Hi S4,
I was at Bethel at the time but was not disfellowshipped then. Although I had close connections with Franz and Dunlap, evidently no one testified against me. I knew them both well, though (still know Ray, Ed died a few years ago). In fact, I knew all the people who were disfellowshipped at the time. Most were close personal friends. We left Bethel in June of 1980 and tried to slip away unnoticed, but were ultimately unable to do so.
In 1982, the elders of the Lancaster, PA congregation (where we had moved) called me into a meeting. It was not a judicial hearing, they said. There were no charges filed, and no witnesses to any wrongdoing. They just wanted some information. They asked if I had any doubts about WT teaching. I said that to my knowledge, all thinking people had doubts about something. I always had and probably always would. They were on a fishing expedition, so they questioned me for about an hour and a half, but since they had no idea what "apostate" concepts had been bandied about at Bethel, they had no idea what to ask, and I wasn't about to help them by volunteering anything. The meeting ended with nothing resolved. By that weekend everyone in the congregation knew we were "doubters". (One of the elders' wives had told my brother-in-law's wife about it, and I presume that others had gossiped as well.)
The elders called us into another meeting about two weeks later. Since it had become "common knowledge" that I had doubts, they had to take action. I said that prior to the meeting no one had any idea that we had any doubts, so they must have been responsible for that. They said it was not their concern how it came to be common knowledge, now that it was, they had no choice but to take action. They asked me if my (unspecified) doubts had been resolved. I replied that nothing had changed in the past two weeks, why should it? The meeting ended after five or ten minutes. On the way out of the room, the presiding elder turned and asked my wife if she agreed with me about most religious matters. She replied "Yes". (They had not asked her even one other question at either of the two meetings.) So they left, and returned. They said we had left them with "no choice" but to disfellowship both of us.
That was the end of our JW career. We went out for pizza and beer after the meeting. They did not join us.
Regarding the show, thanks for your positive comments. I guess I was glad to be able to show viewers that I have no hatred or bitterness toward my former companions in my life's journey. I also wished the questions had been more about my journey, rather than about what JWs believe and why. BTW, if you ever decide to revisit your choice to be atheists, let me know. We could have some lively discussions.
Tom
