Yesterday we went over to a BBQ at the home of one of my husband's coworkers. There was a JW couple (neighbors) there, who we were friends with when we attended their congregation about 6 years ago. They're in the same hall with my in-laws. I never knew the husband well, but always got on pretty good with the wife. (In fact, something that happened to her was one of many catalysts for me to begin questioning WT policy.)
Anyways, I anticipated having a conversation like this, and hadn't decided how to respond, but figured I'd just leave it up to whatever whim inspired me, if she actually asked. Here's how it went:
Dub: "What congregation are you attending now?"
Me: "We don't."
Her: "What do you mean, not any?"
Me: "Nope"
Her: "What HAPPENED?"
Me: "You probably don't want me to answer that..."
Her: "You should come back to ours, it's really nice now, it's totally changed, you wouldn't believe the difference, everybody talks to each other, lots of answering, good attendance."
(At this point I really REALLY wanted to ask her which elders moved out. Ha! But I didn't)
Me: "Yeah, we won't be doing that."
Her: "I'm going to call you, I have to know."
Me: "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."
I really doubt I'll hear from her. They are very active, and it's most likely that she will relay the conversation to her elder husband who will see APOSTATE written all over that conversation, and forbid her from calling me. But you know what? I feel GREAT that I didn't give some non-committal, protect-the-fade answer. I won't pretend to JWs anymore.
