by bluesapphire 28 Replies latest jw friends
Reading your post really makes me upset at all the legalism and hurt the WT has caused. I feel so ashamed of my past as a JW Elder and the committees I served on.................
"And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not." Jesus Christ (John 12:47 KJV)
Blue,
You are the heroine of the day...and rightly so. I am so proud of you. Keep us informed,
HUGS
Sunny
Escargo, I have done things I'm ashamed of too. You can only go from today. Chin up.
minds are like parachutes--they only function when open.
Hi Blue, You are doing what I have been doing and it truly is empowering. Without a "victim" to shun, and their "enablers" who obey the rule of shunning, the Watchtower's is unable to perpetrate and bully those who choose not to follow their mean-spirited rules.
Thanks for all of your replies. I am inspired by Joelbear and plan on calling all my old friends too this week -- one by one. It should be fun!
IN YOUR FACE, WATCHTOWER!
More power to you, gal.
It's like I've told the elders and anyone else that ever brought it up: "When you disfellowshipped me, you removed yourselves from having any authority over me." And from that day on, that is how I conducted myself.
LoneWolf
Great Blue,
Although I'm not a JW, and not being "shunned" per say, my JW friend is certainly trying to distance himself.. I send him emails all the time, stop over to visit him, etc.. etc.. etc..
He's now trying to get me to acknoledge that "He is sooo busy, he has no time".. I don't even acknoledge his words, just ignore them and keep on talking to him..
He hasn't emailed me back or called me in about 1 month now, and the last time I stopped over he wasn't home.. I guess it's about time to pay my friend a visit again.. I told him a while back that I don't walk away from my friends, even if they act insensitive to me... After all, I forgive him :-) <ooh, that got him going, I FORGIVE HIM.. He didn't like those words!!!>
Then I told him how he could stop me from talking/seeing him, all he to do would be to tell me that is what he wants.. Of course, he hasn't done so yet, so I go about seeing him as if everything is still normal in the friendship.. I have even told him the more he tries to distance himself the more love I will show him..
I even make attempts to speak to his Fiancee, and ask how she is doing all the time.. I keep telling him what kind of a friend would I be if I wasn't interested in becoming friends with his future wife? If she makes you happy, then she is a friend of mine...
Oddly enough, he seems more uncomfortable around me now than I was around him.. You do have to learn to ignore the 'under the breath' comments of his parents, however.. When they start talking under their breath or making remarks while I'm there visiting him, I always manage to say something really nice to them... When I stop over next time, I bought a "Tranquility Rock Fountain" for his parents, since they just added an addition to their house.. I figured that would leave them semi-speechless for the next visit.. Well worth the $20 investment :-)
So, just ignore their shunning, and it gets easier everytime you do it.. In fact, after a short while, it feels almost fun, as you get to watch them squirm, all the while having an honest smile and feeling of love in your heart for them!!!!
It's a wonderful feeling, once you learn to get over the initial "push" of them trying to make you feel uncomfortable... Now they really don't try as hard as they used to, because they know that everytime they do or say something to insult me, I do something really nice or kind for them... !!!!
Go BLUE!!!!! Good Job!!! You are an inspiration to us all!!!!
Hi MegaDude,
You said:
"Love Jehovah's Witnesses. It drives 'em crazy."
Yep, it sure does.. I wonder if that's because they start to see 'real Christian love' and when they look at their own illusion of love, they begin to realize something isn't quite right?
I can't find the article due to my out of date WT library, but the org is very put out by large gatherings of disfellowshipped persons congregating and chatting after meetings.
(One congregation had a large no. of disfellowshipped persons who would talk to their witness relatives after each meeting)
Of course if they stopped people doing that, particularly at "public" sunday meetings, there charitable status would be on very dodgey ground.
Maybe at the next apost fest, we should all go to the sunday meeting together and stay after, chatting and enjoying one anothers association. (before going to the pub obviously)
Bluesapphire,
I agree with sunny - you are my hero!
You have big brass ones - at least bigger than those of the elder who folded under social pressure rather than reveal the asshole he really is.
A great story! You are terriffic!
