Heard from the grapevine I am DF’d. Here is my letter that did not work!

by hoggieman 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  hoggieman

  it is ok though...my life had nothing to do with them. Here is my letter:

  XXXX XXXXXX

  XXXXXXX Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  XXXX and XXXX,

  We are receipt of your letters dated December 13, 2010 that you mailed individually to XXXXX and XXXXX. Please be advised we will not be attending the judicial committee hearing or acknowledging your charges on the following basis:

  We have repeatedly expressed to you that we did not want to discuss our religious viewpoints or engage in any other discussion regarding our standing with the XXX XXXXXX Kingdom Hall. You have continued to call, email, text message, and come to our home on a regular basis over the past year against our wishes. We have expressed to you that we view this as harassment and wanted it to stop. We have clearly stated that we do not want to be communicated with, and that any discussion we desired would be initiated by us. However, our wishes have been repeatedly disregarded.

  Your persistent harassment and stalking falls under California Civil code section 527.6. This code (in part) reads:

  (a) A person who has suffered harassment as defined in

  subdivision

  (b) For the purposes of this section, "harassment" is unlawful

  violence, a credible threat of violence, or a knowing and willful

  course of conduct directed at a specific person that seriously

  alarms, annoys, or harasses the person, and that serves no legitimate purpose.The course of conduct must be such as would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and must actually cause substantial emotional distress to the plaintiff.

  (3) "Course of conduct" is a pattern of conduct composed of a

  series of acts over a period of time, however short, evidencing a

  continuity of purpose, including following or stalking an individual,

  making harassing telephone calls to an individual, or sending

  harassing correspondence to an individual by any means, including,

  but not limited to, the use of public or private mails, interoffice

  mail, fax, or computer e-mail.

  Your consistent harassment has caused our family a great deal of emotional stress. It has been threatening and an attack our family’s character. Based on your tactics, including relentless harassment and trespassing on private property owned by the XXXXX Homeowners, we do not feel a response to your charges is warranted or reasonable. Any “evidence” of any “crime” you think was committed was obtained illegally by you, the XXXXX XXXXXXX Congregation.

  Additionally, your relentless vendetta and threats are clearly discrimination against our family. We are inactive in the congregation and not associating with any other Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is well documented in the Watchtower Society publications that inactive individuals do not need to be pursued. We don’t know why, but you are singling our family out and acting unfairly and inconsistently with regard to your normal policy. We know first hand that XXXX XXXXXX has knowledge of inactive Jehovah’s Witnesses who celebrate holidays and/or have taken blood transfusions and he has not pursued any action against those individuals. Your actions have been purposeful discrimination against our family and our religious views. This is a violation of our constitutional rights, which guarantee religious freedom. At this time, we have referred the situation to our attorney for review and possible legal action regarding the harassment and discrimination.

  I want you to clearly understand and be aware of the following:

  Any efforts to make a public announcement about or take action against XXXXX and/or XXXXXX XXXXXXX status’ as Christians, our moral character or any other statements which may possibly affect our relationships with others will be viewed as a violation of XXXXX and/or XXXXXX XXXXXXX constitutional First Amendment rights.

  We have retained legal council to defend and ensure our rights are not violated by you, the XXXXX XXXXXX Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In addition, our attorney will seek assistance from the Superior Court of XXXXX County and/or from the United States District Court, Northern District of California to protect those rights if necessary. In doing so, we have instructed our legal council to seek attorney fees from you, the XXXXX XXXXX Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses if these rights are further violated in any way.

  Please note a copy of this correspondence has also been forwarded to our attorney.

  Signed,
• 

  cyberjesus

  sue
• 

  Sam Whiskey

  Sue for what? That they're no longer JW's? You can't sue for that.... It's like trying to sue an entity for announcing that you're no longer associated with the Lion's Club. You can't sue for that...
• 

  thetrueone

  Good one, I always thought that they were breaking the constitutional law regarding, religious freedom and choice by a individual,

  based on what they do in announcing a person is to be shunned (hated upon, promoting Peridious) when someone wishes to leave their

  church and choose another.

  I realize they still DFed you, but did they do so outside the law or within the law ?
• 

  DT

  Congratulations on being officially out of the Watchtower. I doubt that they actually DF'd you. They probably viewed your letter as a letter of disassociation. In theory, you could probably sue (I'm not a lawyer, not qualified to give legal advice, etc.).

  It seems apparent that you have not been a JW for some time. Theoretically, they can't punish a former member who has already left. The Mormon church has gotten into trouble for this kind of thing. Of course, they could argue that they have a right to announce that you aren't a member any more. The problem is that announcement, combined with what their literature says on the subject, including threats towards those who would continue associating with you, could be viewed as a punishment.

  In your case, their harassment after you expressed your wish to not be bothered could be viewed as punishing a former member. They probably should have viewed you request to not be contacted as a disassociation. Then it would have been clearly illegal for them to continue to harass you or punish you further. They couldn't have used their freedom of religion as a defense since you had already left. It could be argued that they missed their opportunity to punish you by making that announcement when you actually left their religion.

  In any case, it's hard to take on the Watchtower society legally. I would be interested in hearing what your attorney has to say.
• 

  Sam Whiskey

  Seriously...? Who would actually retain an attorney for this? I've heard people say there going to do it, but never have seen anyone actually go through with it. It's a waste of time and money.
• 

  Lozhasleft

  Excellent letter. Happy for you that you're out - thats the main thing.

  Loz x
• 

  ziddina

  Uhm, well, Sam, I wonder whether an ex-JW could sue for defamation of character...

  Unfortunately, that is generally prevented by that devious announcement of "So-and-so is no longer considered a member of the Jehovah's Witness religion" - followed by that "Special Needs" talk...

  If only one could directly connect that gossip-mongering "Special Needs" talk with the announcement...
• 

  MrMonroe

  If they did make an announcement, it would have been that you are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnessess.

  It's a coded statement, of course, and understood by all present that they are no longer permitted to speak to you. But I agree with DT that they would have read your letter as one expressing an absence of fellowship with the "worldwide brotherhood" or "Christian congregation" or whatever they concoct, and have therefore effectively simply passed on your sentiments to the congregation.

  How do you know they made an announcement? It will be interesting to see if they advise you, but if they did indeed regard your letter as one of disassociation, they probably figure there is no need to.
• 

  wobble

  I thought they always announced it if the DA was official, i.e recognised by the branch as a DA.

  They could just let the word out that you have DA.d yourself, this will have exactly the same effect, it is in fact a quicker way of getting everybody to know, with an announcement probably half the Congo was having the night off,and the other half assumes the absentees know, so the gossip method is much preferred, they know it will be embellished too , as it goes around, whereas many will not do this to an announcement. the result is the poor frightened little R&F JW's will feel they must scuttle away if they see you.

  If they have made an announcement you can of course go to law, but you would have an uphill struggle to prove defamation or any other calculable loss or damage, it would take a clever lawyer, he would probably need to put on the stand a JW who would say how these things really work, and how people really view you, would he find an active JW willing to do that ?

  I do not think it would be possible to succeed, I wish it was, the cost would be horrendous too.

  Congratulations on your new freedom, all the best for the future !