Hi there! (page 4)

Lady Liberty

Dear Breakingfree,

WELCOME to you and your husband!! We are so happy you found the forum!! As you know from reading our posts, you are not alone, and hopefully will find comfort in that fact here.

Thank you for sharing your story. Our last event was also an assembly. I was livid almost the entire time. So I understand how hard it was to sit and listen for 3 days to all the BS.

My suggestion for you is to allow the CO to come over and be friendly, cordial, and appreciative for their visit. Say you have just been really run down, blah blah blah like you were saying..and tell them thank you. Let them pray with you and counsil you. Have your bible out and ready before they get their. This will all buy you more time. At least it did for my husband and I. Now of course I would never meet with them again..because I could care less if they dipose of us. But if I was trying tto not blow my cover..I would play it cool. Just listen and smile. It will be one of the hardest things you will do because if you are anything like me I was bitting my lip not to blast them with all my findings. And I would have blown them away as I am sure you can.

Anyhow..please let us know if we can help.

Sincerely,

Lady Liberty

unique1

WELCOME TO THE BOARD!!!! It is wonderful that your husband escaped with you. It is so much easier when you do it together, that way no matter what, you have someone to lean on.

changeling

1- A hearty welcome to you!

2- I left because of the UN fiasco as well.

3- IMHO - don't meet with the CO. Turn him down nicely, fake illness or go out of town, but you have nothing to gain from meeting with him or any elders, and possibly a lot to lose. You may slip up and say something "controversial" and get into trouble.

changeling

sspo

Welcome to the forum

One of the reason the CO and and elder will visit you is not because they have feelings and concern for you but they have to fill out a report for the society to show what he did on his visit for the weak ones.

Usually everything is done is to make sure that no one gets after them and threaten their position. It's all about pleasing " The Mother"

As Jesus told the religious leaders.....their heart is far removed from them and they rather follow rules and doctrines of men.

Good luck

sacrebleu

Welcome BreakingFree and DestructoGirl,

Welcome to sanity and clarity.

Be careful. Be very, very careful if you don't want to "outed" just yet.

sacrebleu

tooktheredpill

Welcome to the board, Breakingfree!

I'm still a newbie too, and your experience is very similar to mine. I spend months reading at the postings here, until one day I had the courage of subscribing and posting too!.

All my family is inside the organization, and you know how difficult is to try to make them think for themselves. I'm still an Elder, and just imagine how much trouble I'm having to deal with this situation. I'm trying to step down from my "priviledges" TM , and struggling with all the mixed emotions.

This board has been a blessing for me. You will notice that you are not alone, and that there's a life after the WT.

Hang in there! You've found a new family that understands you!

new boy

Welcome my friend.

About the C.O.....well no matter what you do it looks like lying is your only option.If you want to live in their world at all....what you really feel will not be respected.

How sad....I refuse to lie now...but was forsed to...living in their world.

darkuncle29

Hi new girls, BreakingFree & DestructoGirl!

I am amazed a the patience shown and quiet reasoning shown by this poster:
Dagney: I am from the camp of "less is best" as regards any communication with the congregation or CO. I wasn't on JWD when I left, I didn't have my answers sorted out when I faded, and had to go on my instinct. I used personal health and circumstances, which were truthful, to successfully avoid confrontation. By laying low, it took a while for the news to reach relatives and friends which gave me the time to be sure of my decisions.
As far as the family is concerned, I've avoided all discussions of my new found truth. I put myself in their shoes and know I would defend the WBTS to the death if I was in that mindset. So I'm of the opinion that unless one is searching or questioning, it does no good. And I feel if they are questioning, they will be able to find what they need to start their journey on the "dreaded" internet.
Remember, anything you say cannot be taken back. And once it is relayed from person to person, through time, as will happen, it will not resemble anything you originally said in the first place. To my very best g/f who is in, I have said over and over to her "I have issues with the corporation, not the congregation." And she doesn't ask, and I don't tell unless I'm asked.
Very cautious approach here, but I am starting to really agree. Until someone is questioning on their own, doubting, most of what we say is going to be immediately rebuffed..............oompa....so lucky to be a like-minded couple

I agree with oompa, there is an almost Zen-like quality to this concept of "Say, Do nothing" and let things happen on their own slowly.

I agree with NOT meeting with the CO; weekend out of town trip sounds good, or some chicken soup and "cough, cough" Better yet, say you have the stomach flu and are spewing all over.

Best of wishes to you both, this is quite a ride.

Open mind

Welcome to the Light!

Open Mind

breakingfree

Wow! It was so nice to wake up to all your warm welcome's and advice

Thankyou all so much

Previously I have been able to play the 'other commitments' card. Have been out of town, on holidays, etc, etc... Havn't had a phone call yet so I am concerned they will just 'drop in' on the weekend . So I think I will have to be prepared anyway... as I have too much to do at home and can't be anywhere else.

I will take all of your advice on board. I am empathetic of those still believing that see the faults, but still defend, because I was one of them and believed that all the suffering was worthwhile if we were all going to live in those spring garden pictures for eternity (allthough I hoped without the stupid clothes they were wearing). But then you start to trust your own logic that it doesn't make sense that God would be so demanding and then so generous. No sense at all, but when it's a sin to apply the logic, well it's just all guilt control isn't it? And it works like a charm... I love the line in the Matrix about those who have become so dependent on the system they will fight to defend it.

So I know it is pointless trying to convince my parents and much less so anyone else in my family, but I'm pretty sure my parents know where I stand, to an extent. They have gradually learned to talk less and less about the congregation around me, however, the CO's visit has changed all that and got them all fired up to encourage me . I have to resist the urge to take them to town on the new watchtower, that would be fun , but the path of least resistance is the safest I feel.

One thing I did notice when I would go back to an assembly or memorial is that you feel like you are undercover, which I guess you are, but I was struck by just how alien it felt. I also sat there wondering how many other people were sitting there like me, quietly trying not to lose it and laugh out loud. I had to take many trips outside. And I wasn't even there for all of it. I think you get away with more in Australia because generally the people are more apathetic despite all the encouragement to not let other activities crowd out our 'spiritual pursuits'.

I can't imagine how it is for those of you you still have to go to all the meetings and those who are elders. That must make you want to run out screaming at times! At least there are some sane elders out there...really gives me hope.

Thanks again for all of your advice and thoughts. I really appreciate it.

Hi there!

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