by daringhart13 54 Replies latest jw friends
I don't mind if they visit me. In fact I welcome their visits especially now.
I give them an earful of the way I was treated when I was sexcually abused as a kid and the way I was treated as an elder's wife. I speak the truth and there isn't much they can say but they sure do hasten their butts away from my door pretty quickly.
Yes I want them to visit. "The Truth" TM needs a healthy dose of THE TRUTH.
On another thread, I asked how many JWs by percentage are or have been disfellowshipped.
Somebody pretty credibly put the number at about 20% of living past witnesses.
I guess it would take a lot of effort for elders to call on all of them every year.
Back when I was an elder, there was never any official effort put into this - not even by direction from the society or circuit overseers.
Quillsky, I think what people want is to know that people at the hall still care for them. If some of my old "friends" from the hall stopped to visit, I would be touched that they still cared and thought about me.
On the other hand, since they don't stop by to visit, I also don't get "encouragement" to go back to meeting.
No, they don't actually do it and they aren't pushed to actually do it but they often toot their horns from the platform about this "loving provision from Jehovah" without ever admitting publicly that they don't really even do it.
When I was on the elder body, every September the Secretary (me) would bring along to the Elders Meeting a list of the d/f'd on the records. This was up to the 90's.
When I gave the names, the P /O would give a "yes" or "no" to a person being worthy of a visit . This was based on whether they knew he was "living in sin" or not, or was believed to be still opposed, or not...If we agreed to visit, two of our number would call on that one - and usually get short shrift.
There was one though...a man who had been d/f'd for smoking when a M/Servant.. He did show interest and said he would think about it. A week or two later he came to the Hall. We shunned him of course, but tried to communicate through gestures and winks that he was welcome. Eventually I sat on his reinstatement committee and we became quite friendly . He was a great and comical guy whom I liked very much. He was then getting on, I wonder if he is still alive?
As for me ? I am "inactive" (we have re located since the time of the above) but attend some of the meetings with Sister Blues. The locals all know me but never ask to talk about anything to do with the faith. I have even offered to the elders that I would be up for a chat about it, but they never took me up on it. I guess they do not want to reach me. No doubt it is the best course. I would only stir it up if we talked.
Me, my hubby & 4 x kids faded October 2009. We enjoyed silence for a good 6 months, but now they keep coming to our door once a month. Now they seem to be upping their campaign to get us to come back to the meetings & have now been here twice in a fortnight.... Aaargh.
Think were at the point of wanting to be disfellowshipped, at least that way they will leave us alone... this would bring problems though with remaining in contact with the JW father-in-law. Not that were bothered either way now, he & the family are such a boring, lifeless lot, that we would happily be shunned by the rest of them.... (Hubbys brother is a devout JW who already has nothing to do with us !)...
Just wish the JW's would stop calling now - Were fed up of hiding !!!
Beautiful silence for 4 1/2 years. Not even a vist or call to my 18 and 19 year old daughters.
However, my fanantical father will not shut up and now that he has met many of my friends in the neighborhood - he is calling on them (not even his territory).
They'd have to find me first!
ESTEE
BluesBrother, hilarious, ironic, poignant.....
A week or two later he came to the Hall. We shunned him of course, but tried to communicate through gestures and winks that he was welcome.
Faded years. Got one friendly visit after 8 months away. They said they'd do research on our issues and call back.
Silence.....
