Wow! What a great, fascinating post! How are your parents reactions towards you now? Do they have any contact with you?
As 6of9 stated:
Instead of being able to recognize the spiritual emptiness for what it was, however, I was convinced that it was somehow my fault, my fault for not studying the Society's publications enough, my fault for missing meetings to work in the theater
I certainly went through that. I'm so glad that you got out, although in a soul-demeaning way through the judical committee process, at a much younger age than I am now. You've got lots of years ahead of you to practice:
I'm absolutely determined to be a good man, a good husband, and someday, maybe, a good father. (I'm practicing this with my cats.)
Cats will definitely let you know how you're doing!
The elders seemed... detached. Although I had been at every meeting for two years, had auxiliary pioneered, had tried to be a model Witness, the elders said that they didn't really know me that well.
I've been in a congregation like that also. And these are supposed to men of God, the princes in the new system who will handle bringing earth to paradise? Unbelievable arrogance.
It is a measure of the ludicrousness of a corporate religion that the elders in Jeanette had to reinstate me, when they had no measure of how I was actually doing, spiritually.
Very well said and insightful.
Thanks for posting this.