My Dissassociation Letter

eljefe

I have been poking around the forum for a while. I have looked at a lot people's experiences on the forum and many of them mirror my own.

Here is my disassociation letter. I would like some feedback as many you have already done so.

Thanks.

Dear XXX congregation,

I wish to inform you that I am hereby disassociating myself from Jehovah?s Witnesses. I have three main reasons for disassociating myself.

The first reason is culpability with child molesters. Jehovah?s Witnesses have taken a very lax view of dealing with child molesters despite their statements to the contrary in publications and articles. This guilt is shared by people from Circuit Overseers to Bodies of Elders to Publishers. This guilt is exacerbated by cover ups. The significant amount of molestation and multiple molestations by the same person augments this culpability. In fact, no organized religion has behaved even remotely irreprehensible in this area. To its great hypocrisy, the Society has written about Catholic abuse over 14 times in the 1986-2001 Index under (Child Abuse-Sexual Abuse-By), and wrote 0 times about Jehovah?s Witnesses? sexual abuse scandals. This unclean practice was spoken about at length in the 18th chapter of Leviticus. No religion has the excuse that there were no laws against abuse when Jehovah made it very clear then that it was despicable.

The second reason is prophecy. I have done a great deal of research into 607 and 1914. Jehovah?s Witnesses are the only ones who believe that Jerusalem was destroyed in 607. I find that Jehovah?s Witnesses have warped the application of Bible verses to support their view of 607. All of my research in the Bible shows that Jehovah?s Witnesses have a very different view of Jerusalem?s destruction prophesies than the Bible really teaches.

The third reason is Acts 17:11. Acts 17:11 says ?Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.? During the past few months, I have been ?carefully examining the Scriptures? to see ?whether Jehovah?s Witnesses? teachings were so?. Paul evidently did not take issue or even berate these Beroeans because he said they were ?more noble minded?. However, following this example I have been called an apostate by 3 separate people for ?carefully examining the Scriptures?. I do not understand how following something in the Bible is tantamount to apostasy if it is recorded in the Bible as being edifying.

I used to look at Jehovah?s Witnesses and wonder why so many bad things happened within Jehovah?s Organization. By extension, I began to wonder if Jehovah really cared about us. As Jehovah?s Witnesses, we are brow beaten to think of Jehovah and Jehovah?s Witnesses in the same thought. Once I realized that Jehovah?s Witnesses are not the true religion much less his earthly Organization, it all made sense. A religion without Jehovah?s backing is no different than any other. So, I am not disassociating myself from Jehovah, but from Jehovah?s Witnesses. The two are very separate despite what the Society wants us to think. My relationship with Jehovah is the same; my relationship with Jehovah?s Witnesses has changed.

I would have disassociated myself much sooner if it were not for being permanently separated from my family. I decided to start to leave about 2 years ago. Yet, I chose to give Jehovah?s Witnesses a second look as I knew the repercussions of leaving were to never see my family again. I knew I would never see my nephew and nieces grow. However, this is not reason enough to stay a Witness. And now I will have to say my last goodbye to them.

Many people have asked me where I am going to go. Or how am I am going to find the faithful and discreet slave? Let me say I will not start looking immediately. I plan to stay as far away from organized religion as possible. I see no religion that truly follows the Bible and its teachings.

I do not wish to be contacted by Jehovah?s Witnesses in any shape or form without my expressed written consent.

I wish you all the best as you try to find the truth. May Jehovah bless your efforts to find the truth also.

lv4fer

I like your letter. It is to the point, but yet it gives them something to think about. Good luck in your future endeavors. The road ahead is not easy and its so hard to have to leave family and friends behind. Very painful to say the least. But staying in is more painful, for me it would have driven me insane.

LoverOfTruth

Have you thought about making copies of your letter and mailing to all of the JWs you know? This might be your last opportunity.

eljefe

Yes, I plan to send a copy to my family and friends. I have most of their E-mail addresses. For this reason, I made the letter so short. I wanted them to actually read it. Whether that happens or not is another question. I realized something today. I have already intimated that I am leaving to my parents. They are already distraught. But they are losing me by their own choice. But more importantly, I am losing all of them (both family and friends). So my loss is much greater than them losing just one person. I will try to explain that to them.

Rabbit

Your letter was good...straight to the point, I admire the strength of character it took to write and mail it. I know too, it is very sober, because of the power the WTS has to harm you.

Hang in there, your family may come around. I am being shunned 'unofficially', you know -- marked by family & congo, not DF/DA.

run dont walk

Very Good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND

WELCOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bikerchic

I have been poking around the forum for a while. I have looked at a lot people's experiences on the forum and many of them mirror my own.

To the board eljefe!

I like your letter! I can only wish that it would be read as is to the congregation, now wouldn't that be an eye opener! But at last we know it won't be made public. I do hope you send copies of it to your relatives, if nothing else they will KNOW why you left and maybe it will give them something to think about and it would be wonderful if they left the B'org also.

I hope it all goes well for you, keep us posted.

Kate

neyank

Good letter.

As has been said, send copies to your family and friends first before the elders.

That will give them a chance to read it because they may not once the elders make the anouncement of your DA.

As far as the elders reading the whole letter, they probably won't get past the part where you say that you're DAing yourself.

DAing one self is a personal choice. The problem with doing that tho is that it makes the WTS' job easier.

I personally refuse to DA. I am still able to talk to JWs even tho they consider me bad asociation.

And every chance I get I mention something to them about the WTS that they may not know.

I consider it my contribution to spreading the truth.

neyank

LittleToe

Good letter.

The only thing that I would ask you to consider rewording is the bit about family ties. It reads a little like you are also intentionally cutting them off. Maybe you are (I don't know your circumstances), but I'd tend to go for a more "my door is still open to my family, if they want to keep in contact" kind of thing.

The word "likelihood" might be liberally used here, to soften your side of it, and highlight that the onus for separation is [likely to be] on their part.

I wish you all the best on your path, and in your healing. It's a little scary and you will likely grieve for some time (I know I did, when I DA'ed). Be prepared with the knowledge that you may trip some unexpected emotions.

Jonty Parkin

An absolutely first-rate letter in which you state your position firmly and clearly, but without bile or bitterness! Excellent!

As others have suggested, you must try to get your letter into the hands of as many of your erstwhile associates as possible. Sadly, however, for all the common good sense, reason and balance evident in your letter, you can be sure that, although the letter was obviously read and understood, it's rational impact will have been totally lost upon the closed minds that accepted it as your letter of disassociation.

It is a paradox, isn't it, that reasonable and well aregued points for discussion are consistantly rejected, in favour of the endlessly repetative cycle of meaningless drivel that appears in the WT study articles. And yet the writers of said articles constantly present it as though it's all new, and you never read it before!

Your letter however, now that would make a great study article!

Congratulations on breaking free!

Jonty

My Dissassociation Letter

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