Sent a message to a very good JW friend who must be about 20 now. Here is the message:
"Hiya. Hope your good. :) Missed you lots this past year. Hope youre doing well with everything, your college and guitaring etc. Im doing great these days. Things are going so well with my boyfriend and my uni studies. Exciting. Would love to see you sometime. Remember Im always here if you need me no matter what. :) Love Tim xxx"
Here was the response:
"You gotta stop messaging me Tim. Iv withheld from responding to you with the hope that your persistence would eventually wear out. Obviously I was wrong. I no longer know you Tim. You are not the friend I once had and have no interest in the immoral lifestyle you now lead. You wanted to leave your former life and you have. Leave me behind with it. Youve made your choice now live with the consequences. The door is always open for you to come back to normality. But I think we both know your state of mind on that idea. Peace"
Sound like the kind of thing a Christian would say? Despite a number of things which went through my mind for a response, including his own personal issues, how closed minded he was being, how little he understood my feelings on why I had to leave, how mind controlled he was, and how clearly Unchristian he was acting, i simply decided on the following response:
"Peace. Sorry you feel that way. Ill remove the number. Hope you do well in life. :) x"
If that doesnt heap hot coals on his head so to speak then I dont know what will. Seriously, I dont feel sad or angry with him. I understand that he is just a product of his rather annoying and overbearing religion which I too was a part of at one point. The only thing that saddens me now are the memories and the rather hurtful things he said. I did a lot for this brother and look at the thanks I got. Zippo. I suppose it does annoy me that despite the fact I told him what was happening to me he still chooses to disregard that and see that I am immoral and stubborn and have made my choice to be gay.
What a dumb religion... its not only a joke but its also immoral and extremely Unchristian. How do they not see that? Blows my mind!!! I suppose the most frustrating thing is that I cannot do a thing about it though. The only thing I can do is carry on and as my friend so adequately put it, 'live with the consequences' of leaving which up to now have been AMAZING! What a strange thing to say. Anyway, Im happy!!! I seriously hope he is too but I know that one day the shi* is gonna hit the fan and when it does, I hope he remembers me, me, a person who holds no grudges and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt and tries to understand! Shame I offer that to someone who doesnt appreciate it yet! I hope someday he does!
Tim xxx