I'm so proud to say that the last meeting I ever went to was the thursday night meeting. It was last summer, and the only reason I was there was to hear the announcement of my and my wife's disassociation. I just had to go hear these beautiful words spoken: "Chris Shepherd is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses" and "Beverly Shepherd is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses".
I suffered through the entire meeting. I was in cargo shorts, a sleeveless t-shirt, and was wearing all four of my ear rings All of my glorius tattoos were plainly visible. I had a wicked cool goatee going on. People didn't recogenize me at all! I had several people I knew come to where I was sitting and offer me songbooks and bibles, and acted like I was an interested worldy person. That was a bit chilling to me. Shit, they didn't regognise me when I was attending their hall. Now, with my 'new personality' reflected in my new looks, and a glare on my face as I eyeballed the elder making the wonderful announcement, I stared him down when he made eye contact with me.
He looked away quickly. I guess they don't get many people DA'ing around here, so the elder was visibly nervous up on his platform. When I had pulled this elder into the back room a week before he seemed genuinly bewildered that we both wanted to DA. He kept asking me "why do you want to leave Jehovah?" .He kept wanting to know why and each time I said firmly "Well, our reasons for leaving are in the letter I just handed you. If you want to know why then Read. The. Letter.
The following is a copy of the DA letter I handed them...
Letter of Disassociation
This letter may only be read publicly provided that it is read in its entirety.
Attention: Body of Elders
Gentlemen,
I, Christopher Ryan Shepherd, do hereby make the following declarations:
• The Governing Body of Jehovah’s witnesses are not God’s channel of communication to men, and are in fact the head of a mind controlling CULT.
• The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society teaches doctrines contrary to Bible.
1. Disfellowshipping/Shunning
2. OK to use blood fractions but not whole blood (Acts 15:29-“…keep abstaining from…blood…”)
3. Child baptism (Jesus was 30) If you ask youths to wait until they’re past the “Bloom of youth” before marriage, why is it ok to baptize children? Children shouldn’t be pressured into such a big commitment…
4. Demonizing independent or critical thinking. (insisting a person accept what the Watchtower and Governing Body teach without question and not do any independent thinking or else be disfellowshipped for ‘apostasy’). That is MIND CONTROL
5. The list could go on and on.
• Jesus Christ did not start his heavenly rule on the erroneous date of 1914; Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586, not 607 (The Governing Body has to cling to the false 607 date despite the fact that all the evidence says 607 is wrong and 586 is right, in order for their beliefs concerning 1914 to work). That, gentlemen, is not the way of Truth.
• The Governing Body, Writing Committee, Teaching Committee are false prophets.
• The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society was a United Nations NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) from 1991 until 2001. It is well documented. I can provide irrefutable proof if you wish to see it. In order to be an NGO affiliated with the UN, you have to sign documents pledging that you support and approve of and will uphold the UN’s charter. The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society therefore co-mingled with Jehovah’s arch enemy. For that reason, the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society and Governing Body cannot be approved by God, or his son. 1Corinthians 10:21 states “You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of “the table of Jehovah” and the table of demons.”
I therefore declare my separation and withdrawal from said Watchtower Bible & Tract Society in light of the following statement from the AWAKE! magazine: “No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family" - July 2009 Awake p29 ‘Is it Wrong to Change Your Religion?’
I’ve had to choose between by beliefs and my family and friends thanks to your cruel and unscriptural teachings. For some inconceivable and ridiculous reason, the statement quoted from the AWAKE! does not apply to Jehovah’s Witnesses unless they want to suffer the consequences; being permanently cut off from Witness family members and friends.
I find that to be hypocritical, a man-made policy, and unscriptural. Therefore I declare the authority of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society and the Governing Body, as well as any of its representatives hereby broken and shall forever be null and void with respect to me.
The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society and Jehovah's Witnesses are also notified that no official visits, telephone calls (except to notify me of the date that the announcement will be made) , or correspondence of any kind is to be made; any attempt to do so shall be considered trespassing or harassment and will be dealt with legally.
The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society and its representatives are further forbidden to disfellowship me or slander my name or person in any way. I am disassociating myself, and expect this to be accomplished by the book. I have the right to leave the Organization on my terms. If I find out that my good name has been slandered in any way, or that I have been disfellowshipped rather than disassociated the matter will be dealt with legally.
Finally, I declare myself free to serve my Creator, if He even exists, according to the dictates of my own conscience, observing the counsel of the Holy Scriptures, or any book I see fit to read, according to the guarantees of the Constitution of The United States of America.
Effective immediately I, Christopher Ryan Shepherd, am no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ryan Shepherd.
xxx-xxx-xxxx *
............................................................... Date ……………………………………………….
* (This number is not to be shared or published. It may only be used to notify me of the date the announcement of my disassociation is to be made)
