by Shepherd Book 50 Replies latest jw experiences
Karter, I know your question wasn't directed at me but... I was denied access to any records of mine from the governing body of WTBTS...I was told it was now THEIR personal property! If you know of a way I can get them please let me know..short of filing a lawsuit and obtaining a warrant ordering their release...
Snoozy..
That elder, after much hesitating, explained that we “really weren’t disfellowshipped” but that we were “removed from being Witnesses” and that that’s “pretty much the same thing” as being DF’d.
Wow, Shepherd, you have a whole new catagory devoted to you, it seems. I wonder how many will follow you into these "uncharted waters."
Scully - good point, at least no one's accusing me of child molestation.
Quandry- Yeah, I've never heard of this before. My wife wants to know what the equivalent is for getting back in the good graces (not that I want to)? If you're DF'd, you're supposed to ask to be reinstated. But if you're removed, do you ask to be...re-installed?
I suppose, since you never *asked* to be removed, and the decision to remove you was unilateral on the part of the Elders™, all you would need to do to remedy the "removal" is start going back to Meetings™, as if nothing ever happened.
Since they didn't inform you of their decision to remove you, you could feasibly go back and assume that you could pick up where you left off. That would leave them in quite a pickle, wouldn't it?? After all they basically made defamatory public statements about you, when you were not there to defend yourself and without bothering to notify you at any time of such statements, and they would have to retract those statements if you returned.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"The ________ has launched a vicious new assault on _________ and members of the _______community in the form of a new report that equates skepticism and distrust of government with “a toxic atmosphere of rage,” which is threatening to boil over in the form of violence.
The tone of the _____hit piece basically implies that _______ and his ilk are such a threat to the establishment that they should be removed from society, which ironically is exactly how Hitler dealt with his political enemies.
The true significance of this gargantuan hit piece on _________ and the movement is the fact that the establishment has firmly moved away from ignorance and ridicule and is now directly targeting us for elimination – an effective purge of the undesirables – by implying we want to commit violence and should therfore be neutralized.
The fact that we have constantly urged unity and discouraged division, while promoting a peaceful message of non-violence, has infuriated the increasingly incensed establishment because as their credibility has collapsed, ours has grown in leaps and bounds – and as a result their agenda is beginning to stall.
For the first time, _______ and their cohorts are acknowledging that the grass roots has the power to stop their agenda for ____________ in its tracks. This represents a massive sea change and proves that we are having an important impact, but it also serves as a warning because it’s glaringly obvious that the establishment is now committed to taking us down, either by means of character assassination, set-up, or worse."
http://www.adl.org/special_reports/rage-grows-in-America/default.asp
I guess if they can quietly "remove" you, they can quietly "install" you.
Rub a Dub
As A@G mentioned, it seems that they get away with this type of disassociation. I actually think you do have a decent law case of slander and revealing confidential matters to others. "Decent" is still a roll of the dice, and the price is too high. I would need a lawyer willing to take a cut of the winnings rather than fees up front. As long as the lawyer won't do that, they are not so sure they can win.
Happy to hear that you have moved on with your life. Contact the media and keep moving on.
This is typical of them and I am not surprised. You should expect this from a religion that has reinvented itself so many times inside of a century and is morphing and changing again as we speak, just like an amoeba. Just chalk it up to 'theocratic strategy'. They can say whatever they want and they make the rules up as they go along.
As they see that people are leaving the religion left and right and how they are being seriously exposed on the internet, they are angry and are in a self-defense mode. The positive thing that I see from your experience is how you have proved, once again, that nothing is ever confidential in this religion. What is said to one is repeated to all, either officially or unofficially and who can actually know what was said originally?
Don't expect them to play fair at this point. Just get on with your life and be happy you are out of that sham.
I don't know what can be done after the fact of an announcement on the platform/podium of someone "no longer a Jehovah's Witness."
I've never known of a case of any success if someone tries to do the JC "jitterbug dance" as the committee only wants to "stomp" on you then. My brother knew the game well. So when my brother was called into the committee meeting, he just handed them this from his attorney right then and to our knowledge at least nothing was "announced" on the platform. A few others have done this, this way. And a couple have found with this method, that some JW family members felt they were able to still talk with them some. (Hope this copy's ok here)
charles, smith & bellah
A PROFESSIONAL CO«F*QP*.T!ON
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
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URNELL SMITH f> O BOX IT37 TELEPHONE
kRO»eu.AH OLENOALE , ARIZONA 8S31i ,'SOZ! OJ»- BS *
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B OOf.ECHER
July 15, 1985
James L. Simpson
Body Of Elders
Sun City Kingdom Hall
Surprise
13016 Elm Street
Surprise, Arizona
Dear Mr. Simpson:
I am in receipt of your letter dated July 9, 1985 to Mr. William Minette. He has asked that I represent him in this matter. Further, he has requested that I write you to request any further communications be directed to him at this office through me.
Any efforts to make a pronouncement or take action regarding Mr. Minette's status as a Christian, his moral character or any other statements which may possibly affect his relationship with others will be viewed as a violation of Mr. Minette's constitutional rights, in fact, violation of his First Amendment rights. In addition, we will seek assistance from the Superior Court of Maricopa County or from the United States District Court in Phoenix, Arizona to protect those rights if necessary. In doing so, my client has requested that I seek attorney fees.
In order to avoid this expense and unnecessary action, we ask that any previous statements or comments, that may have been made in regard to Mr. Minette be withdrawn or disclaim as the case may be.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely, |
David Burnell Smith DBS/kpm
My dad was placed into the "limbo" class in the late 1970's.
After 20 years of no progress (elders don't know how to advise, WTS says it's up to the elders) he got back in their good graces by apologizing for any misunderstandings and hung out like a prodigal son at the back of the hall for a few years.
Eventually they let him back in.
Of course, in his case, he wanted back in (for whatever reasons).
