I was recently talking to an ex Witness whose elderly parents, and in law parents, are still Witnesses.
As shocking and incomprehensible as it may seem to both sets of parents, this ex Witness believes that, just like every other human throughout human history, they are going to die.
Now this ex Witness has expressed to me that he won't ever step foot in a Kingdom Hall again.
He is in a dillemma as to what to do about their funerals. He does not want to attend any service held at the Kingdom Hall as the service will be heavily controlled by the seven members of the Governing Body that reside in Brooklyn and who don't know his parents at all.
He is quite willing to stand outside the Hall, or attend the crematorium or gravesite or funeral home and also any wake that takes place afterwards as people are more free to express themselves in a less formal setting. But as a matter of principle against the Watchtower religion he was quite insistent that he will not enter the Hall for the funeral service.
Now his problem is, does he wait until after the first relative dies and then just not enter the Hall but stay outside, or, does he inform his still living parents beforehand and tell them, in a loving way, that he just cannot bring himself to attend their upcoming funerals if they take place in a Kingdom Hall?
If he just waits till the first funeral, he will only be upsetting the surviving parent who he realizes will already be in a very low state emotionally (although really should be ecstatic at the thought that their spouse has made it to the New System).
If he speaks to both parents before either of them dies then he will be upsetting both of them but at least the survivor won't be so shocked at the non attendance of their son.
Any thoughts on his thinking process?
Any advice?
Would you attend the Hall or not?