December 6, 2003
Brandon and Stephanie Bartlett
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Body of Elders
Scottsboro Congregation of Jehovah?s Witnesses
Dear Sirs:
This letter is in response to the visit Chris Rodgers and Bob Hanford paid to our home this morning. First, let me make clear that this is NOT a letter of Disassociation. We simply feel that certain issues discussed briefly this morning need some clarification, and that this would best be accomplished in writing.
As you are well aware, we have lived in the Scottsboro Congregation?s territory for more than a year now. This has been common knowledge, especially since our family has been so well known to the majority of the members of the Scottsboro Congregation for so many years. I?ve had friends in your congregation since my early teens, I?ve worked with many of you at the Quick Build projects for two decades, and I have even given Public Talks at your Hall.
Therefore, given the depth of our past relationship, both spiritual and personal, we assumed when we first moved to town that it would not be long before we received a ?shepherding call?, or at least a ?welcome? visit. Sadly, all we have received to date is the visit this morning, which, as Chris so plainly put it, was ?not to change our minds? about how we feel now about the ?Organization?, but to ask us to write a letter of Disassociation. In addition to this primary objective, however, it was evident by the number and type of questions we were asked by these two ?brothers?, that there was a secondary objective as well. This was to ascertain if we had been involved in any ?wrongdoing? which might involve a ?Disfellowshipping? offense.
The nature of the ?questioning? was more like two police officers questioning criminal suspects, who don?t know they are suspects yet. The questions were slyly worded and very leading, though masked in a cordial conversational tone.
THIS WAS, AND IS, VERY OFFENSIVE TO US. If you wanted to know if we had done anything of a nature worthy of ?Disfellowshipping?, all you had to do was ask clearly. We were completely honest and forthright with all of our answers, and we would have answered these questions truthfully as well. The honest truth is that we are the same people as before, with the same moral and ethical standards as we?ve always had. We don?t need you or an ?Organization? to tell us that certain things are just plain wrong in a civilized human society. Just because we don?t attend the Kingdom Hall anymore doesn?t mean that we are now going to dive into a ?debauched? life of adultery, sex orgies, drunken revelries, and drug addiction or crime.
We are very offended because, first, you ignore us when we move to town and make no effort to ?help? us spiritually. Then, secondly, you send these two ?brothers? to our house to find evidence of ?wrongdoing? on which you could accuse us and then ?disfellowship? us. All of this, simply because we were honest in telling our parents, and now you, that we simply no longer believe Jehovah?s Witnesses have ?THE TRUTH?. Are you that afraid of us, just because we disagree with you?
Your conduct, as a body and as individuals, is less than admirable, and belies your claim to be truly loving, caring, and compassionate ?shepherds? of the flock. Yet, this no longer surprises us, for we have seen and experienced so much hypocrisy in this ?Organization? over the years. It only saddens us now, that you are so indoctrinated that you can?t distinguish sincerity from hypocrisy any longer, nor can you tolerate any ?independent thinking? among your members. ?Whatever happened to exercising one?s ?Bible Trained Christian Conscience? in making decisions, rather than policed conformance to the ?Governing Body?s? current and latest interpretation of scripture? or else face ?cutting off?, or your own independently coined word, ?disfellowshiping? (Interestingly, as you know, the words ?disfellowship? and ?disassociate? do not even appear in the Bible, much like the word ?Trinity?).
Another point we wish to make very clear is this: Bxxxxx Xxxxxxxx had nothing to do with our thought processes or decisions about our beliefs. I only bring this up because Chris asked us, rather out of the conversation?s context, if we had spoken with Bxxxx lately. Of course, I answered that I had just recently contacted Bxxxx again, because I had. But this contact was some time after we had already made our decisions about changing our beliefs. Until my brief contact with Bxxxx a couple weeks ago, just to catch up with an old friend and see how he was doing, I had not spoken with him in about two years. SO, AGAIN, XXXXX XXXXXXXX HAS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR VIEWS ABOUT JEHOVAH?S WITNESSES. As a matter of fact, he was quite shocked to learn about our current views. So, please, if you have any common decency left in you at all, do not use any of this as ?ammunition? against Bxxxxx. He knows nothing of what we?ve been through or what we believe now and why, other than our brief ?catch up? conversation and visit a couple weeks ago.
Please pay very careful attention to the following:
As you have no evidence of any ?disfellowshipable? activity on our part (because there is none), YOU WILL NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE ANYTHING DERROGATORY ABOUT ANY OF US, AT ANY CONGREGATION MEETING AT ANY KINGDOM HALL.
We will not allow our reputation in the community in general to be slandered in any way by you. Since the current instructions on announcing a disfellowshipping require that you NOT announce the nature of the offense, any announcement about us would naturally fuel the ?rumor mill? and cause others, both within the congregation and without, to speculate about what immoral or ?unrighteous? conduct had led to our being expelled from the congregation. As you well know, your only accusation against us is that we simply no longer believe the same as you do.
I really hate to have to take these steps, for I bear no malice against any of you personally, but I feel I must make the following clear to you as well, in order to protect our reputation in the community:
IF YOU DO MAKE ANY DERROGATORY ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT US, AT ALL, WE WILL SUE THE BODY OF ELDERS AS A GROUP, AND EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, FOR LIBEL AND SLANDER.
We also have no intention of writing an official letter of ?disassociation?. Once we uncovered the truth behind ?The Truth?, namely that it is just not true, we realized that in essence our baptisms were meaningless, therefore we view them as null and void. You have no authority over us, nor do we have any obligation to conform to your man-made rules and regulations.
In conclusion, we would like to reiterate that we bear no ill will towards any of you, and our lives and our home will always be open to you. If you, or individual members of the congregation, decide to shun us, understand that it will be entirely one-sided shunning. We will always appreciate and honor the friendships that we made while being Jehovah?s Witnesses, as we view many of you as friends. We love you, and will always be there for you, with a smile, a warm greeting, or assistance ? whatever is required.
One last item ? Please direct all future correspondence on these matters to us in writing. No phone calls or visits, please.
Cordially,
Brandon and Stephanie Bartlett
cc: Body of Elders ? Albertville Congregation of Jehovah?s Witnesses
Bxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx (simply out of courtesy because he is mentioned)
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