Just quit quietly - the law is on your side!

by Ajax 77 Replies latest jw friends

Ajax

Vidiot -

Thanks for your welcome comment.

Gorby posted recently that after their fading for some years, the CO visiting has led the hyenas back to his door.

Imagine how differently the Gorbys could react, if they could produce a document to prove that they had already Quit Quietly years ago.

Having exercised their legal right to religious freedom, they could still attend any KH meeting open to the public, chat with family or friends while there and heaven help the person or persons who single them out for abuse just because they exercised a legally granted right.

The congregation cannot take ecclesiastic judicial action againt nonmembers nor former members who have left of their own free will.

Separation of church and state precludes the states interference in religions internal affairs, so the democratic system has, through the granting of various human rights, the opportunity for individuals to free themselveswithout state interference, by simply acting under the protection of those guaranteed rights.

Quit Quietly now- the family you save may be your own.
Phizzy

" The congregation cannot take ecclesiastic judicial action against nonmembers nor former members who have left of their own free will. "

This is interesting, any technique that spikes their guns and gets the result that we want is worth doing.

I shall investigate how we stand in the U.K, here we still have the anachronism of an Established Church, so it is part of the State, a good number of Bishops sit in the House of Lords by right !!

It may well mean that this method will not work here 100% from a legal point of view, but I still think it is something you could hit the Elders with and say you will take legal action against them should they take action to officially DF or DA you.
Ajax

Hello Phizzy -

My guess is that UK Human Rights directives will be among the world best and most progressive. If the rights to join , practice, change or abandon religion is enshrined - you are half way there!

Perhaps you will have a human rights commission to help you understand how the seemingly broad strokes of your national-regional charter or declaration can be made to accommodate JWS peculiar dilema.

The essential thing to remember is this - religious freedom means that ecclesiastic powers cannot be exercised over persons who have willfully removed themselves from under that jurisdiction. The mere granting of these sweeping freedoms allows those suffering in a thousand different ways at the hands of cults to simply sever their relationship, and forbids the cult from further interference with the persons freedom.

Thats why the cult lies on the JWorg site about whether they shun former members. They would admit to being in violation of human rights directives if they had been truthful about what really happens to those who left.

We must take the initiative to put ourselves in a circumstance where human rights protections can work for us. Be proactive - start today.

Think of it as Hyena Proofing your fade.
Phizzy

The problem with the Human Rights Act in the U.K, which broadly follows the European Act, is that it protects the rights of the religion to the same extent that it protects the rights of the one leaving.

Put simply, the religion has the right to Expel, Excommunicate or Disfellowship whoever it likes under its own blanket of belief, and you can do nothing about it.

JW's will claim they are not denying me the right to believe , or not believe, whatever I like, all they are doing is saying that I am no longer associated with their religion, which of course is 100% the case.

Of course, once JW's announce this in the K.H we all know what happens.

Even if I produce a Document showing this decision took place years ago, which it did, nothing in the U.K H.R Act will protect me from being officially DA'd.

I think the best we can do is as I said above, threaten the individual Elders who will sit on any Committee with Legal Action.

I just hope they leave me alone, and as I am, free to talk to any JW and plant some seeds of truth.
Ajax

Hi Phizzy-

Those who have prepared and quit quietly will never have their name read out at the hall. If such a person is pressured to submit to pending judicial actions, they simply display their notarized document asserting their freedom from the cult.

A cover page of this document might outline your own experiences and personal reasons to rationally reject the cult.

SAHS comment above gives an excellent suggestion in quoting Art. 18 of The Universal Dclaration of Human Rights.

Quote your regional charter as well as this is where the elders are erring as they violate your exercising of granted rights.

NOW the time has finally come to make these assholes clearly aware that you have rights, that you have ALREADY exercised one of them, and that you WILL be making a Human Rights claim if they interfere in any way whatsoever,( including using your name in any announcements).

If they proceed, they will actually be denying that you have these rights , or that they are exempt - both false premise on their part.

Phizzy - I´m glad that you are left alone and doing good as you can. This approach may help someone you know who is hoping to make a clean break without the cult hatred coming into play.

Ajax
Giordano

My wife and I faded in the mid 1960's we also happened to move twice which allowed us to totally break the connection. My mother and sister didn't shun us which was a mixed bledssing........ lol.

Today it is a different situation as shunning is used as a device to keep those still in........in.

If you DA yourself with a letter the same announcement is made that is made for a DF person "so and so is no longer a Jehovah's Witness." Because no other information is provided the JW's do not know the why of it. You are there for lumped in with everyone who may have broken God's laws and/or the law of the land.

So the JW's will wind up shunning you.

Going public with your reasons or even telling the Elders that you no longer want be associated allows them....compells them to make that announcement. Which inadvertently empowers them to affect your life now and into the future.

Considering your circumstances I can't fully walk away because I have a young child with a major disease and need support from family when he receives treatment.

Your best bet is to keep your fade private and concentrate on getting your child healthy. You certainly have an excuse to not participate at the KH etc. If questioned by family, probably the only people you are concerned about, simply say that you are under a lot of stress.

