I would make sure I got a big response............
Would The Witnesses Be Happy To See You Come Back to The Kingdom Hall?
by minimus 71 Replies latest jw friends
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Quendi
I have promised that I will never darken the doorstep of a Kingdom Hall again. I was disfellowshipped in September 2005, and up until June 2010 I attended meetings more or less regularly. At my old Kingdom Hall, I was never made to feel welcome by the elders who consistently ignored me unless we discussed reinstatement. When I attended the Memorial, I was certainly made to feel unwelcome. I well remember the Memorial of 2007. I limped into the Kingdom Hall parking lot with a flat tire. Knowing how others felt, I approached another man who was also disfellowshipped for assistance when the "celebration" was over. He did so gladly, along with a disfellowshipped woman. Only one of the brothers offered help. Others drove by us without even stopping or inquiring if we needed assistance.
I attended meetings at another Kingdom Hall some miles away where my reception was entirely different. The brothers extended me every courtesy as far as the Watchtower rules would allow. The elders told me they were glad to see me come to the meetings, and that I should feel free to approach them with any need or problem. They also wanted to sit down and talk to me and offer me any assistance. I moved away from the area before ever doing so, but their love and kindness deeply moved me.
I had one last meeting with my judicial committee in June 2010. Once again, my reinstatement was put off. The sticking poing was my refusal to acknowledge the WTS as God's "exclusive channel" for communicating spiritual truths to humanity. I thanked the elders for their time, walked away and have never looked back. It is just as well. My only reason for seeking reinstatement was to renew my friendships with those Witnesses, some friends for nearly thirty years, whom I still deeply loved and respected. I have left my best friend behind. I have lost the friendships of others who still loved and respected me. But I know I am doing the right thing by turning my back on the WTS and seeking my own spiritual path as Christ taught us to do.
I still have one Witness friend who has refused to shun me during these difficult years. He lives hundreds of miles away and we talk almost daily. He has been begging me to make an effort to get reinstated so that we can openly visit each other again. He does not really understand my reasons for rejecting the WTS. In response to my telling him that the organization is corrupt from top to bottom, he has urged me to "wait on Jehovah" to straighten matters out. My response to that is that Jehovah has not "straightened out" other religions in the world, and he will not do that for the WTS. Instead, it is up to us as individuals to live the kind of life that will be pleasing to him. We cannot rely on any organizaton to do that for us.
Would the Witnesses welcome me back if I were reinstated? I don't think so. I have no doubt that rumors of the reason for my disfellowshipping have spread far and wide and many would be disgusted and shun me all the more. That is what I told the elders on my judicial committee. Needless to say, they vigorously denied that would ever happen, but my nearly forty years association with the organization tell me otherwise. But as I have said to other people, I will not go back. When you cannot even mouth the words of the "Kingdom Songs" because you no longer agree with or believe in their message, there is no reason to return.
I have been rebuilding my life since my decision. It hasn't been easy, but I am finding other people, genuine human beings, to have relationships with. I was somewhat fortunate in that I always had good close friends outside the organization despite the WTS injunction against this. They came to my rescue when I lost my job, my home, and my income. None of the local Witnesses lifted a finger to help, including the elders who knew my circumstances. I could just as easily have become penniless and homeless, but it was so-called "worldly" people who helped me in my darkest hours. I no longer use the word "worldly" and have realized that despite the hardships, I am much better off today than I was as a Witness.
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minimus
QUENDI--Thank you for sharing that powerful commentary!
Blondie, you should go to the Hall looking like that. I bet everyone would think you were awesome!
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shamus100
If I went back to certain kingdumb halls and had some story about how I screwed wimmin', shot drugs into my veins, and nearly murdered someone after leaving jah, they would love to have me back (that is, if they didn't DF me, of course). Some congregations are weird...
Most, no.
Can't leave, love your shirt. I always pictured you as someone else, don't know why. Handsome guy. :)
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minimus
Shamus, leave him alone!
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wobble
I think I would be love bombed at first, that would be short lived.
As it ain't never gonna happen it does not need much time spent on it, but if some unimaginable thing forced me to go back and seem to be going along with all the BS, the thing that would frustrate me most would be that the Dubs would be convinced I had gone back because it was the truth. how could I bear that ?
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will_the_apostate
the elders in my old hall have been trying to df me for four years so they would most likely drag me into the back room and have an emergency JC
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minimus
It's too much work to act two faced all the time. It isn't worth it!
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pat1060
It's funny because I did fall away for about 12 years and decided to come back,guess I missed it.Every one Loved me and was so happy for me.My husband is dish-fellowshipped so they stayed away from my house.He wasn't very happy I wanted to come back.As soon as I came back I knew I made a big mistake....the generation change and the way the GB was really taking control....but if I had a friend that disappeared I would at least call to see if they are sick or something worse...JW friend ships are fake as the org is....
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shamus100
Minimus-----------
