Thanks for all the great comments ! I'm glad this thread got bumped up.
JOOKBEARD- It sounds like you went through an awful lot when you were exiting the JW cult. I know what it's like looking down the barrel of 3 elders staring you down at a JC meeting. Been there, done that. It's no walk in the park for sure. I'm glad you got out even though it took you a little while to finally exit the meetings. The main thing is you have your freedom friend. Hope things are going good for you.
FINALLYSOMEPRIDE- I find it an interesting thing when you said you found everyone to be " fake " at the kingdom hall. That is exactly how I felt as well. All these supposed " friends " I knew for years were all condiional friendships based on if I raised my hand and commented at meetings, how much field service time I turned in, or if I was " reaching out " for a position in the congregation. Those conditional " expectations " really drove me nuts. Because I didn't expect ANYTHING from my JW friends ! Yet they did out of me. It was frustrating. I'm glad you are on the board my friend and glad you did some research on your own so you didn't make the fatal mistake of returning to the JW cult.
MRFREEZE- It's perplexing on why the elders keep on bugging you since you told them your stance on the JW cult and their beliefs. All I can think is that your JW relatives are lighting a fire under the elders and badgering the elders to keep on calling on you. I had some nosy JW relatives try to get the elders to mess with me too - until I finally faced down the elders in an appeal JC meeting and told them I'd sue them for slander if they DFed me unjustly. After I won my appeal and they overturned the DFing- I never heard from the elders again. That was almost 4 years ago. Hang in there- you may just have to tell them to not call on you anymore or you'll get them for stalking you !
WILLYLOMAN- Wow. You and your wife really planned your escape from the cult carefully. I'm impressed definitely. You essentially played the " system " that JW's have as you already knew the drill being able to carefully fade. I'm glad the rest of your family exited the cult as well. Like yourself I moved about 80 miles from the area I last attended meetings- but differently than you - I didn't even BOTHER to have the elders send my card to the new area , didn't tell them I was moving , just moved . I just never went to the kingdom hall. The JW's or elders in my area don't even know I exist or was ever a witness. Which I like. It works to my advantage in talking to local JW's here when they come to my door and I try to get them to think and reason on things. They will listen- because they don't see me as a witness.
NICE DREAM- I understand how you felt. I felt that way too. It was impossible to sit at meetings anymore when I knew these guys were full of crap. That's good you stopped answering the door when elders tried contacting you. I had to hang up the phone on one of them, several times. They need to get the message we just don't want to be bothered anymore. Hang in there with your husband. It is harder when most of your family are JW's. Mine are too. He'll come around in time. Be patient with him.
FIFTH OF NOVEMBER- That's good that you could be honest with your mom about your feelings of being atheist. Many of us have JW family members who would rat us out to elders if we said TOO much. Sounds like you have good trust with your mom. I'm glad your life has been happier ! Interesting how that happens once we exit the mind control of JW's.
BUTTERFLYLEIA- Isn't it a relief when we find out the WT society and JW's are a sham just there to make us feel guilty and afraid ? I felt a huge relief like yourself when I realized I wouldn't die at Armageddon- because there was no such thing. I had no more reasons to feel guilt or fear about ANYTHING ! It makes life so much more enjoyable ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
