Hi
Supposing local elders were to approach me with a view to a 'judicial committee' and subsequent disfellowshipping.
I could say the following:
Law # 1 I believe everything the 'Society' says.
Law # 2 I also believe everything the 'Society' has ever said in the past even when it contradicts Law # 1.
Law # 3 I also believe everything the 'Society' will ever say in the future even when it contradicts Law # 1 and Law # 2
Law # 0 (Zeroth law) I believe Law # 1, 2 and 3 all at the same time.
Please don't disfellowship me.
Or I could say:
If you carry out this action I will take it upon myself to make the local JW's life uncomfortable.
You see I feel that if I was disfellowshipped I would have nothing left to lose in fighting back.
At the moment I don't rock the boat because of my parents and in-laws. With disfellowshipping my contact with them would have to be severely curtailed.
What then to stop me printing out leaflets etc and distributing to the neighbours of every nominal or real JW I know. This could contain information on the child abuse scandal and some of the wackier beliefs of the Borg for example. I know for a fact that when I was still 'in' the last thing I would want is further embarrassment from my neighbours. It was bad enough dressing up in a suit and tie in the summer let alone if I thought my neighbours could read about the innards of the WT religion.
A leaflet drop to homes surrounding the Kingdom Hall could also be effective.
If this was pointed out to the elders would they still go ahead and announce a dissing or would they quietly leave and basically nod and wink to the cong that I have DA'd myself. I could then say that if I hear a whiff about this I would still go ahead with the bad publicity.
You see the more I have been thinking recently, what with the recent no-blood related death in the UK , the Porter child abuse scandal, the NBC item in the US , that maybe the main weapon against the individual members is EMBARRASSMENT.
For myself, brought up in the 'T', I was always embarrassed about my religion. I hated having to stand outside the assembly hall in school, I avoided all conversations about Xmas and birthdays and hated going on the 'service'.
Even as an adult I still never liked it if the subhject of religion came up in public. Now if I was still a JW today , a nominal JW that is, like many many still in, ie not really believing just 'it's what we do' types, then the last thing I would want is somebody popping leaflets through my neighbours doors saying something like
Dear House Holder
Your neighbour Thomas Covenant at Number ........is a member of an organization that believes that..........................
This same organization has recently been in the news because of the ........................... scandals.
Thomas used to believe that organ transplants are cannibalism (see here.....................)
Thomas used to believe that God lived in the Pleaides constellation
Thomas used to believe that tipping a hat to a woman was the work of the Devil (see here............)
Look here for further info.
I recently brought up the Porter paedophile case with my mother and I could tell that deep down she was embarrassed to be part of his religion.
Just thoughts
Thanks
Thomas Covenant