I will try to make this short
My brother has been DFed for about 17 years with a one year respit in the middle. My family has never been the kind that just totally cuts off DFed family members. We talk when they are arround but we don't associate as much as when they are in....we kinda went by our own rules. But since my brother was DFed I did not seek him out and so I only saw him once every couple of years even though he lived about 45 minutes from me.....that is not far for us here in houston BTW.
Anyway, since I have woken up to the fact that the "truth" is utter BS I thought I would try to stay in better contact with my brother. I have had a phone call or two with him where I let him know about what I had learned...(my family also had a fair game policy, that is we can talk about what ever we wanted and no one would run for the gestapo, family was family, what happened in the family stayed there) so I felt comfortable telling him. He even though still DFed still believed and I was cautious about not being too hard line. yada yada yada I tell him that if he wants he can read a book I have written by Franz (CoC).
We met, talked about various stuff, I gave him the book, he went home.
The next day he calls me a couple of times to discuss the things he read. I always leave it up to him to determine the accuracy of what he read.
As with all of us we want to talk to someone about it, he starts going through the stages....I think he is at anger right now. I had warned him that he might get mad. Especially since he has carried the burden that he did not measure up and was DFed for years and Jehovah wasn't happy until he got his life right with the little men.
He even told me, after the fact, that he was apprehensive about taking the book because "they" always say "those apostates are tricky" and he said that he felt I was either nuts or absolutly convinced I was right (if you knew me you would understand, I am not nuts). The first time he called after starting to read the book he said "I know crazy and your are not crazy"
So, anyway, He is reading the book. His guilt is gone. He is angry about many things, time lost, guilt, mistreatment by elders, no college, etc, etc, etc.
I have my brother again. He even told me that if I had any problems, since I am still i good standing and in covert mode, he was there for me and I could count on him being in my corner. Not much gets me emotional but this mad my eyes well up.
I thought I would share and thank many of the board members who by your posts have in part made this possible.
Kind Regards,
-r