Leaving Christendom for the Kingdumb Hall

by gone for good 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  gone for good

  Most of us old timers left behind a stable, respected, religious heritage in our disillusioned haste to join a stupid cult.

  As I recall, there was no rite of dissociation required - no reason offered to your church, no resignation required - it was a non-event from the dubs viewpoint.

  What was your experience? Were you expected to do or say anything as you abandoned your spiritual heritage to become a drone in the Watchtower hive?

  I ask this as I have an interest in the process and legal aspects of leaving a religion - I'll post some more later.
  
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  stillin

  They definitely required that I go to my old church and tell them that I was no longer a member. This was to make a clear statement that I was getting out of Babylon the Great. Maybe they don't take such a hard line anymore.
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  the comet

  My mother and father were both raised Catholics, and my mom told me when they became witnesses they had to write a letter to the church to disassociate themselves. I was also baptized a Catholic as a infant, my parents converted when I was about 3, so maybe I'm still counted as a Catholic?
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  FayeDunaway

  It was the witnesses that required you write a statement to your old church...to completely 'wash hands clean' of ones former religion. The churches usually do not/did not require this of people leaving, and certainly not have new members write a letter to their old church.

  This kind of action is 'needed' because of the vitriol witnesses have towards other churches.
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  HeyThere

  When I became an unbaptized publisher, I was instructed to write a disassociation letter to a church I had attended as a kid. Which was very weird to me. I almost forgot about this, but it was another thing that made me question the religion. Just...weird. then the sister I studied with kept asking me if I had written said letter. I never did, such a stupid thing.
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  ToesUp

  Unfortunately, we were born ins. We were raised by wonderful families but have alot of resentment because of being born ins. We talk alot about what it is that attracts people to this cult. If we had a choice we wouldn't have chosen to associate with these bat s*** crazy people. I think we were just drug along by our hair. We always felt like something just didn't feel quite right.
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  OUTLAW

  If we had a choice we wouldn't have chosen to associate with these bat s*** crazy people. I think we were just drug along by our hair. We always felt like something just didn't feel quite right.....ToesUp

  
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  gone for good

  Interesting that some of you remember being told, or at least encouraged to take this action.

  Was any reference from cult publications ever shown as to why this might be necessary? or just JW puffery?
  
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  Giordano

  Gone for good................puffery at the least.

  Here's a comprehensive look at leaving a church:

  http://church-discipline.blogspot.com/search/label/JW
  
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  Gone and forgotten

  I was required to track down which church I supposedly belonged to. I had only been there once to attend my mother's wedding. I was also told if I was registered to vote, I had to withdraw that as well.