Do you ever "out" yourself?

exjehovah

In the 22 years since I have left the JW religion, I have come across some precarious situations that I wanted to share and hear how other people handle it. For the record I forced the hand of the JW and they DF'd me. I didn't care and I still don't, except for the family thing. However, every so often whether in work or in some other business related fashion I will come across a JW. I know the signs since I was raised in that cult and it doesn't take long for them to talk. When it first happened I was still detoxing and I wondered if I should feel compelled to tell them, "hey, I hate your religion" or "guess what you can't talk to me, I am disfellowshipped" or my favorite "I'm an apostate so move it along, thank you very much".

But I'm curious, how do you handle such situations. Do you not say anything at all? These days I don't say a word. I work with someone right now that is an active JW and I smile in her face and laugh in my head. Can I mention she is one of the loudest most obnoxious people where I work, not very skilled or competent. When I bought my new car last year, the sales lady was a JW. I saw ALL the JW literature in her cube and I was so not surprised when she casually tried to ask me about my "spiritual beliefs". I was tempted to say, "I worship this demon named Satan, maybe you have heard of him?", but I just kept it light and fun, let her give me a good deal, and went on my merry way.

How do you handle such situations? Do you tell them or do you just let it ride?

ballistic

I'm very suprised you meet so many Jehovahs Witnesses in that way.

truthseeker1969

I have been out 18 years and have met one witness who worked next to me. I simply told her i no longer believed and left it at that. She did not ask why and I did not feel compelled to open a conversation to explain.

mamamo

I have worked with one and made sure I didn't let him know. I didn't want the hassle of him not supposed to talk with me. There are about 2000 employees where I work and they send out death notices when we have a close family member die. My father died a year ago and I didn't disclose that his memorial service was going to be at the KH so anyone who is a JW would know either I am or was. However, I did find another ex JW in the same office that I work out of. Actually, he worked with my father way back in the 80's and didn't know that he was JW, too. But then my father was DF at that time for smoking. And I moved an hour away from where I grew up!

finally awake

I change job sites every few days, and I rarely repeat a location, so I am exposed to a lot of different people. Once in a while I come across a witness either as an employee of the place I'm working, or someone working business territory in field service. I've outed myself a few times, when I was feeling gung-ho, and I've stayed undercover when I was feeling really uncomfortable about it. In the future, I'll probably just avoid the subject unless I already know the person.

mrsjones5

I've never met a jw in the San Francisco fashion industry (my career base). I wonder why?

Aussie Oz

I hardly ever meet them.

when i was an apologist i would meekly say i was DF and they would go away, no doubt to discover i was on the do not call list.

now? I haven't seen them in 18 months, and no i will not out myself to them. I will play, i will bait.

Oz

NVR2L8

A woman at work approached me to ask a question regarding JW's compliance to family law and court proceedings. Since I was relatively new at this company and never identified myself as a JW, I was quite intrigued on how she found out. She talked with one of the company's directors who I have known for 15 years at a previous job that she was having legal trouble with her ex-husband who is a JW elder and he told her to talk to me since I am also a JW. Of course I helped her out and made sure she knew that I am no longer active, that I haven't fully disassociated to avoid being shunned by my family. She understood exactly what I was going throught since her ex-husband became a JW shortly after they married...in the end not wanting to join the JW was the cause of her divorce and a custody battle for their child...since then many at work have been offering their friendship and support , while others regularly enquire on how well I am copping with the situation.

00DAD

A while back two women JWs came to my door "working the territory." (I had recently moved and so they didn't know me.)

Right away I told them I was disfellowshipped. The younger of the two women (mid 40s) said her husband was recently disfellowshipped. Even though she didn't tell my WHY he was disfellowshipped, she did go into some pretty specific details about how difficult it was for her and her daughter because he was now disfellowshipped and shunned by the congregation. She told me about her own sadness and that of her daughter.

She then chastised ME for causing so much pain and that I should repent and "return to Jehovah." (Mind you she does't know me or my family or the circumstances of why I was DF'd). I reminded her that I was not the one shunning my family members, they were the ones shunning me.

At that she started crying, I mean really bawling, tears were streaming down her face. I went inside and grabbed some kleenex. After that I gave her a hug which she warmly returned.

We then had a rather involved conversation that lasted at least 30 minutes, then they left. They both thanked me for such an encouraging visit.

Curious really ...

rebel8

No and I would never out myself.

If jehoho wants His Special People to not be contaminated by me then He'd use His Special Magical Powers to keep them away from me.

Do you ever "out" yourself?

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