My defense speech before the judicial committee (page 3)

Fisherman

But it is, nonetheless, an attempt to defend oneself from an accusation.

You want to win an argument. I’m not wasting anymore time. I’ve made my point. You can bring a pink elephant to Court and call it whatever you like.

In my own case I bothered with the charade because I hoped they would recognize me not as a threat but as someone who just wanted to be left alone, and thereby not separate my family. I was delusional to think it would make a difference. A lot of us were still learning about the true nature of sectarian thinking when we left the church, hoping that past relationships and reason might be respected.

Disfellowshipped-Brother

Hello everyone, thanks to everyone who read.

Unfortunately, you are right, there is no judicial committee that would listen to such a defense, as everyone is encouraged that if they think they detect any sign of "apostasy", do not listen at all. You could try in writing individually, there is a chance they might secretly read it, but they cannot do this at a committee level.

I tried, but I only ran into walls. But if they don't listen through, then how can you defend yourself? They also take this opportunity away from you. The right to defend oneself even applies to mass murderers and war criminals, but after years of dedicated service, I wasn't even given the respect to be heard out. True, before this, there were two lecturing conversations.

The first one came as a total surprise, as soon as my mother invited two elders to us. Needless to say, they were frantically searching through the scriptures, back and forth, and when I asked, they moved on. At first, they just told me not to talk to anyone about this, because it's "not constructive". When two elders heard about 607 BCE, and I read to them a few Bible verses (of course, clearly understood by Carl O. J.) on the subject, then one of them was wringing his hands, the other was looking at the ceiling. I spiced it up with a few historical facts that they (!) also acknowledged. It was very funny how they looked at each other helplessly, while fervently taking notes about the Bible verses so they could look after. Suddenly they thought that was enough for the day, then they left, with no regard for possibly needing to conclude the conversation in a way that I feel it is concluded. So their only goal was to gather "evidence" against me.

But I was not too forceful with them either. If I had been like them, they would have been lying on the floor from the message and arguments of the Bible. But I was too tactful.

The second conversation was at the home of the presiding overseer, he was not too enthusiastic, but he went along. That's when I realized how low he was in terms of Bible knowledge, as he only used JW publications during the scarce one hour. The other problem was that when I rang their bell, his wife opened the door, did not greet me and said she would call her husband, but meanwhile, she locked the door in front of my nose (it was February). She would never have done this before, although I was not disfellowshipped yet. But it's obvious, you also know how well that certain confidentiality works.

Let's just say, since they don't even listen all the way through, the elders conducting the proceedings are not (to such a degree) exposed to "apostate" thoughts. So they don't really have much to think about.

I remember that I often felt guilty (still in the organization), that what if I'm teaching people the wrong things, in other words, my conscience was in crisis. When I talked to several elders about this, almost without exception, I got something like I'm too full of myself. I thought... yeah, and you don't think at all about how you can affect other people's lives.

Interesting defensive reaction to them not being able to answer my questions, namely that I am "conceited" :D Typical primitive reaction, pathetic. The majority of elders probably have hardened consciences, if they are not interested in what they preach to others.

I didn't surrender to them when I looked into a few things more thoroughly and found out that most of it was nonsense, I couldn't bring myself to teach others about it.

Even so, I was lucky, as I heard, in others' cases the process is just about revealing facts, they only ask a few specific questions that you have to answer, for example: Do you believe in the faithful and discreet slave UNCONDITIONALLY, as found in Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine? Do you accept the Governing Body as persons appointed by Jehovah and Jesus, who carry out God's earthly direction? Do you accept their teachings without doubting anything? They have to answer such and similar questions. A friend of mine, regardless of the fact that he answered "yes" to everything, that he believed and accepted them, he just had questions about them, it was enough reason for them to treat him as an "apostate"! You can't have unexpected questions there, the readers' questions in the Watchtower are just fake! They edit those, beautifying the real questions!

In summary, this is such an organization! Either you swallow everything and you're a good kid, but if you dare to select even a little bit, off you go to Tartarus! The point is that in this organization you can't raise your voice against things because YOU will be the one at fault. No matter how right you are, no matter how much it bothers your conscience, what you have to present as truth is something you perceive as a lie or half-truth.

They believe that they are the only true religious organization, and salvation is possible only through them. Everything that exists outside of it is under Satan's control. Therefore, if someone voluntarily decides to reject God's "only earthly organization", it is a breaking of the connection with the Creator, a rebellion in itself. It's as if an ancient Israelite decides they no longer want to be an Israelite, or even more illustratively, as if someone were to jump out of Noah's Ark during the flood.

By the way, the discrimination is completely unbiblical (I looked it up, they don't bring up a single Bible verse that would clearly support it), just like the treatment of the disfellowshipped ones. The much-quoted 1 Corinthians 5:11 is not about how to deal with those who have left the congregations, but what the congregations should do with "the one who is called a brother, but" does this or that. And anyway, why discipline someone who is already out there? "For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do you not judge those inside, while God judges those outside?" (1Cor 5:12, 13).

