...they only have the power and authority you let them have
It's good to remember that you are only~
'Disfellowshipped' .....to a Jehovah's Witness
'Wicked' .....to a Jehovah's Witness
'Mentally Diseased' ....to a Jehovah's Witness
'Spiritually Weak" .....to a Jehovah's Witness
'Bad Association' .... to a Jehovah's Witness
...to your self and the rest of the world's population, you may be a Free-thinking, Moral, Descent, even Wonderful Person!
..good to remember
I was reminded of this yesterday when, in the course of a conversation with a client, she directly asked what religion I was a part of (we were speaking about college and I mentioned that I am just now starting college, as it was strongly discouraged in my religous cultural upbringing). I answered that I was raised as a jw and since left. She said she is a jw and asked if i was inactive or df'd. I replied df'd..... and it sounded so silly! I have no shame about it and really only said the word disfellowshipped in answer to keep it in context. It felt strange to even say.
We continued a pleasant conversation. She told me she was disappointed in how their circuit overseer treated her children and saw some "hypocrisy". She said she was afraid to speak out and question the c.o. so as to not be seen as going against the arrangement. I told her later on in conversation that since leaving the religion I have been understanding the importance of developing critical thinking and feel that if something is declared 'truth', it should stand up to scrutiny and there should never be fear to question it and do research, and from a variety of sources. I expressed that the df'ing policy has had an opposite effect with me personally and that I don't believe a 'loving god' would be behind it. I got the impression that her doubts might run deep, as she 'defended' herself on several points without me even asking...and at the same time confided that she saw hypocricy...all this to a 'disfellowshiped' person. She is a sweetheart, I felt a mix of sadness for her (remembering all the manipulation and control of the stupid religion and how it tries to take away people's dignity to even think for themselves), and hope that she may one day follow through with those doubts and questions..