old. The world is a mix of good and bad. I choose the good in this life. I reject the bad. I pray and have a relationship with the creator.
He is good and loving and forgiving. I dont need to join a church headed by men who are not able to see into hearts.

Anewme

Excommunication is good!!!!

mrsjones5

anewme

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