by varian 40 Replies latest jw friends
Varian,
At this point the only benefit you may receive from this visit is that you will be able to vent...anything you say will have zero impact on what happened then or what will happen in the future. After 8 years all they will want to do is to encourage you to come back and offer to pray with you...So if it will make you feel better, just let them have it and it may be another 8 years before they return!
Just remember that they won't see themselves as coming to answer your questions.
They are coming to get your answers to their questions.
The main thing for them is whether you believe the WTS is Jehovah's only channel/organization and what you will do to serve it.
Varian,
If you decide you want to meet with them, tell them that you left and do not want to return because:
1. You never felt any real love within the congregation
2. You felt that the elders did not care for you as a person, but only as someone to count as a member
3. You felt that the elders were only interested in gathering power and prestige for themselves - and not the interests of their flock.
4. You realized that everything was centered around two things: Watchtower's control of everyone's lives and MORE DONATIONS.
5. The whole concept of door-to-door field service has become a farce and that counting hours has become dishonest and of no value.
6. The meetings are so boring and structured. The Watchtower studies recycle the same information on a seasonal basis. Books are not worth the paper they are written on.
7. You've finally realized that the Watchtower is first and foremost a publishing corporation. To maintain its tax free status and to eliminate government oversight, they've wrapped themselves in a bogus religious theology.
jv
Every year, about the time of the memorial, the BOE discusses inactive/ disfellowshipped one in their territory and decide who might "benefit" from a visit, and who is going to do it. Its standard OP.
Normally, I would say dont bother meeting with them. However, it sounds like, psychologically, it will do you some good. Beware not to be dragged in though.
Enjoy.
Memorial Season!
They twist things. Be careful.
Only speak with them if you're comfortable with being labeled an apostate.
Simply being disfellowshipped is much different than being an apostate.
Simply being disfellowshipped is much different than being an apostate.
That's an interesting statement, leavingwt.
Please can you expand on it, for those of us who don't know? In what way are they treated differently?
Those words apostasy and apostate and intriguing in themselves. As someone very well versed in much Christian (of "Christendom, in JW terms) theology, I was hardly aware of them. Heretic, yes. Apostate, no.
Basically, as I see it, JW Apostates are people who think for themselves and are no longer taken in by the WT's twisting of tuth, right down to the extent of calling themselves "the Truth".
jean-luc-picard: Every year, about the time of the memorial, the BOE discusses inactive/ disfellowshipped one in their territory and decide who might "benefit" from a visit, and who is going to do it. Its standard OP.
If you were NOT already DFd, then I would be conderned what it is all about. However since you are already DFd, Jean Luc is exactly on the mark! They are supposed to call on DFd persons in their territory EVERY YEAR!
If you need to get some stuff off of your chest, go for it. Just remember, it will "go in one ear and out the other" unless you present something that really gets one of them thinking. If you want to have some real impact, you might plan ahead some on what too say. Being too extreme will just cause them to "tune out".
LeavingWT: Simply being disfellowshipped is much different than being an apostate.
LWT is right. Someone DFd is typically looked upon as "weak" -- someone who erred long ago and never made the effort to return to God's People. An "apostate" is a wicked, mentally diseased person.
Doc
I believe the direction from the flock book is that there is no need to visit "active apostates" or something like that. They don't want their elders exposed to vile scum like us.
