Convention Apostatizing Brings Gestapo Response

by outnfree 64 Replies latest jw friends

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  VeniceIT

  Hi OUTNFREE!!!!

  OHHH MAN HAHAHAAHH that was TOOOO great I loved every minute of it!! WHOOHOOOOO would you please EMAIL me!!!!

  [email protected]

  Ven
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  Had Enough

  Hello outnfree:

  That was quite an experience!! What courage and stamina you have!

  I hope it accomplished something positive for any who "witnessed" the goings on and took note of your info.

  I remember picketers outside at a DC I attended in 1993, but like a good little JW, I walked past them looking straight ahead, but I do admit my curiosity was peeked. I wondered, "Why did they feel so strong about leaving the org.?"

  A newspaper article was written about that 1993 DC and JWs beliefs, in the Religion Section of a very prominent newspaper there.

  I got, and still have, the article, which was written mostly from the angle of the feelings and thoughts of the exJWs and df'd ones, having a huge picture of a df'd lady 66 yearw old.
  
  It said:
  

  she was disfellowshpped or excomminicated from the organization for questioning one of its basic tenets. "I questioned the belief that Jesus Christ returned to Earth in invisible form in 1914..Who can argue with invisibility?"

  It hightlighted her lack of communication with her daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren because "they are not allowed to speak to me because it is said I am an apostate".

  It also highlighted another lady's experience with just leaving the JWs. She was not baptised but said this JW religion has caused a huge
  rift in her family because her father and 2 brothers have been df'd and she said:
  

  After 20 years, one of her JW brothers still refuses to speak to her because she no longer considers herself a Jehovah's Witness.

  At the time, the reason I kept this article was because of the "official statement" made by the Witness spokesperson who said:
  

  "Fellowship and shunning is not as big a deal is made out." Graham says that if a Jehovah's Witness no longer wants to live according to the high moral standards required by the Bible then that individual can be excommunicated. "We have no more religious association with that individual," he says. And while Jehovah's Witnesses are not barred from associating with someone who has been excommunicated, "most chose not to be associated on a social basis." {bold is mine}

  At the time when I was still an active JW, I considered this an interesting bit of ammunition for me in my feelings about shunning and the JW attitude. Here was an "official spokesperson" saying the JWs are "not barred from associating with someone who has been excommunicated" and that we could "choose" not to associate on a social level.

  A newspaper article could easily be written highlighting your experience outnfree, by a writer who isn't just satisfied with the "official" news release propaganda handed out at each convention.

  Of note: In this article, the JW spokesperson went on to hang himself and the org with those who know the real truth and to any observant JW at the time, when it said:

  "In the past we used to project these (annual) conventions as a big deal and push our literature," he says. "It's now a much more pleasant approach. We are not pushing literature in their faces."

  Much of the change has taken place since 1975 when some people interpreted a WatchTower article as predicting that year as the end of the world since then the "writings in the WatchTower have gone international" and are no longer centred at the organization's headquarters in New York.{bold is mine}

  
  Again with the "it wasn't the society's fault it was the r&f would jumped ahead of the org"

  It went on to say:
  

  Before 1975 it was all centred in Brooklyn and that tended to produce a bit of a tunnel vision," he says. "When you carry that to an extreme it can carry you down the wrong channel.

  If you isolate yourself, you get a Waco situation. I don't care who you are or how good you are, if you follow a man and isolate yourself, restrict association, restrict education, that's what is going to happen - a Jonestown or a Waco," Graham says {bold and italics mine}

  Interesting comparison to Jonestown or Waco eh?

  He says the Bible does not give a date for the end of the world but the expectation among Jehovah's Witnesses is that those living today who were born prior to 1914 would see Armageddon.

  That puts it very close, but "we have been careful since 1975 to watch how we put these things in print."

  This is only part of the whole article written. How much "truth" could be put out there for the public with the right agreeable writer wanting a good scoop on exposing the inner workings of a cult?

  This article is quite yellow now so I'm going to find a way of preserving it now.

