by Fernando 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Any advice on how to stop attending meetings withoug being hounded?
My suggestion aligns with 00DAD's and some others, just stop cold turkey and quit attending - I agree with Flip and 00D here, plus
If they start annoying you with questions as to why, just tell them to mind their f*ing business, you owe them no explanation. It's your life.
Do what I did. Change to the spanish congregation. Have them send your cards there. Since the spanish do not know you AND you do not speak their language....Easy peasy Japanesy.
WTWizards suggestion of going to two halls worked for me, although I didn't plan it that way. I hadn't been to a meeting for over two years before some family found out I wasn't going anymore. And they were in one of those congregations!
It is harder if your spouse is still a jw and attending. My spouse stopped shortly after I did, no longer a believer.
But some elders and others made their obligatory phone call to our home, but we just let it go to voice message and after identifying who it was and not listening to their plea, we erased it. If they dropped by without checking if it were convenient, my hubbie would talk them through an open door leaving them on the porch (although one tried to push his way in after not being invited in). Keep it light, non religious, and short. No need to explain.
For about six months (we attended NO meetings), it was about one phone call a week, one drop by a month for about a year, then phone call once a month, drop by during the CO visit. Then nothing except one call once a year before the memorial. After 10 years, it has been over a year and no contact.
Of course, if jws live next door, or down the street, or staying in contact with jw relatives leads to situations where their conversation almost always starts out with the meetings. We kept our contacts with jw family to an absolute minimum as long as conversations started with that.
We found fun things to do on meeting nights and Sunday and Saturday mornings. We have no problem not answering the door when we see who it is (they can't see us).
Start missing more and more meetings.
Tell them you're depressed if they inquire.
And don't say anything about doctrine or
about the truth about The Truth(tm). Just
slip, slip, slip into the future and fade from
the hounding radar.
I don't know what city u live in, or how many choices of KH's u have. I suggest finding a cong some distance from your home. Hopefully a hall that has an elder body that's aloof of their publishers. Move your cards there. Show up for a few meetings. fade out. They don't know u well enough to follow up
Find out the name and address of a congregation on the opposite side of the country that you live in. Tell the secretary that you are moving there now. Then stop attending. They will mail your publisher record cards to the "new" congregation on the other side of the country. Now they dont have to deal with you. You are the problem of the "new" congregation. The CO doesnt have to be appeased or explained to by the BOE. You just moved away as far as they are concerned.
Botzwana, that was priceless!
Move away.
I guess it depends on your status in the congregation when you start to fade. If one was very active before and quite popular,they may get hounded more.
I'm a single sister,who kept a low-profile,and was pretty much a nobody,so they don't bother with me. I may show up once a month,sometimes twice,get there late,leave right after. No one's really bothered me.
I was worried they would bring the circuit overseer around,but I figure if the elders haven't bothered with me for a couple years,why do they want to start now with the circuit overseer.
If anyone asks about lack of service or meetings,just say I have a lot going on right now. Don't get into details. And direct questions,"I'm keeping my own confidence in the matter." It's my new saying. And don't answer the phone . Plus,don't see Witnesses socially. It doesn't look right when a Witness stops going to meetings,but ,yet shows up at Witness weddings and picnics. Got to leave that life behind.
