Odrade
You are right. The letter from your mom made it clear that she was looking for a response, and so it is a "time to speak."
Your letter is well thought out; it is kind; it is mild and loving. You do not attack her position but explain your own.
I can only hope it engenders the response you long to hear. The one that says that nothing will come between a family's love for their daughter.
My own daughter at sixteen had the situation that you described about your friend --she was demeaned and humiliated,falsely accused of fornication and called a liar for over two and one half hours until after midnight by a committee of hateful men. She was made to read a scripture from revelation that said "outside are the dogs and the liars and those disgusting in their filth and they will burn in the fire with the devil and his angels." She was told that she was disfellowshipped and "if you are still disfellowshipped when Armageddon comes, you can take some comfort in knowing that Jehovah can read hearts."
I also refuse to believe that these men were acting as agents of Holy Spirit, but were pompous men who chose to bully and "Lord it over" a young person who had no voice.
How in the world could I and her father choose to turn our backs on our own child who had been treated in such a way by those who claimed to be "shepherds of the flock" but chose instead to beat the little sheep? We also will never condone or go along with such actions.
I suspect that more and more people are reasoning in a similar fashion, hence the exodus from the congregations.
Thank you for having the courage to post your letter. I hope that no matter the outcome, you feel satisfied that you have made your position clear and will not cower in the face of threats from the WTS.
Quandry (clearly not hysterical)