by Maryjane 25 Replies latest jw friends
A number of years ago, about 28 to be exact, an old friend of our family wrote a DA letter. She took her 2 daughters, ages 27 and 28, with her in the act. But what was so profound about the whole thing was that she also sent a copy to the personal ads of the local newspaper. She PAID to have it printed, and in it condemmned the WTS for what they were, apostates. . This personal ad was read from the platform and served as the congregations way of announcing that they were no longer jw's.
NMG
If you send one to the congregation it will get filed, it won't get read. If you want to tell any particular person in the congregation, just send it straight to them, if you know your address. One or more of them will show it to the elders and you'll be dfd pretty quickly though.
Fact: you can't control what people say about you. You could just let it go. Do you really care what they think?
I agree with Awakened At Gilead!
I found that writing my letter and making my disassociation official was the easiest way to break any ties. I would prefer to stand out as having separated myself from the organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses, and all that they stand for. It not only was symbolic, but it was permanent and gave me the impetus to stand away proudly. It is a nice cleansing operation. While not for some, I recommend it - disassociate and be done with them!
These days, all they will do is announce that the person is no longer one of Jehovah's Witlesses, without even mentioning whether the person is disfellowshipped or disassociated.
Of course, your aunt, and anybody else that you care about or like within the Org, will be forbidden from meeting you or speaking to you again - ever , unless you go crawling back and grovel for reinstatement.
Nobody will read it bar the Presiding Overseer and he will simply have the announcement made - and you are of the past , not mentioned again. Just like the character "Syme" in 1984:
"Syme had vanished. A morning came, and he was missing from work: a few thoughtless people commented on his absence. On the next day nobody mentioned him. On the third day Winston went into the vestibule of the Records Department to look at the notice-board. One of the notices carried a printed list of the members of the Chess Committee, of whom Syme had been one. It looked almost exactly as it had looked before -- nothing had been crossed out -- but it was one name shorter. It was enough. Syme had ceased to exist: he had never existed. "
I wrote my letter, asked them to DF me, and it felt great because I knew then that a lot of people that I never, EVER liked would never speak to me again. I strongly preferred things that way. However I also un-wisely assumed that my family would choose me over the Borg, and for that I was mistaken. I still however DO NOT regret writing that letter.
These days though, if I had to do it again, I think I would've just ignored them, and not obeyed them at all, but with my dad being an elder that's really tough to do.
