As long as you remain a Jw, you are liable to the ecclesial discipline of your chosen cult - period.
Once you have already done something ''wrong'' you cannot escape the discipline by quitting
- you will be DF or DA'd by commitee per the cult rules. You have no
legal recourse if you don't like the verdict - freedom of
religion/separation of church and state - remember you chose the church that loves to shun... nothing illegal here.
Doubting, questioning, disillusionment, disregarding, disobeying, fading, and leaving constitute a cults most agregious moral wrongs (apostasy)
, Such attitudes and actions, (though harming no-one), are countered
with the cults harshest, most severe punishment - DA or DF.
How can one leave without being DA'd or DF'd ?
By initiating the right circumstances , the right timing and exercising your own free will in doing so.
One right circumstance means that you are in good standing, with no JC imminent.
Using your free will pick the earliest possible date you ceased (past tense) to be a Jw.- before a vacation is good, especially if you didn't turn in your last report of cult activity. You could already be gone for a month, but things still look normal.. The more time that goes by quietly, the more solidly your status is confirmed.
No more records at
JWFacts Joe Grundy showed just how extensive the personal record keeping is.
Submitting reports ties you to the cults activities as a member and
therefore binds you to it's advocacy - including discipline! Without
current records, they have no proof of your continuing participation and membership. - a very important issue in avoiding later interrogations or committee actions against you.
Pubic Meetings or Invitation Only
is the safest option for those who need to attend for the sake of
family. The sign outside says PUBLIC - so no proof of membership or
affiliation is implied by attending these meetings. Also attend by invitation since again, no affiliation can be implied.
Keep a Journal - reverse the dynamics of information control. You create and keep the records that establish your freedom, the who, when, were, (but not the why -
you never need to explain your free will) .
When - ( in writing - and signed) you ceased to be a JW. On the date you chose a month ago, you wrote a heartfelt letter to your non-JW brother/cousin/friend explaining to him why you could not conscientiously continue as a JW. and are no longer one. This letter provides you with dated and signed proof that you had already repudiated the cult and its actions by the date of the letter. A good friend will keep the letter in case your lawyer needs it in the future.
Free Will Conscience trumps dogma in court - this is where the tables turn, and the law supports leavers over cults
Make your new status as a free person known to discreet people you trust, and will support you - provide the cult nothing - no information by any means, that can later be used to acknowledge your continuing acceptance of their advocacy.
Free will and informed conscience trumps religious dogma in court. This is the pivotal issue upon which Freedom of Religion spins from one side to exactly the opposite. The same freedoms that allowed you to freely join a cult and share in it's irrational and absurd works is exactly the same law that enables you to conscientiously repudiate the same organization when later, your knowledge matures. This freedom is enshrined in law in most democracies and is a core value of human rights.
JWs have had no success leaving without incident because they have been going about it ass backwards.