fading away quietly

DIM

my wife and I are moving 3000 miles away so that we can fade away as Jehovah's Witnesses. I am looking for suggestions as to what I should do about our publisher record cards (keep them in PA?, get them forwarded to Seattle?) so that we can start our lives on the west coast with a fresh start and so we'll just be left alone...any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

ballistic

There is no going quietly, if they know where you are going and you stop attending, they will haul you in before a JC as soon as there is a whisper of wrong doing. You are either with them or against them.

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LovesDubs

Dont give anyone your address. NOBODY. Tell the elders you will be staying with relatives/friends until you find a place and will then inform then where you want your cards forwarded when you find a congregation.

You cant fade if you tell everyone where you are going :)

closer2fine

My meeting attendance was very sporadic (like once a month)when I moved 2000 miles away. I never asked for my card to be sent anywhere. No one followed up. When I got to my new home I didn't go to the hall at all. That's how I faded.

p.s. I emailed you

closer

closer2fine

Oh, and an unlisted number is critical. My parents gave the local hall my number and they called. I changed it that day. Also, you must have a post office box as your address. Don't give out your real address. Just lie and say that mail can't be delivered there.

I have managed to do this for years.

closer

JeffT

I agree, don't tell them anything. My guess would be your card will end up in inactive file.

Give me a holler when you get out here.

nelly136

you could always tell them youre moving 3000 miles...in the opposite direction, or emigrating then they wont have a clue where you are
nelly

badwillie

Hey DIM,
Here is a summary for you the suggestions made so far that I really liked:

1) Tell the elders you will be staying with relatives/friends until you find a place and will then inform then where you want your cards forwarded when you find a congregation. Of course, you never find a congregation.

2) Establish a PO Box as soon as you get there (this is a very inexpensive way to give people back in PA a way to keep in touch without knowing the EXACT street you live on)

3)Dont give anyone your address. NOBODY. Only your PO Box

Now, here's what I would add:

4) if you don't have already, get caller ID for the phone.

5) When witnesses come-a-knockin', which they surely will eventually since Seattle is a metropolitan area, DONT give in to temptation to engage them in a discussion. Not too long ago my wife met a nice lady while out in door-to-door, the woman became a regular "return visit". She eventually told my wife that she was an inactive witness (her husband not a witness). My wife, doing her duty, promptly told the Service Overseer about her. The elders made a couple of "shepherding" visits to encourage(harass)her.

Judith

I was baptized in 1984 and faded away in 1986. They found me in 1994 and I sent a letter of resignation which they said would be better for me then being disfellowshiped. Ha! I believed them. Now I find out that one is a damning as the other.

My youngest son started back (not baptized) seven months ago and I told him he would not be able to speak to me once he was baptized. He asked the elders, they said that he could speak with me but I knew that was a lie. So gues what I did? I started back too so that I could be reinstated and not lose contact with my son.

Because of several things we are no longer attending. This group was instrumental in pulling us back from the brink of Watchtower insanity. Thanks for your efforts.

Englishman

Dim,

I hope you know that you are moving into You Knows stomping ground!

Englishman.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....

fading away quietly

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