by ThomasCovenant 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Is it true, as Bro Jackson testified to the Australian Royal Commission, that people can leave the religion freely?
In my own case, yes. I just stopped going and was never announced as ''no longer one of JW's''. End of.
As regards shunning.
Yes, I shun Jehovahs' Witnesses in general as I want nothing to do with them. I would go out of my way to avoid them.
Congratulations, you are in the a place many would envy.
The situation would be more difficult if you had close family or friends still involved. Continuing any contact or association could be difficult, particularly if you express your new-found views or engage in practices that are viewed as d/f offences.
They would still consider you a baptised person over whom they have authority and would not hesitate to 'invite' you to a judicial hearing.
In your case as you describe it, any action would be a non-event. Should you however decide that you wanted to pursue a friendship with any JW, family or otherwise they would act.
So, in reality your freedom to do as you please has been curtailed. You simply choose not to exercise it. You haven't then got genuine freedom from the religion.
The application of that rule entirely depends on the local elders. For instance, I have seen elders working on a construction site where an inactive brother was working as well. The inactive brother was swearing and smoking and the brothers never said a word about it. Since the inactive one had been so for over 5 years and that no one in the congregation ever complained about him, the elders were entirely within their rights to simply ignore this.
Still, for me, I know that if I put up Christmas lights, the elders will get complaints about it until they disfellowship me. So, I am not entirely free until I am willing to live with the label that comes with being disfellowshiped.
It works two different ways. # 1. You simply stop attending meetings. If approached by an Elder or anybody you just say everything is fine....thanks for asking....if you need any help you'll reach out to them. You could stay that work has been very demanding and your trying to work that out with your employers. Some neutral that doesn't cast a shadow on the WTBTS and it's organization.
#2 Your one pissed off JW who feels....... now knows........ that you have been lied to your entire life. And that people need to wake up to a new reality that being a JW doesn't mean you have the truth. Say that to enough family members, your close friends and you will be called into a Judicial.....by your out outspokenness you are putting the congregation in spiritual danger........ keep speaking your truth to their power and you will be DF. Hence shunned.
Or you write a letter and declare that you will no longer be a JW. At a meeting the congregation will learn that you are no longer a JW. Without saying anything more you will be shunned by family and friends.
In the old days prior to 1980 you could Disassociate yourself and no one would shun you unless they didn't want to catch whatever mental problem you have.
I simply faded as well, but when my JW friends asked me why I had left, instead of simply saying well thats fine you are allowed your own view on this, they simply shunned me. That was 20 years ago, and they still do it.
Congratulations, but your case is yours and yours alone. If you've been here any time you know it to be different for different people. Mr. Jackson knows better too.
My situation same as AlanV - Faded but was totally shunned .....
Then went on a e-mailing campaign re the First ARC and overlapping Generation etc - Mailing directly into Bethel and to local hounders and now have received my " loving provision from Jehovah" invitation to meet in the back-room - to lovingly be stoned !
Have involved Attorney etc - wait to see their next move - which will probably be a DF-ing anyway.
Afrikanman,
if you were baptised after the new 1985 baptism questions, you agreed to work with the organisation. All they have to do is ask you if you believe Jehovah is using the gov body as his channel. If you say no, you are in effect dissasociating yourself. At least that is how they will view it.
I moved thousands of miles away, so was mostly left alone. 2 of my relatives, didn't move, and were stalked and harassed and DF even though they hadn't been to meetings in years. Moving is always best if you can.
I have never been baptised, so I have officially never been a JW, just an unbaptised publisher (or is this also already viewed as being a somewhat full JW?).
Never having been baptised as a JW technically means I cannot leave them since I never officially joined them. However, even without being baptised, I am being shunned now because I do not attend any meetings and do not participate in any activities, like preaching.
