As of tomorrow I will no longer be a JW (page 3)

DocBob

Hi Mark, I sent a testimony letter to 70 of my old JW friends. That got me a call from the elders asking if I were disassociating myself. When I said no then told me that since I "had gone over the the Baptists" that was sufficient to announce me as having disassociating myself. I told them "it's not about the Baptists, it's about Christ." At that point they invited me to meet with them to face charges of apostasy. I told them I would think about it and a couple days later I sent them a 5 page legal letter. I haven't heard from them since. ... Both letters are on my website at www.docbob.org ... please pardon the ellipeses ... I'm on a Mac ... Blessings ... Bob

scotsman

Hope it leaves you and Gail feeling good Mark.

four candles

Hi Mark,

Why don't you just go,leave without saying anything? It saves all the messing about and possible heartache and then you can just get on with your life with whatever you want to do.

Having said that,if you do meet with the elders,my thoughts are with you.

Andy

passwordprotected

Thanks for the comments, the well-wishes and support. To be clear, if I don't meet with them, Gail's mum will be required to write a letter testifying against her. We've not desire to put her through that, even though we know she'll cut us off from her no matter what happens. Our desire isn't to be obstinate or obtuse or belligerent. If through our peaceableness and calmness we can give them a witness to our Christian faith, you never know what seeds may be sown.

Also this meeting is a full-stop to our lives as JWs. As Bob said, it's not about the Baptists (it's a Baptist church we go to), it's about Christ. And while the atheists may not understand this, acknowledging Christ before men - particularly your accusers - is a privilege I'm looking forward to very much.

The outcome is inevitable, but what happens down the line to those still 'in' who have heard of our conversion, well, you never know. There is a local prayer group who have been praying for JWs who attend the KH we used to attend. They've been doing this for 3 and a half years. They actually go to the street where the KH is and pray for the JWs inside. Those who know the congregations that use this KH will recognise I'm talking about will recognise that over the past 3 years there have been more and more JWs waking up to the truth about the truth.

LovesDubs

When they get there offer to pray with them and just start praying. If they run like your head is spinning 360 degrees and you are spewing pea soup then you know they have already proferred their decision on you and you need not waste your time trying to cast your Christian pearls before the swine.

As JWs we are taught to NOT listen to what people say at the doors about what they believe or their arguments for their own churches or their views or their Bible...we shut it all out and think instead about what invaluable nugget we are going to throw back at them as soon as they inhale and allow us to speak. They wont be listening to a word you say. They will be deciding already they are late for the door and will have dismissed you as so much refuse, crossing your name off their ranks before they even get back to the car.

All this political CONTROL FREAK crap they pull on their members...just a reminder to all of us how UNCHRISTIAN they really are. And how PHARISAIC they REALLY are.

God speed

ninja

I'll come down to the hall and moon them as they come out if you want me to......I'll scribble john 3:16 on my bum cheeks too for good measure

DocBob

Ninja - "I'll come down to the hall and moon them as they come out if you want me to......I'll scribble john 3:16 on my bum cheeks too for good measure" ... Now there's an image I'll be trying to get out of my head all afternoon 8-O

Brother Apostate

How legalistic!

Yes, that is JWs in a nutshell.

So, I said, "ok, I'll meet with you guys". I'm not going to DA myself and I'm not giving them a letter.

Per the Elder's manual, if you meet with them you recognize their authority- therefore, they believe they have the right, and will exercise the right, to DF you for "apostacy", not apostacy from the Scriptures, but apostacy from the org.

Per the Elder's manual, if you do not meet with them, and make clear that you do not recognize their authority- they will exercise their percieved right to DF you for "apostacy", not apostacy from the Scriptures, but apostacy from the org.

Per the Elder's manual, if you merely write your response to their charges, and make clear that you do not recognize their authority- they will exercise their percieved right to DF you for "apostacy", not apostacy from the Scriptures, but apostacy from the org.

No matter how you respond, same result.

Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities'- Revelation 18:4-5

BA- Now that you are out- leave manmade doctrine, pray for Holy Spirit, read the Bible, seek God and Christ.

jamiebowers

I still think you and your wife should send a version of Doc Bob's letter with both of your signatures on it. That way you both will be out, and hopefully the elders won't require your relatives who are still in to shun you. You have no idea how painful shunning can be and should avoid it if at all possible.

passwordprotected

UPDATE;

I met with them, as promised, at the local KH, the one I met my wife in, the one I was married in, the one we've attended with our children, the one I attended for 17 years. The 2 elders who met with me were very sincere and they told me that they respected my new found beliefs, but that I'd left the "teaching of Christ" etc etc. I went back and forth with them on this point until they admitted that they actually meant the JW interpretation of the teachings of Christ. They both had tears in their eyes and were genuinely emotional and sad about our choice to leave. I didn't get the scope to give a full testimony although I did hit a couple of homeruns re. the FDS teaching.

Gail had given me a DA letter to give them. They asked me for one, but I said I wouldn't give them one and they asked if I realised that I had DAd myself by what I was saying to them.

I told them I had prayed for them both by name before coming to the meeting and that I would do so afterwards. One of them thanked me with sincerity, which surprised me. They both hugged me, wished me and my family well, asked me to pass their love to Gail and the kids.

All in all I was touched by their love and kindness, it's just sad that they're blinded by a publishing corporation as to the truth of the Bible.

We're now free.

As of tomorrow I will no longer be a JW

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