Feeling trapped? Forced to go to boring meetings? Would you like
your evenings free to pursue hobbies or education? Would you like
to sleep in on weekends instead of wasting time knocking on doors
selling magazines?
Would you like your freedom back!
Here's some tips on "fading away" without a lot of trouble or fuss.
1) Claim depression - it doesn't have to be a lie, in any way!
What Witness isn't depressed these days! Take a couple of months
or more to gradually s-l-o-w down, dropping meetings and
time reported in magazine sales. Next,...
2) Say nothing. Well, don't tell the elders ANYTHING that can
be used against you. You are chronically depressed, that's all.
Resist ALL urges to dispute doctrine or argue about the meaning
of scriptures - you'd be wasting your time anyway, they don't
care and won't listen. If you're a sister, tears can help
(it's a thick- headed male dominated cult) as well as comments
about problems with hormones, body chemistry, or "female
troubles" you really can't talk about -- and it's chronic!
3) Find a reason to move into another congregation. This is the
classic "fall thru the cracks" ploy. Say you have a different
job schedule and need to go to meetings at different times.
Maybe there's somebody sick in the next Hall that needs your
help - anyhow put in field service reports in the new hall
for several months (or longer, if the secretary in the old hall
is incompetent) - this way your publisher record cards will be
moved to the new hall and you'll be "off the map" where you
used to attend. You may wish to pick a Kingdom Hall burdened
with a lot of trouble, so the elders won't even notice you
disappearing - any hall with a lot of YOUNG PEOPLE probably
will fit that description!
4) Talk to your Witness relatives as if nothing has really changed.
'wasn't that a good Watchtower study article this Sunday?'
'the elders in our new hall are really nice'
'I'm really looking forward to the district convention'
and blah, blah, blah.
5) Finally, Enjoy! Remember that the only purpose of life is
happiness!(if it was anything else coupled with being miserable,
what would be the point?) Investigate gardening, have fun
chatting on the internet, take up painting, read those
books you've always wanted to, start a business, go to college,
rebuild a classic car, go on a world cruise, join a gym,
volunteer to help someone learn to read, play in a sandbox
with your grandkids, blow soapy bubbles in the park, learn to
cook, try Thai food, go to a horse race......
Don't waste the precious currency of your life in a sterile
Watchtower context!
Get out there and LIVE!
metatron (mmmm this chicken satay is really good)