YOUR LAST MEETING.........................

by vitty 87 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mamacat

  I don't remember my last regular meeting...it was early 1994 sometime. But, I went to the Memorial in 1996 because my mom begged me and kept telling me how everyone always asked about me. I was about to leave for Germany, so I went. Since I had stopped attending, I had gotten married and had a child; my husband joined the Army.

  My mom never told most people in the congregation about my son, but I didn't know this. So, I walked in to the Hall and I wasn't shunned (never was dunked) ...but everyone did their fake welcomes and wanted to know about this baby I had with me. I told them he was mine, and I guess I satisfied their curiousities because after the Memorial that night no one spoke to me as my mom chattered with everyone in attendance it seemed. My son was crying because he was tired and yet she still kept talking. I was steaming that she never told her 'friends' about her first grandchild and that she didn't get the hint that we needed to go because it was so late.

  I drove her once to the hall a few years later because there were snow flurries and my non-JW dad told her she couldn't take the car out in that weather. She used to drive another older sister to the hall who I had always liked, so I agreed to take them and pick them up, but I did not stay. A few people came out afterwards to say hello to me and see my boys.
• 

  loli

  My last "meeting" was a judicial committee meeting in Sep 1999. I went through the whole situation where my husband committed adultery, confessed the right way, then was expected to forgive him. The elders didn't even acknowledge my "scriptural grounds" for divorce. They were more concerned with the reputation of the congregation (my ex was a local businessman) and the damage to our 10 year old. HMMMM...like he wasn't already being scarred. Anyway, I couldn't play the game anymore. I was totally miserable, my physical and mental health began to suffer. My ex became abusive and would not let me stay home from meetings without a fight. I then began having an affair (BAD IDEA!!!!! Not recommended!) I figured that if I was defiled in his eyes, he'd let me go. Wasn't even easy then. Obviously, I had to submit to a judicial committee meeting where my attitude was defiant. I told them I was not sorry for what I had been involved with. When they sent me oot of the room to pray and consult together, the PO looked at me and said, "Jehovah has already determined whether or not you are forgiven. It is up to us to reveal his decision to you." All the while, I'm thinking to myself, "This is insanity! I don't want to be here! Just DF me so I can get out!" Surprise!!! I was only reproved, what mercy, not DF'd. A light went off in my head at that point. When dirtbags can abuse children and go undisciplined, and I can be completely "unrepentant" and the elders still are deluded in their belief that they have the hot-line to heavenly interpretation of my heart condition, I'm outta here!!!
• 

  Quandry

  I know this is an old thread but was reading it again and thought many new ones might be interested in seeing it.

  I also don't think I was on the forum at the time, and wanted to add my story.

  I don't know the exact date, but it was in 2006. My teen daughter had been disfellowshipped by five "men" who accused her of everything short of 9/11. They had humiliated and demeaned her. Told her she was a liar when she would not admit to fornication after admitting that there was no accusation, witnesses, nor confession of such.

  My husband had already quit going, but my daughter and I sat through a talk stating that elders were like hiding places from the storm, etc. which almost made my blood boil. Then, during the WT study, my daughter showed me a scripture in Rev. and said, "I'm pretty sure they made me read this scripture and applied it to me." It was the one that says "Outside are the dogs, and those disgusting in their filth, and they will burn in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.

  At that point, I told my daughter to get her things. We were leaving. I never looked back.....

  Anyone else?
• 

  keyser soze

  My last meeting was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, 2005. There is absolutely nothing that stands out about it, except that I knew it was going to be my last. There are certain things leading up to it that I remember, such as the last visit of the CO. But that particular meeting was nothing of consequence.
• 

  Quirky1

  Quandry, I'm glad you brought this to light. At first I didn't realise this was such an old thread until I noticed I didn't recognize some of the posters. There is a lot of good stories here.

  My last meeing was February 24th 2008. I knew this was going to be my last one. I would have done it a week earlier but I already had some plans with other congregational members and if I had left prior to it would have raised some red flags.

  It was kinda starnge, something just clicked and all these doors and windows began opening and bells and whistles were going off. I just looked around the hall and seen how dulled everyone appeared. Listening to the same speach from the platform at every meeting. This caused me to research the religion, read COC and "POOF" I woke up, made my decision to leave and did it. No more meetings. No Memorial. nothing religiously or spiritually.

  Then in my search I found this site thru Randy's Freeminds site while looking for support. I've been here since.

  P.S. Thank you JWD and all it's members.
• 

  WTWizard

  My last boasting session was the 2005 REJECT Jesus Party. I went to the "wrong" one, and barely missed seeing people from the congregation I was supposed to have went with. It was not worth going.
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  chickpea

  i cannot remember the last "regular" meeting as it was, like another poster stated, "that inconsequential"... however i did make an effort in '07 to go to memorial, even planned it out to be in another country, and as WTWizard said....it was sooooooooo not worth going.... i hated every droning minute of it, totally disgusted by the sales pitches and further irritated that 2 obnoxious kids kept up a constant bickering

  i stayed to the end but walked out the second it was over, didnt look left or right or try to engage in the small talk..... the one thing i was convinced of was that i was never going back
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  Witness 007

  Don't remember but this year I couldn't force myself to the Memorial I'm tired of pretending I give a damn.
• 

  shamus100

  What a wonderful thread! The stories are so good!

  I decided that I'd had enough - the next MS, shining star, (me!), and I knew the sh*t was going to hit the fan soon because I stopped reporting time and could care less what they said. My last meeting, I just sat there and thought to myself "I can't do this anymore.", and left. I took the weekend off to look for an apartment about 450 kms away in a wonderful town, packed my bags, and that was the end of me. No goodbyes, nothing. Changed my phone number to an unlisted phone number... the end. People were shocked.

  One elder in that town knew me, and was after my address, phone number, etc. I gave him fake ones until one day I saw him from across the way and gave him the finger. I guess he got the hint.

  Many years later, I was invited to a funeral - er, um memorial. I got to the outside, saw those morons filing in in they're cheap suits, cookie-cutter haircuts.... I couldn't bring myself to go in. I went out to Starbucks instead. I am NEVER EVER going back, no matter what.
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  lnunya

  Someone on this thread mentioned that most people here left because of the way they were treated. Not so in my case. Becoming aware of the way scripture was twisted and then wondering if my disagreement was 'my own evil mind' led to the realization that I was spiritually starving to death.
  
  The last meeting I attended was in the mid 90's. I hadn't been to one in a long time and had been dealing with religion induced depression. But it was all I knew, so I decided to give it another try. NOTHING had changed. It was the same regurgitated crap using the same parroting elders (some of which I'm related to). The spiritual famine is devastating. The sadness filtered from the core of my being and was so overwhelming that I couldn't control tears of defeat and hopelessness. I was a sobbing idiot. And I didn't care.
  
  I knew this would be my last meeting. And it was.