You have got it the wrong way round. Apostates are the ones who claim they know who is "wrong". They don't agree on who is right, but they agree on who is wrong.
Lumping a group of ex-JWs that meet, say on a message board, as all being apostates with singleness of thought is as damaging as lumping all JWs "in good standing" as being deluded hypocritical jerks. Speaking in generalizations does no one any good.
The interesting thing is, I am an "apostate" because JWs have deemed me to be one, not because of any specific action or inaction on my part. Simply leaving an emotionally and spiritually abusive situation because the organization doesn't have any other means to allow a person to leave with dignity, has resulted in my "great apostasy".
I have one JW friend who remains in contact with me. She's the one who TOLD me they were calling me an apostate, and actually ASKED me. I was honest with her and she was satisfied...and she still talks to me. My flesh and blood JW sister is the one spreading the gossip (hmm, isn't that frowned upon?) that has gone from northern Alberta to here in southern B.C. about my great apostasy, based on one communication via letter over a family matter.
What is right? What is wrong? Well, my definition is to put your money where your mouth is. Who in the scenario above, both JWs in good standing, acted with love and in a Christ-like manner? Who didn't? My friend who is not supposed to talk to me and does on rare occasions keep in loose touch with me, or my sister who is ALLOWED on occasion to keep in loose touch with me and chooses not to. My friend who did me the courtesy of at least ASKING me and finding out the truth of the matter, as opposed to my sister (and the 10 or so JWs she told) who spent a good deal of time stabbing my character in the back? Many of those doing the backstabbing have known me for well over 10 years, and are elders and long-time pioneers who really should know better than to spread gossip, even over a disassociated person. It's not upbuilding talk that they're supposed to be promoting. Right?
Wrong is saying you have love and not acting like it. Wrong is treating people like less than human beings in the name of rules. I don't care if you're a Catholic, Protestant, LDS, JW, or Buddhist...if you tell me you treat others with love and Christlike feeling and it's obvious you're not, it's hypocritical.
Oh, and the reason I left? I have a social anxiety disorder and after losing both parents in 6 months to cancer, had a breakdown and couldn't leave the house to buy milk, much less attend meetings. After months of being forgotten (they couldn't be bothered to drop off my magazines, or remember to hook me up by phone for the meetings...and I can count the people on half a hand who called me to see how I was) I decided that this wasn't a loving organization. I had more friendship and concern coming from virtual strangers on the internet from halfway around the world, then from people who had been my friends for 15 years. The elders knew what was going on with me and I had at least one very loving elder advocating on my behalf with the others. I was still marked as bad association for my lack of meeting attendance. Now based on the help offered by the Bible at James 5 with regard to elders and their comfort and solace, is that "right"? Or is it "wrong?" Shepherding calls? I requested two during that time period. They never came.
I've wiped the dust off my feet. There are some sincere and loving JWs and I miss them. There are also a lot of damaging people there as well. I don't miss them.
Now you know a little more about me. Are you going to continue to label me? Are you going to continue to pigeonhole each of us into a lump sum group?
