Fate (or something) has meant that my last day of work is Friday and that I will be able to go home for about 3 weeks. Home is Melbourne, Australia, I live in Ireland at the moment.
When I left the organisation in around 1998, I pretty much disappeared, I was fortunate enough to have to travel for work and move back home (no point renting if you are never there and you are not home so much your mother annoys you), so I never got the difficult questions, hauled out the back etc, anyway in their minds I was a single girl desperate to get married they probably thought I found a boyfriend, I actually would of liked to have been a missionary)
After I travelled for work I resigned and did what many antipodeans do - travel and and live overseas. This was great as it was a complete break and I could concentrate on myself. And guess what no peer pressure to do drugs, drinks, sex all those things we were told worldly people are doing 24/7.
I think I mentioned in another thread why I left, it was because I became aware of how child abuse was being treated by these people. I could not in good conscience be linked to this as I do not feel I could be linked to any group that did/does such a thing. A little while after that I realised my nana who had been a witness for over 50 years was being treated quite badly as due to old age she did not recover as quickly as she expected to from Ross River Fever (There is nothing sadder then a fit healthy 80 year old having poor health, she thought she was 25 until she got sick). All those years of being told we are your family, you cannot rely on your worldly family to find the spiritual family have all buggered off leaving your worldly children there who do look after you!
The lack of respect to her convinced me I was right to leave.
This did not mean that I thought I did the right thing. I certainly thought the weakness was mine as I could not wait on JHWH and quite frankly as I prayed before I left 'I like you but I hate your friends!'
So all the books got packed up and I never told anyone why I left (bringing shame on Jehovah's name), when the witnesses caught up with me in Ireland I took the magazine and gave them a cup of tea, etc I also wanted my husband to know some stuff so he could understand my background. I never informed anyone why I left etc.
It dawned on me the other day reading a thread, I have forgotten which one, that all this behaviour was becasue I was ashamed of the fact that I left, I should be proud that I left that I said to God that it was now between him and me, because that is what the bible says.
So next week when I get home. I have decided to get some closure on some things as follows:
1. Throw out all the publications, I was going to leave them at the hall, or op shop but quite frankly the bin is where they belong.
2. Go the local police station and give them the name and address of the person who did those acts. I think he is still alive as he is still in the phone book. He lives opposite a local swimming pool, which has always been my greatest concern and I thought a good witness should be thinking of the wider community. My friend has a husband that is a police officer and my understanding is that they will keep an eye on him but not do anything too obvious.
3. Look up some people and see what they are doing. I will be honest with them, but not before I find out the gossip and other addresses. I have googled and found one girl I was friends with and last I heard she was out so fingers crossed!
4. If I meet anyone still in the company I am going to be direct and say that the bible says that we all have a relationship with God individually and that I am sure of my good heart condition, but what I was not too sure about was the moral ambivalence the company has to child abuse and I cannot represent this company at the doors anymore. There is no faithful and discreet slave class in the bible and your blood policy is a nonsense, how is anyone in the fog of emergency to seperate it all out like that, feel free to kill yourself but I will not be assocaited with the deaths of children.
5. Try and convince my mother this is a load of shite. ( I could write a whole thread on her)
BRAINWAVE: If children were not to get baptised as they had to have adult reasoning, then surely a child should be able to accpet blood transfusions as they have not reasoned it in an adult way. A parents first repsonsibilty is to raise a happy healthy child to an adult to make their own decisions on their faith, not to allow the child to die as what can be seen as some sacrifice to the company. Interestingly the Irish Court has delived a similiar decision. A mother in child birth (JW) lost blood and refused a transfusion, the court ruled that she was able to be given one. On of the arguments for it was that this woman being an immigrant was this newborns only parent, and the child (under the constition and human rights) has a right to a parent. Child also has a right to life, that is why they are not going to win many of these cases. And they will start losing the adult ones as well. But I digress.
Anyway I just thought I would let you know my plans for the next few weeks and I have to say I have you guys to thank as I know that I have not fallen short of these people but they have falledn short of me.
I will keep you informed of my adventures!