Use the Elder's own rules against them......

by AK - Jeff 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  dedpoet

  I had an experience similar to Seeker4's. I hadn't set foot in a kingdom hall in over 5 years, and hadn't been contacted by any jws for most of that time, when a couple of elders turned up to ask me what my "status" was as a jw. I told them that I hadn't referred to myself as a jw for years, and most people in the immediate area I now lived in were unaware I had ever been one. However, by the time of their visit I was living a very worldly life, and they were aware of it. They offerred me the opprtunity to discuss my situation with them at the kh, which I refused. I had made my mind up years before that I would never, under any circumstances, set foot in a kh again.

  Needless to say, they weren't happy with my attitude, and said they would fix up a meeting and inform me of the date as soon as they had one, despite me telling them I would not be there. Around a week later, I found a note pushed through my door advising me of this meeting, and the fact that I was expected to attend. They couldn't phone me, I refused to give them my number. I knew very well they would df me eventually, so I saved them the trouble by da'ing myself. Just to p**s them off, I wrote a da letter to the UK Branch office, thus going over their heads. The 2 goons who made the original call had to call again to confirm it was me who wrote the letter, and that was it, I was out. In fact, I celebrate my first anniversary of being an ex - jw on Tuesday 25th July, the day after my anniversary of joining the board, good excuse for a party I reckon!

  The point is, whatever I'd have said, and I certainly met the criteria for avoiding being df'd that Jeff mentioned earlier, they would have df'd me anyway, even if I'd not wanted that to happen. Although I'd not been to a kh in years, and didn't seek the association of jws, though a few still spoke to me, it seemed they saw me as a potential danger if I was allowed to remain as a nominal jw, so I had to go.

  dedpoet
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  jgnat

  I'm curious, does anyone know of a poster on JWD who successfully sued the congregation for being disfellowshipped because the elders didn't follow the societies rules? Has anyone successfully sued the society for being disfellowshipped?

  I've seen cases on the board where the elders backed off when they were threatened with a lawsuit. IF THERE WERE any successful lawsuits, we wouldn't hear about it because typically those settlements come with a gag clause.
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  In Between

  As far as suing the wtbs, I've always been told that as a private organization, and since there is no 'contract' involved, that they can 'boot' out anybody they want without reason and there is nothing you can do about it.
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  Seeker4

  My purpose in threatening the lawsuit was essentially to get them to leave me alone. I made it clear to the elders that I had been inactive many years, hadn't been to a KH, even for the Memorial, for at least 6-7 years, and though I was well known in the community, it was as an exJW, as I talked with everyone about my leaving and why.

  My threat was to sue the BOE personally for their failure to follow the WTS's directions in the elders manual as seen in the first post on this thread. With the threat of a lawsuit, I knew they would have to contact the Society, and my hope was that the Society would tell them to back off. My case fell apart if the WTS said go ahead and DF me - if they created the criteria in the Elder's manual and said I fit it, it would be sort of hard to prove the opposite in a court of law! And I assume the Society told the brothers to go ahead. IF they had contacted me with that decision prior to the announcement, I would have done my best to get proof of that. But alas, I never heard a word, and that was nearly a year ago when the announcement was supposedly made.

  BUT, I honestly feel that a lot of brothers and sisters could use the same tactic more successfully than I did. What made my case more difficult was a combination of factors: I had been a very prominent elder in the district; I had been in the area for 50 years; I had left my JW wife and was living with another woman (still in the same community) while still married; and I had told hundreds of folks about my JW experience. If I hadn't been living such a high profile, FU lifestyle, I might have made it.

  I think the lawsuit threat against a BOE from someone long faded and not so well known could be very successful. I'd be glad to help someone try. I also refused to disassociate myself, which is what they really wanted me to do.

  When they came after me like that, I also decided it clearly gave me permission to fight back. So I used my newspaper connections to have a very honest article written in the local paper when they built a quickbuild last year. I thought it was a really evenhanded piece, but I know far a certainty that a lot in the congregation thought it was terribly critical and were really pissed off. I've also been much more active in helping people leave the Witnesses and preventing others from joining. I've also begun a novel based on my experience in leaving the JWs, and I'm on about the 100th page this morning, writing pretty much everyday on it.

  They should have just left me alone. I tried to warn them they would be so much better off to drop it, but... Hey, it's high noon and I'm armed and ready!

  S4 - not so old but what I can still get up early, Gumby!
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  Alana

  I used this section of the Flock book in a letter I sent several years ago to my former BOE, in which I also incorporated 'cease & desist' language, stated that I would pursue legal action if they made any announcements about me from the stage or spread around anything to the congregation, etc. I can't even remember now what I said, but in my case it appeared to work. However, I don't think it was so much what I said or threatened as it was that my father was well known in the circuit and at that time was elderly and not in good health. So, I think they just chose to not pursue anything (especially after popping in at our house unexpectedly on Christmas day and saw our tree and daughter opening gifts) primarily because of my dad. So, in my case it worked, but like already mentioned, each BOE will handle things the way they want and if they get a burr up their butt to 'get someone' they will do it no matter the circumstances.
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  Dismembered

  :it seemed they saw me as a potential danger if I was allowed to remain as a nominal jw, so I had to go

  Exactly dedpoet.

  Dismembered
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  AK - Jeff

  Thanx all for the great discussion of these points.

  I did not post it as an example of what I intend to do if cornered. I must admit that with each passing day I care less and less in that regard. I know that many lurkers and newbies go thru a very difficult time though with how to handle these matters [while the fog is still clearing], and perhaps a tidbit or two will help someone to make it through what the organization makes a very difficult time for most that leave.

  Jeff