Don't empower anyone to harm you and your family......telling them TTATT makes you an instant apostate.
Giordano

Having said what I said above here is a very interesting letter: http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/affiliation.html

TERMINATION OF CONGREGATION AFFILIATION
January 1, 2014
BODY OF ELDERS
Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
4321 East Main Street
Roseville, Ohio 99933
Dear Sirs:
SINCE,
1.) I was baptized in 1988, as a minor, outside my state of residency, at a District Convention conducted by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, with said baptism having been administered by representatives of said Watch Tower Society who were not fellow congregants at my then local Kingdom Hall, and
2.) I have since relocated to Roseville, Ohio, where I personally selected both the Kingdom Hall and the Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses which I attended for five years until June 2013, and
3.) Per the Watch Tower Society's own teachings, I became a "Jehovah's Witness" by making my dedication solely to Jehovah God, and not to any person nor earthly organization, and
4.) I have never been designated as a "member" of any entity affilated with the Watch Tower Society, and
5.) I have never been designated as a "member" of any Kingdom Hall or Congregation which I have attended, and
6.) I have never been required to attend any specific Kingdom Hall or Congregation, and as an adult, I have always attended a Kingdom Hall and a congregation of my own choosing, and
7.) I have ceased attending any functions at the Roseville, Ohio Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and whatever relationship once existed between the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and myself has ceased to exist.
THEREFORE,
I would like to privately and confidentially terminate whatever affiliation may exist with the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have not attended any function at the Roseville, Ohio Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses since June 2013, and I will never attend any function at the Roseville, Ohio Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in the future.
My consent, whether expressed or implied, to any authority over me granted to the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and its' BODY OF ELDERS by my past regular attendance at the Roseville, Ohio Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses is hereby withdrawn. Any and all exercise of such authority shall CEASE immediately.
This letter is NOT a notice of "disassociation" as defined by the Watchtower Society, or its affiliates, and any attempt to treat this letter as an act of "disassociation" will be met with swift legal action, including the seeking of compensation for any and all damages.
I resolutely remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the past, I have attended functions at many different Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I have regularly attended circuit and district functions conducted by the national Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watch Tower Society. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I may choose to continue to attend future circuit and district functions conducted by the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watch Tower Society, and I may eventually choose to regularly attend some other Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Any communication of the contents of this letter beyond the BODY OF ELDERS of the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, will be considered a breach of confidentiality and an invasion of my privacy, and will be met with swift legal action, including the seeking of compensation for any and all damages, plus the filing of applicable criminal charges.
Since this notice terminates whatever affiliation may have once existed with the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, no Elder nor other representative of the congregation, including any Circuit Overseer or District Overseer, should henceforth communicate with any other person or entity regarding any matter whatsoever having to do with my family or I. Any such communication will be considered a breach of confidentiality and an invasion of my privacy, and will be met with swift legal action, including the seeking of compensation for any and all damages, plus the filing of applicable criminal charges.
Since this notice terminates whatever affiliation may have once existed with the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, no Elder nor other representative of the congregation, including any Circuit Overseer or District Overseer, should attempt to communicate with me or contact me in private or public with regard to any matter whatsoever. This notice does not require any response from the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Any public or private communication or contact from a representative of the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses will be considered trespass and harassment, and will be met with swift legal action, including the seeking of compensation for any and all damages, plus the filing of applicable criminal charges.
I further demand that any and all records of whatever affiliation may have once existed with the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses be destroyed immediately. Any disclosure of such records, or the content of those records, to any party outside the BODY OF ELDERS of the Roseville, Ohio Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses will be considered an invasion of privacy and confidentiality, and will be met with swift legal action, including the seeking of compensation for any and all damages, plus the filing of applicable criminal charges.
Sincerely,
TD

Please provide your feedback to this preemptive approach.

How is this any different than a formal letter of disassociation? I can't for the life of me see any difference whatsoever in the end result.

The only weakness I've ever seen in the JW position lies in the fact that they are legally organized along congregational lines. Your relationship is with your congregation and only with your congregation. You do not have a relationship either with any of the JW parent organizations or with any other JW congregation. This is the whole reason why JW elders are no longer elders when they move to another locale and have to be reappointed.

Just move and forget about them.
skeeter1

In the US, the ability to stand in court depends on what state you live in AND what actions the cult takes against you.

In Bear v. Mennonite, Pennslyvania courts found that immediate family can't disown. Thus, the WTS doesn't allow parents to abandoned underaged children.

In Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology, California courts found that the church can't financially break an ex-member. There, the church told ex-members to not pay their invoices to Mr. Wollersheim. The church also sent Mr. Wollersheim a revised bill, undoing his discount for their bio-feedback machine sessions (called auditing).

That being said, JWs have carefully done their disfellowshipping. They don't announce the reason (to avoid a libel lawsuit) and contend that the individual members have a right to not associate with whoever they want to, and don't advocate married people and/or children be required to be ousted from the house. Rather, it's all "individual choice." WTS Legal, baby.
Ajax

Giordano-

Thanks for your input. You have missed the most critical feature of quitting quietly --STRIKE THE FIRST BLOW !!

with and do it PRIVATELY!

Don´t complain, don´t question, don´t do anything to get the hyenas onto your scent. You cease to be a member of a cult when YOU say you are through with them. Thats were the notarized document come to play. They cannot take ecclesiastic measures against anyone who is not a member.

They know this- their rights to discipline you ENDED the very day you signed your document. You don´t need to show them anything - just go on about your life of freedom, with your document tucked in a drawer. Their power and authority over you is ended, done, vanished because you are no longer a member- and you can prove it.

You won´t need to dig that document out until one day they just can´t mind their own business anymore- sooner or later they are going to want to cousel, correct cajole you, maybe a CO visit like Gorby. Its up to you how you play your fade - fast or slow and you will win a claim for harassment, discrimination or persecution if they blunder ahead with usual WT policy. That crap is only for cult members to endure not free people.

Just quit quietly - the law is on your side!

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