Their teaching - apart from being inhuman, brutal and primitive - spits on the sacrifice of Christ and the grace of God.

So during my hearing, I was the only one using the Bible. They didn't even take it out, they didn't quote from it, they didn't present any irrefutable counterarguments. If it was possible to send a video recording of this conversation to the "faithful and discreet slave" (if there had been one), they wouldn't be so proud of "the pillars of their congregation". Despite 20 years of eldership, despite all those years at the Kingdom Ministry School, they utterly failed. I admit, I felt a little sorry for them at the end because of their weak intellectual capacity, because despite all my clear arguments, they clung to their falsehoods! Now, how are they going to explain this before the Lord's judgment seat?

The Bible plays a very small, practically no role in such hearings, because there is nothing in it that could be used in such cases - for "apostates". They even found fault with why I was not using the New World Translation, why the "false" King James. It's astonishing what goes on in some people's heads about the different Bible translations, even though it is well known that according to the Bible scholars, the New World Translation is the furthest from the original. Of course, at times like these, the Bible scholars can also be labeled as "apostates".

Everyone else is a fool to a faithful JW, like on the highway, everyone else is driving against the traffic except him. Of course, in a conversation with an inquirer or a "worldly" person, they try to maintain the illusion that this is not the case.

As for Bible knowledge, there are some elders, mostly older ones, who indeed know the Bible very deeply, but such elders make up less than 1% of the JWs. The average Bible knowledge is very shallow and superficial. But not as if it would matter at all. We never read in the Bible that knowledge or wisdom would help to gain eternal life. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1)

In John 17:3, the "knowledge" (just like almost everywhere else in the Bible) means becoming one with him, accepting him. That certain "Bible knowledge" they have, it might be more of a lexicographical biblical historical knowledge, and the explanations of the Watchtower, a mixture of lexicographical knowledge and understanding, and the fact that they know where to find what in the Bible. Of course, unfortunately, the Watchtower's explanations are linked to it.

Since I left the organization, I realized that my knowledge of the Bible is, to put it mildly, highly questionable, what there is, is purely WT theology. In the past year, I have gained more substantive knowledge of the Bible than I could accumulate after 20 years of witnessing and a Ministry School! The highly favored Kingdom Ministry School is mostly just a knowledge base built on the WTS publications, and it was aimed at developing the skill to transmit them as efficiently as possible.

Unfortunately, they also successfully achieve among the Witnesses that they be content with their little knowledge of the Bible, which is indeed more than what the majority of people they run into at the houses have, but it is very weak compared to other Christians who truly turn and read the Bible.

I am sending a message here to all the elders secretly reading here, observers possibly appointed by the Society, organization-loyal hesitators, that yes, since I became an "apostate" JW, I have started to understand my Bible! I read it more than ever, and now it truly has a positive impact on my life!

Drearyweather

Disfellowshipped-Brother

I was curious to know about what evidence did the elders have regarding you being an apostate. A judicial committee is formed only when the accusation/wrongdoing is established by two or more witnesses.

So what did they have against you? Were you talking to others in the congregation and they blabbered to the elders?

Also, at what age did you get baptized? Were you aware that promoting ideas contrary to WT publications leads to sure-shot disfellowshipping, no matter what you say in your defense?

Apologies if you have already addressed these in your posts.

Vanderhoven7

@Disfellowshipped-Brother

<<I have started to understand my Bible! I read it more than ever, and now it truly has a positive impact on my life!>>

Glad to hear you didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Listener

Thanks Disfellowshipped-Brother for your posts. They may be long but they are full of gems. They are the sort of posts that make this site such an excellent research tool.

Could I ask what you've been doing, particularly in the last year, as you mention, that has helped to increase your Bible knowledge?

peacefulpete

Have you found a new church or preacher online that has influenced your new-found faith? Beware of shiny things. Many have simply gone from church to church seeking something that they already had within them, the ability to use our short lives in pursuit of love, wisdom and practical purpose with an inner peace and contentment.

punkofnice

DFbro - I was an elder(tm), and I can assure you, that after what I experienced, the Watchtower Corporation(tm) is not a bona fide religion.

Perhaps it started out with religious intentions but it is now nothing more than a big business posing as a religion. It is fake.

The Corporation(tm)....and that title should give it away, only exists to give the parasites at the top a lifestyle.

Look at the CEO's of the Corporation(tm), the governing Body(tm)(Pee be upon them), I do believe they're only in it for the rock star life style they achieve by duping all the JWs around the world.

Think!

Beth Sarim

I dont know if anybody watch Dan and Angela Clark on youtube.

But Dan often relates "you weren't meant to wake up" (from the JW's).

Angela related "congratulations"

The Borg doesn't want people waking-up ( from the Borg).

Just waking - up,, so to speak is an accomplishment upon itself.

Beth Sarim

Should add that waking-up from the Borg when someone is born into is of notoriety accomplishment

Because they never had a choice in becoming a JW.

My defense speech before the judicial committee

Share this