In regards to the following letter, that Mad Apostate posted last week:
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My niece took this letter to her attorney, and he made the following suggestions:
1. Where your address is referred to, put your actual address, and work address, if applicable. Also the address of the congregation, when referenced.
2. Name all elders in the congregation, at the appropriate place.
3. Refer to previous visits by elders, very specifically: dates, names, etc.
4. In the paragraph about "if an announcement is made about disassociation or disfellowshipping": Say this: ".........announcement, or written statment is circulated, it will be considered a slanderous statement, a defamation of my character, meant to alienate me from my family, children, and friends.
5. Send the letter by registered mail, AND regular mail to any elder.He said you CAN sue them if they proceed.Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)
"No one can take advantage of you, without your permission." Ann Landers
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To Whom It May Concern: Your harassing inquiries into our personal affairs are not welcomed, and any further attempts at such will result in legal action against the individual harassers, the --City--, --State-- Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc., and all associated Watchower legal entities. To the best of our recollection, we have not participated in Field Service in approximately __ months, have attended no Meetings in approximately __ months, nor have we participated in any other activities which would specifically identify us as Jehovah's Witnesses during the same time period. Based on these, and other facts, it is our position that the Watchtower organization has no legal right to inquire into our personal affairs, nor does it have the legal right to take any organizational action which would become public knowledge. Nothing communicated previously, nor in this letter, nor any personal actions, are intended to be, nor should be construed as constituting what the Watchtower organization labels as "Disassociation".If any public announcement is made by the Watchtower organization that we have chosen to "Disassociate" ourselves, or that we have been "Disfellowshipped", then we will proceed with legal action against the individual Elders, the --City--, --State-- Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc., and all associated Watchtower legal entities. Hereafter, no agent or other representative of the Watchtower organization has permission to enter onto our residential property, nor communicate with us via telephone or email. Trespassers will be subject to criminal prosecution and civil liability. If further communication is deemed necessary, please limit such to written letter transmitted via mail service. Such communication is not solicited, and we reserve the right to proceed with legal action if such communication violates our legal rights. Respectfully, ________________________________
Joe Blow________________________________
Jolene Blow
***************************************Joe Blow________________________________
Jolene Blow
My niece took this letter to her attorney, and he made the following suggestions:
1. Where your address is referred to, put your actual address, and work address, if applicable. Also the address of the congregation, when referenced.
2. Name all elders in the congregation, at the appropriate place.
3. Refer to previous visits by elders, very specifically: dates, names, etc.
4. In the paragraph about "if an announcement is made about disassociation or disfellowshipping": Say this: ".........announcement, or written statment is circulated, it will be considered a slanderous statement, a defamation of my character, meant to alienate me from my family, children, and friends.
5. Send the letter by registered mail, AND regular mail to any elder.He said you CAN sue them if they proceed.Marilyn (a.k.a. Mulan)
"No one can take advantage of you, without your permission." Ann Landers