I'll post my comment here for future reference, as i'm not sure if i'll be able to keep track on that disqus account i just created. Feel free to repost your comments here too. here you go:
i am a born-in, baptized jehovah's witness. i never was disfellowshipped, but i stopped attending their meetings because i can no longer believe their doctrines about unhistorical dates (like the destruction of jerusalem in 607, which actually happened in 587/586), their wrong calculations (1914, 1925, 1975 etc.), their inhuman stance on life saving medical treatment (my son would have died if i would have obeyed that rule) and their thought and behaviour control (they tell you how to cut your hair, how to groom, what music and movies to avoid, how to dress, who to be friends with etc. etc.).
so now i am an "inactive" jehovah's witness. i didn't "disassociate" from the JWs because people who leave the faith are treated equally as those who are thrown out. which means, everyone you have ever known, all your friends and family will stop talking to you. it's social suicide if you leave, it's social murder if they disfellowship you. that's the only decision you can make about it.
i decided not to formally leave to still be able to have contact with my family and friends. but they invented another rule: marking. they "marked" me, which means, i'm pretty much treated as if i was disfellowshipped, even though i am not.
jehovah's witnesses are nice people. sadly their minds are controlled by a bunch of lunatics in brooklyn. captives of a concept. if you are in the situation of "studying" their scriptures, do what everyone would do when taking a life-changing decision: look at both sides of the fence.