My adventures to the Kingdom Hall

by ColdRedRain 30 Replies latest jw friends

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  ColdRedRain

  My story begins like this. I was missing 2 important peices of mail. One was my credit card, the other was a cell phone I'm getting from a friend. I was going to the kingdom hall because it was on the way to my destination, which was a mountian bike park, just to ask my mom if she handled my mail. I asked 2 girls that were in front the hall if they could get my mom. They looked at me in a very snobbish manner. I then saw people who knew me since I was a little boy treat me as though I was some kind of axe murderer. I just wanted to fetch my mother and I'm treated like I have some kind of fatal, infectious disease. Hell, I wasn't even disfellowshipped. I simply stopped attending.

  It was the most surreal thing I ever saw. You keep on hearing that the religion's a cult and you know it's a cult, but you can't get the full extent of it until you see it. I was actually treated like I didn't exist.

  I was filled with moral outrage. I told the elders how the actions by the people in the congregation further cemented my reasons why I don't believe in the religion.

  They asked to talk to me about why I don't believe in the religion. I gave them my phone number and they're coming this weekend.

  I have a little UN styled suprise for them, if you know what I mean.
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  love2Bworldly

  Can't wait to hear what happens--you are brave!
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  AlmostAtheist

  Hell, I wasn't even disfellowshipped

  I'm sure the elders will correct that for you. ;-)

  I have considered going back just to have the very surreal experience you mention.

  Dave
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  tetrapod.sapien

  you're crazy brave man. do you really want to meet with them? don't you think it may be a bit of a waste of time?

  either way, kudo's to you. give it to 'em!
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  EvilForce

  Bone up on the 586/587 stuff too. Ask them to explain 1914 and 607....Doh!
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  NeonMadman

  I just wanted to fetch my mother and I'm treated like I have some kind of fatal, infectious disease. Hell, I wasn't even disfellowshipped. I simply stopped attending.

  As far as they are concerned, stopping attending IS a fatal, infectious disease which will lead to your death at Armageddon and will infect others unless you are uprooted from the congregation.

  Be very careful this weekend when you meet with the elders; their purpose will certainly be to either restore you as an active member of the congregation or to eliminate you entirely. The latter can be accomplished by either disfellowshipping you (probably for apostasy) or by getting you to disassociate yourself. They will likely ask you whether you believe that the "faithful and discreet slave" class is the one channel that God is using in our day to communicate with mankind. A "no" answer will assure your disfellowshipping as an apostate. Any statement that you no longer consider yourself as a JW or no longer wish to be a JW will be taken as a disassociation. Then there will be pressure on your friends and relatives to shun you. So if you don't want this outcome involving total shunning, watch what you say.
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  EvilForce

  Yes,,,, I would blow them off if you don't want to be cut off from your family.
  
  Also ask youself does it accomplish what you want? If it is to get your family out of the cult, then by getting DF'd will probably backfire. They will simply disregard anything you say. Where as if you are simply "inactive" you can continue your planting the seeds of doubt.
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  Little Red Hen

  I have a little UN styled suprise for them, if you know what I mean.

  Bone up on the 586/587 stuff too.

  Cold Red, toss in the molestation/two witness issue while you're at it.
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  luna2

  I think you're brave too! Eeek! Last thing I want to do is have those guys over here to discuss anything. LOL Good luck trying to get through to them.

  Reading your experience of feeling invisible at the Hall brought to mind a similar experience my boys and I had. I was getting ready to move from IL to CT, had sold my house, said goodbye to all the friends, but was waiting for my parents' house to sell (we were moving to CT together to work in a business my folks had just bought), so ended up moving into their house, which was in another town about 40 min. away. I decided that the kids and I would go to the Circuit Assembly and found out which weekend "our" congregation was assigned to, thinking it would be good seeing everybody one last time.

  It was weird. With only a few exceptions, we were treated like strangers and outsiders. People would say, "I thought you'd moved.", give us a cool glance, and then would walk away. I don't know if they thought we'd faked moving or what, but it was a horrible feeling.
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  GetBusyLiving

  I hate the stupid snotty way they treat people. What a group of dip-shits. I got treated the same way for months after reactivating myself once. I had drifted away and was trying to come back, and it was like pulling teeth trying to hang out with some of them. The only people who would hang out with me were the fringe sitters because the good examples thought they were in some sort of exclusive club, and I didn't know the secret handshake. Idiots that thought they were closer to God than everyone else. lol. I can't even believe I subjected myself to that crap now.

  GBL