Froggy, although the fear that we live in just leading our lives now is bad enough, I found this the most thought-provoking part of your post:
Damn, I wanted that call just so I can be DF'd...lol I think I'm "in" for life unless I take the action....heehee.
I executed a highly succesful fade, a masterpiece if I say so myself. And yet I've never considered that technically I may still be "in".
Obviously I don't want to cause problems for my family by DAing or being DFed after all these years, but at the same time, your comment has caused me to wonder about whether I tacitly supported the WTBTS by fading rather than sending a letter.
But then, thinking about it some more, you're only "in" if you're a publisher, right? According to the published stats on membership.
Thinking even more though, if that is true then why do they think they have the right to DF non-publishers? Shouldn't they morally only have the right to DF, if anyone, current meeting attenders who are "defiling the congregation"?
So there are actually two definitions of Jehovah's Witnesses, depending on what they are trying to achieve. Past twelve-month (or whatever it is now) door-knockers, or the Ever-Baptized, two totally differently sized groups.
And why don't they ever publish statistics on the Ever-Baptized, less the DAed and DFed, and try to claim that these are the true numbers? Damn, that would make me a current JW!
Thanks for making me think.