BTW, I think I feel like telling my story all of a sudden and don't care if anyone knows my name, at least for today.
So, here it is. And if I regret telling it later, than so be it, but I am tired of being (or trying to be anonymous). The people who should be anonymous are the ones who really should be ashamed for belonging to a book publishing company that masquerades as a religion and for putting it ahead of their own family.
My immediate family all belong to the organization known as the Jehovah's Witnesses and they follow the decrees and standards of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (that's the book company).
The book co. tells them that because I decided when I was fifteen years old that I didn't want to be a jehovah's witness any more and because I could not quit smoking that they (my entire family) should shun me, which they have done since 1981. In 1987, my daughter was born, and they allowed me to come live at home for a brief period of time, but before my daughter was one year old, I had to leave. Things were very hard for us after that.
We have lived in terrrible places and had to deal with some terrible people. Luckilly, my daughter was very little and can't remember much of that. I block some of it out. I am glad that things have gotten better. For a few years things were horrible and I will share some of that later. My family, of course, blamed our difficulties on my refusal to "return to Jehovah" and on "Satan's influence." In order to get their help, I had to come crawling home and infer that possibly "returning to Jehovah" might be a good idea, though I never believed it once since the day I supposedly "turned my back" on "Him."
The book company also tells my family that because I speak against the policies of their book co that they should continue to avoid me and their innocent 19-year-old granddaughter who has been brought up as an atheist.
The book co. tells them they should be "no part of this world" and that they should not celebrate "worldly holidays" like Christmas, Halloween and birthdays. Like my 42nd birthday which came and went without a peep from any of my JWs relatives, just like all of the 41 before it, and just like all 19 of my daughter's birthdays.
The book co. tells them we are "bad associations' and that bad associations spoil useful habits, and they believe it.
So, ever since I left the family and decided not to re-convert to "jehovah's ways," my family and their book publishing co. religion have decided to have nothing to do with me and their grand daughter, neice, cousins.
Well, my daughter is waiting for me to get offf the computer, so I will finish the book publishing co. tale later. . .
