A bit of background: she is a sweet sister who has hard a really hard life: mum killed in an accident when she was young while once-an-Elder Dad was off having an affair after having been released from jail after serving time as a pedophile; she spent months in hospital after the accident which killed her mother; brothers jailed as pedos, ex husband left her cold with their 6 month old son- she's had a tough life and is a really sweet lady. She's intelligent, caring, forgiving and articulate. Far too good for JWs.
She 'brought me into the Truth' as they say, and as such we've always had a pretty good bond.
Now, after the gossip/slander fiasco of another so-called friend running around telling everyone I'm an apostate and not to talk to me, I unfriended my JW friends from Facebook with an explanation. I couldn't bring myself to unfriend her, so I just sent her this:
Heya,
I know this gonna sound really harsh, but I'm messed as at the moment after a really good 'friend' has gone and slandered my around Mudgee congregation, and the gossip has been going nuts in a few congregations, {I don't know this for sure; just fishing around and assuming that's what's been happening} about me.Never in my life have I been treated with so much venom and vitriol, just because I dared to speak up about some injustices and lies as I have been recently.
It's been a torrid a time as I've been slandered, shunned, abused, unfriended, insulted in my own home, and pestered at times, and I've had enough of this treatment. Therefore, I've been unfriending so-called Jehovah's witnesses from my facebook page for my own peace of mind.Of course I can't bring myself to unfriend you based on how long we've been friends and how I know you are above all that stuff. Just to let you know, if youthink I've become the disgusting creature I've been described as in the rumours, I'll be disappointed to say the least, but I'll certainly understand if you unfriend me.
Your friend always, [Julia]
And today she sends me this lengthy email, and brace yourself:
Hi [Julia] and [Julia's Husband], {interestingly, she's never addressed and email to both me and Hubby}
I’m so sorry to see and hear that you’ve been so hurt and disappointed.
I don’t want to go through all the details of what people have said, as I have no way of verifying it, {so people have been saying stuff} however I’m sure you would acknowledge that when you share things on Fb which really are critical of Jehovah’s organisation/literature etc, you’re bound to get some reactions from your friends who will of course be feeling they need to demonstrate their loyalty for Jehovah and his organisation. {always the damn organisation} It is so very easy to find reasons to be critical – the organisation has never claimed to be infallible, and in fact has always said ‘the light is getting brighter’ – {yet if you point out their imperfections, well, you know the rest} in reality we’ll have it all down pat around the end of the 1000 years when we’re perfect.
And I get the feeling that’s the real underlying issue – a loss of faith in Jehovah’s Witnesses as God’s organisation in this time. {I told you she was smart} This may well be brought on by real injustices – there has never been a guarantee that all of Jehovah’s people would use exemplary Christian behaviour 100% of the time. You only have to read the Gospels to realise the first century Christians had all the same problems, and in fact even Judas, who was hand-picked by Jesus Christ himself, was allowed for a time to embezzle money and still be in Jesus’ close company. However I have always observed, over 33 years of being a baptised Witness, it is only a matter of time and God’s Holy Spirit, that if anyone needs to be disciplined or refined, it happens.{The same Holy Spirit who allowed her pedophile father to made an elder, then the very same Holy Spirit to 'refine' him after the kids were molested}
It is clear in Matt 24 that along with the many signs of the Last Days, Jesus prophesied a ‘Faithful & Discreet Slave’ – who would have 2 responsibilities – to lead true worship by giving spiritual food, and organise the preaching work which Jesus clearly commanded has to be the purpose of the Christian congregation. Remembering the true faith –
MUST:
- · Teach that the Kingdom is the only real solution for mankind
- · Honor God’s name
- · Base it’s teachings on God’s Word
- · Be politically neutral
- · Preach the Good News worldwide
- · Adhere to God’s moral standards
{I'm not going to point her to JWfacts.com where he mentions all the others doing these things}
And it MUST NOT:
- · Go to war
- · Be involved in worldly politics
- · Teach that God is a Trinity
- · Teach that the Soul is Immortal
- · Teach Hellfire
- · Have a paid clergy etc etc – you know these things as well as I do!! {Just to remind me I'm wilfully ignoring the Truth; also, not going to point her to JWfacts yet}
So who is that organisation if it’s not Jehovah’s Witnesses? It is so very easy to be critical, but can you honestly tell me of an organisation that is anything like this? Honestly, it’s a miracle what Jehovah with Jesus as Head of the congregation has been able to achieve with such imperfect people.{Why must there BE an organisation? The first Century Christians associated together in congregations, but didn't have a highly structured organisation until they became the Catholic Church...!}
Can you read a scripture for me (in any translation) – 1 Cor 11:3. You’ll notice there’s God, then Jesus, then the Husband, then the Wife. So for us to be really under God’s rule, we are accountable directly to Him. {then why do I need to follow an Org? She undermines the whole argument for an organisation in this paragraph}Our faith therefore should be firmly focussed on the example of Christ, not on any imperfect human. When we do this, we’re looking up, not sideways. This to me has always been the solution for not getting waylaid by anyone’s imperfections – they really are irrelevant in the bigger picture.
[Julia], I am distressed and saddened by how you’ve been affected spiritually, you are far too precious to be lost to this. I would like to offer to study with you, {I'd rather eat live redback spiders}with the purpose of strengthening your relationship with Jehovah and his Son {His ORGANISATION}. Can you please promise me you’ll talk about this with Jason prayerfully and get back to me?
So I know exactly how I can counter all her points and reason on them, but I know from experience that does not work! Last time I did that, well, I got slandered around as an apostate!!!
I care very much for my friend, as she's a wonderful lady. When she finally does have to shun me, she will do it with a broken heart, not because she wants to but because to her, it's a black-white matter of loyalty to the OrgHovah. I don't see a good way out of this; to be able to reply yay or nay, and keep her as a friend, or at least not hurt her.
What should I do? I dearly look forward to your comments, aposta-brothers and sisters.