Good luck...just read "Captives of a Concept" last night (downloaded it for $7). Very good read and lots of ammunition for when JW family confronts me, which will be coming soon. If you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest before you write your letter.
Back from New Orleans, ready for DF announcement!
by SweetBabyCheezits 62 Replies latest jw friends
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StoneWall
SBC congratulations on a well executed plan.
On the meeting night that they are suppose to announce your DF, you and your wife should attend and soon as the announcement is made hug each other and smile. Then hold hands as you walk happily out the door for the last time.
This could show others attending that it isn't all doom and gloom as the WT tries to portray it and that you're actually looking forward to the "real life".
Heck you might want to take a voice recorder for the announcement in case you ever want to share it.
Sweet words of freedom.
Wishing and hoping the best for you and your family in all your future endeavors away from the control of the WT.
sincerely,
StoneWall
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Cheez: "Billy, for Halloween I wanna to go as Broseph Rutherford "
GL Tire: "Billy, wouldn't Rose Ball be a better choice than Maria? Unless they plan on going to separate Halloween parties."
Hmm, well Cheez, if you dress as Smokin' Joe, your wife could be Mrs. Rutherford and you completely ignore her. Or your wife could dress up as Joe's "nurse"... which is documented on here somewhere about her "open-toed bras" that were standard uniform, and her only health related knowledge involved the treatment of one hardened bone.
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sd-7
Sounds like you've got your happy ending to this mess. Well played. Enjoy your freedom, for those who can't.
-sd-7
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SweetBabyCheezits
Thanks for your words, Flipper, VB, Vamp, CJ, GLT, Sprout, Tweetie, SW, Billy, SD-7.
Cog, that is an awesome short story! Well played. I'll be thinking about that when I light up a stogie this Tuesday.
The appeal hearing was supposed to be today but we won't be attending. Instead I took a farewell letter to the chairman last night. I'll past it into the next post... -
Hope4Others
Disfellowshipped for thinking...isn't that sad.
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SweetBabyCheezits
[following a formal greeting....]
My wife and I both want to express our appreciation for the love and concern that you've shown for our family. Please understand that we have no issues with you or any individual members of the congregation. We don't doubt that you have good intentions, regardless of our difference in perspective. We believe the consequences of our disfellowshipping are unfair but we still have the same love and respect for you that we had before.
I realize you think that my doubts are to blame and I do not deny that questions started me on the path to disbelief. But doubt and reason are the enemies of any faith, not just Jehovah's Witnesses. A person's faith patches over the holes in the fabric of their religious belief. The stronger the faith, the bigger the holes it can cover. But during my study and research through the years, those holes grew in number and in size until my faith was no longer sufficient to patch them. I then realized that my old rationalizations - which I adopted from the Society - were just a denial of reality.
Most religions claim a favored position with God - it's been the hallmark of religions down through history. A better awareness of this history and countless worldwide faiths has helped us see that for kids of any faith to believe they were lucky enough to simply be born into the right religion... is a fallacy. For those who convert to Jehovah's Witnesses - or any other Christian religion - as adults.... well, I wouldn't presume this is always the case but I see individuals who clearly needed some kind of faith (direction) to help them get their lives in order because a particular aspect was out of control.
We have no regrets in seeking unbiased truth. This is not a journey that we set out on for personal gain or freedom to commit acts forbidden by the Society (although freedom of thought and decision is now something we don't take for granted). We were disappointed that our search didn't lead us back to the Society. But true critical thinking (not negative, but reflective) requires a person to question their most cherished beliefs... to eliminate bias and see the world without the tinted glasses we were given at birth. I believe that a lack of critical thinking explains why so many religions proliferate. Children accept their parents' beliefs at a young age (when they're most naive) and fail to question what they were always taught. This cycle is perpetual. Devout people in ALL religions believe they are unique. Everyone else is wrong and they can prove it from their understanding of their holy book. Jehovah's Witnesses, while unique in some doctrine, are no different than any other religion in that respect. I agree with Rutherford when he said, "Religion is a snare and a racket!" (Far more plausible than his "Millions Now Living Will Never Die!")
My wife and I take responsibility for our actions and we don't want pity from anyone. But it is a shame that a young man and woman could be raised to believe a certain way, expected to dedicate their lives to a particular deity, and fulfill their parents' desire only to realize (upon growing old enough to ask rational questions) that they will lose their family if they cannot accept some of those doctrine(s) at face value. While I was investigated for emailing some of my views to my parents, my wife is being disfellowshipped for simply having a different perspective. (The term "thoughtcrime" is a good parallel in the classic novel Nineteen Eighty Four.) I think it's best summed up with this quote:
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”
It's clear that unity takes priority over seeking truth.... and adherence to rules and regulations comes ahead of love (though, ironically, you believe this to be loving discipline). As you stated, we are charged with apostasy which according to the chairman, "can simply be a turning away from religious beliefs that you once held. Apostasy means that you renounce some of the teachings of the religion you were associated with." (verbatim)
We still appreciate many principles and values that the Watchtower Society gleans from the Bible and we intend to continue teaching many of these to our children. But when I put aside the presupposition that I adopted from my parents and start basing my views on unbiased facts, I find no proof of the Organization being directed by any holy spirit.
The original committee's decision has been made and we expect it will be upheld by the Appeal Committee as well. We do not deny that we hold different views from the Watchtower Society. That being the case, there is no need to continue with the appeal hearing scheduled for Sunday, October 17.
Best regards to all,Mr. & Mrs. SweetBabyCheezits
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cyberjesus
excellent
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SweetBabyCheezits
For the record, we do still love and respect the men who were on our committee. I don't hold them responsible for all of this. I consider them, more or less, mentally challenged... not in a derogatory way, but just for the fact that they cannot think for themselves.
I've lost a bit of respect for my dad, though. While these elders are a little bit removed from the situation, the excuses I make for my dad have diminished greatly. I'm his son, his flesh and blood. I stopped by my parents' house last night to say goodbye and made one last attempt to appeal to his logic. Nothing. In fact, he turned into a total hardass.
He told me he thought we'd already been through the "goodbye" two or three times. "How many times are we gonna do this?" I was shocked but I looked him in the eye and sarcastically said, "yeah, what was I thinking?! I mean we'll probably never talk again but that's no reason to keep saying goodbyes while we've got the chance. That's just ignorant." He said if he'd known that I wasn't going to respond to the elders, he would've turned in my emails months earlier.
So I said goodbye to my mom and gave her a hug. When I gave my dad a hug, he didn't hug back at all. Total rejection. Then he points to my mom, who's now bawling, and says, "This is who I need to hug. Because I'm gonna have to live with her!"
Anyways, my goodbyes are almost complete. My wife has almost finished all her goodbyes as well. We've visited family, sent emails, made phone calls. I'm going to call my elder brother this evening to say goodbye and then I'm supposed to get together with a few JW buddies tomorrow night. I've got three JW buddies at work that I'll talk to and that should do it. And then D-day is Tuesday.
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St George of England
I challenge anyone to read this and say that JW's do not break up families! Tragic.
George