the elders want to meet with me tomorrow

by wannabefree 146 Replies latest members private

  • Fernando
    Fernando

    Some brilliant advice above!

    1. Stay in control (of your life and family)
    2. You decide if, when, how to meet
    3. Have a clear strategy (on how to keep your family together and healthy, and when/how to exit on YOUR terms).
    4. Don't say or give anything they can use against you (to break up your family).
    5. Don't let them press your hot buttons if you have any - redirect immediately.

    Our family studied the unabridged "good news" together privately and daily (from the Watchtower's own CD Rom) for 3½ years before walking out together and intact despite their best efforts to break us up. This gave us tremendous spiritual strength over the spiritually vacuous, naked, blind, confused, inebriated and insane ruling religious hierarchy. We got to leave on OUR terms with a lot more of our dignity and credibility intact than otherwise.

    The unabridged "good news" although found in their publications is not in their hearts and not on their lips. They in fact HATE it.

    How can one be a "publisher of the good news" for decades and know nothing about the "good news" according to Paul when more than half the Bible's 152-odd references to the "good news" are by Paul?! What about the "good news" according to Moses, Isaiah, Psalms and others?

    The "good news" is God's ultimate and only answer to ALL dysfunction including that of supremacist religion (the Watchtower).

    This paraphrase of Isaiah 61:1 explains the power and purpose of the unabridged "good news":

    "The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me [Jesus], for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me [Jesus] to tell [the] good news to the meek ones [sheep or wheat]. He has sent me [Jesus] to bind up the brokenhearted [spiritually deprived and unregenerated], to proclaim [spiritual] liberty to those taken [spiritually] captive [by religion/ists] and the wide opening [of the spiritual eyes] even to the [spiritual] prisoners [of religion/ists]".

  • 00DAD
    00DAD

    serenitynow! is right. It's a bit like the Kafka novel "The Trial" except that is a work of fiction and this is real.

    It's like a bad nightmare, but then you don't wake up because you're not asleep!!!

  • lisaBObeesa
    lisaBObeesa

    Tell them you are depressed and having doubts about the existence of God.

    They will use the Bible to prove that god exists, but you can just say you doubt the Bible since you doubt God.

    Say that you need time to work this out. You don't want to be hypocrite. It bothers your conscience to preach about god when you have these doubts. You have been praying about it...not sure anyone is listening, but you are praying.

    Just don't say you doubt the Org!!! You think the Org is great and if God does exist then the Org is God's one true religion.

    (I used the above and it got them off my back, but I was just an unbaptised publisher...)

    Also, I really like the stuff 00Dad said about using guilt...nice! They use it all the time, it should be used on them.

    And they SHOULD feel guilty for treating people this way!

  • wannabefree
    wannabefree

    I am so greatful for all of you.

    Thanks for the support.

    I have tried to have conversations with my wife, we had another one this morning. She most definately is not on my side in this matter. It's God's Organization, other smart people have already proven it to themselves, she doesn't have to and isn't going to, as far as she is concerned what I am doing to the family is reprehensible.

  • leavingwt
    leavingwt

    She most definately is not on my side in this matter.

    This certainly makes things difficult. If she and one more person are willing to testify that you are an apostate (however they'd like to define it), the elders can take action against you without your input/participation.

    I'm sorry that this is happening.

  • flipper
    flipper

    WANNABFREE- Everybody's advice is really good advice. One thing to remember- you don't OWE them ANY explanation at all. It's really none of their business WHY you don't attend meetings anymore. Considering you still have a wife and children still in - I'd just say " my reasons are personal " and that " I'm doing fine. " Elders are trained by the WT society to intimidate you and make you submit to their power and authority. When you don't do that - it gives them NO power and authority. And don't answer ANY questions from them- they will just try to trap you . Good luck, Peace out, Mr. Flipper

  • 00DAD
    00DAD

    Thanks to Mr. Flipper for saying succinctly in one paragraph in a single post what I tried to put into 9 posts and about a billion words! ... lol

  • N.drew
    N.drew

    Dear wannabefree's wife, who is your fine shepherd, Jesus or an organization? The sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. When you hear a VOICE it is not only words you hear, it is also emotion and inflection that can be discerned. When you listen to an organization it is rules you hear.

    You can only guess if God is pleased with how you are doing when rules is all you listen to. When you listen to Jesus you get a sense of how you are doing from him.

  • MrFreeze
    MrFreeze

    Don't meet with them. You owe them nothing. If possible, do not even respond to them.

  • bronzefist
    bronzefist

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