[Click here for a little history...]
Mission accomplished! My wife and I held off the announcement and were able to attend my BIL's wedding & reception this past weekend. Both of our kiddos were in the wedding party and did a great job as flower girl and ring bearer. They had a blast and made it worth the effort to delay the inevitable. (I might post a pic after we're DF'd.)
We got a call last Thursday that the Appeal Committtee is ready to meet on the 17th. We accepted their verbal invitation with the intent of writing a letter this week that we would not attend and why. (Actually, I think my wife could go through with the appeal and possibly have the ruling overturned, but she's lost interest in pursuing it.) We'll explain our position in truth and sincerity and bid them adieu.
Sure, we could just not show up but, again, most of these elders are men who I believe to be generally good. I'll afford them as much respect as I can - no reason to be ugly. It's the Society and its cult-like control that I detest, not them individually. These elders are just pawns, cogs of the same machine that I was part of (as a MS) just a few years ago. I feel pity for the born-ins.
This week, we'll also be writing friends and family to let them know what's going on in a final appeal to reason and logic. My buddies - who knew we were going to trial for quietly holding dissenting views - will finally hear the whole story and the details of my "doubts", which I'd refused to share with them up to this point. They'll know we're being disfellowshipped for thoughtcrime, one of the main goals of sitting through the kangaroo court.
D-day, from my best guess, will be on the 19th. That'll be our own little independence day. I may even buy fireworks for the kids, a bottle of bubbly for the wife, and cigar for myself.