  Had Enough
• 

  silentlambs

  did your efforts accomplish anything?

  sat-mon
  300+ hits on the website
  40+ calls to the hotline 877-wtabuse
  6 new stories on victims page

  i thought it was courious at the bump in activity, now i know the reason why. it is funny as last year i was the parking overseer and pulled about 1000 tony alamo flyers off car windows before the session let out. how life changes. as i remember when the society has a property rented it is like a rent house they have control of the property and grounds. outside of that, they were way out of line, it was just simple intimidation. from the sound of your story it did not seem to work. i know at some conventions, areas are designated as protest areas in close proxcimity to the entrance of most conventions, the city could be petitioned as to where these areas are. if you choose to go this route in the future all i could ask is that you be kind and respectful, keep away from inflamitory remarks verbally or written as it will no doubt be used against you to try and get the rank and file to not listen. as i have stated on several occasions, by any means necessary the public must be exposed to this issue to force wt to change their policy and protect children.

  thank you for your courage and efforts in behalf of children.
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  outnfree

  Phew!

  How lovely, silentlambs.

  I think I'll just go away now and have a good cry!
  of relief!

  outnfree
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  jst2laws

  Outnfree, you are admirable.

  In 1972 I was assigned my first official responsibility at the district convention, overseer of “Security”. In the 90’s it was renamed to “Day Watch” probably for legal liability reasons. By then I was the Assistant Attendant Overseer. We would meet before the convention with all the attendants to teach them how to handle people like you.

  Now I hope only to have the guts you have to be a ‘people like you’. As others have pointed out, the attendants expect us to be confrontational, proud and motivated by hate. If you remain calm and display fruits of God’s spirit, they may still respond according to their programming (software as James calls it) but perhaps some day they will question why these evil apostates do not seem so evil.

  My congregation seems to know something is up with me, but I am determined to keep smiling, hugging, and showing love to all so when it does come out what is happening with me, hopefully some will question what is really going on.

  You are a brave person of conviction. Your story was inspiring to me.

  Jst2laws
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  Farkel

  Greetings jst2laws,

  : Now I hope only to have the guts you have to be a ‘people like you’.

  You already have the heart and moral grounding to notice a grave wrong when you see it. Having the "heart" is the biggest part and once you have that, the "guts" will easily follow when you feel the time is right.

  Fading away is best. And if you don't already know all the tricks to keep the Nazis from hounding you and attempting to make you play the game their way, just ask in here. Many of us can help you in that area. As you have no doubt already noticed, the society is doing all they can to distance themselves liability-wise from the elders.

  Therefore, your roue is not them these days. The elders are generally uneducated blue-collar types who are quite aware that a lawsuit or even the threat of one will cost them dearly to defend. The society couldn't care less if any elders get sued personally. They only care about themselves and their Corporate Interests(tm). That is a big advantage for people like you these days. Don't let them mess with you. If they try, mess with them back. You have all the legal cards, because you would be their victim. Never forget that you have all the cards and they are dealing deuces and treys to themselves.

  How your JW family members would deal with your defection is only something that you know. I was very fortunate. My parents and sister never shunned me, but then again, I successfully faded away. I lost all my lifetime "friends," but then again, they turned out not to be genuine friends at all. WT "love" and WT "friendship" is the most conditional love and friendship I've ever experienced in my life. When it comes to putting those "just two laws," into practice JWs at large are rank apostates. Such a simple concept yet it is in fact foreign to JWs in the practice of their sad lives.

  If at all possible, don't DA or put yourself in a position to get DFd. To do so is to acknowledge that you are letting them play their game by their rules. If you want to leave their game, then don't play by their rules when you are trying to do so. Put yourself in the frame of mind that their rules are no longer binding upon you and no longer relevant to you. In doing so, you take away all their power you've given them over your life and your choices.

  I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide. (Yeah, I can use the word "luck." I ain't seen any lightning from heaven headed for me yet!)

  Farkel
  "Good Fortune" Class (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What's the damn difference?!)
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  Jigrigger

  Those were interesting quotes. Could you kindly give the names and dates of the publications containing those quotes?

  Thanks in advance,

  Jigrigger
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  Jang

  Esther, what year was it that you got the flyers? Curious if it was when we did it

  JanG
  CAIC Website: http://caic.org.au/zjws.htm
  Personal Webpage: http://uq.net.au/~zzjgroen/
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  Cautious

  Outnfree, I am so impressed.

  That Silentlambs had so many hits - wow!

  This was better than any "experience" at any convention I ever heard!

  Keep it up

  Cautious
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  esther

  JanG, Sorry, I don't remember the year, but it must have been about 20 years ago. It wasn't in Brisbane, though.

  Outnfree, I bet you are happy with your results.

  esther