Then (1960) and now (2013)

theron ware

I was raised as a JW from the age of 7. I was DF'd for apostasy in 1971 at the age of 23. It has been 42 years since I have had contact with any Jehovah's Witnesses, including my family.

Last year I moved to Tucson. When I read that a District Assembly was coming to town, and that it would be at the Convention Center only minutes from my house, I decided to check it out. I was particularly interested in hearing the talk "Beware of Apostates" and I was hoping to meet fellow apostates. I listened to the talk (nothing new in 42 years as far as I could tell). But the good news is that I ran into a crowd of protesters outside the Convention Center.

To make a long story short, one of the protesters (known as AuntBea on this site) lent me a sign which I happily held for two hours. Of course no one paid it any attention, but I felt good doing it. The smile on my face (see the picture below) is genuine.

Below are two pictures. The first was taken in 1960 at a circuit assembly in Bronx NY, where I grew up. I'm the 12-year old boy on the left. My younger brother (still a Witness as far as I know) is on the right. My mother is standing between us. The kid in the middle is Mark Palo, our childhood friend, who made quite a splash when he revealed having been molested as a boy during visits to Bethel.

The second photo (taken by AuntBea) is of me holding sign with quite a different message!

jgnat

Wahoo! All that clapboard holding carried you in good stead.

Over forty years with no contact from your family. That is awful.

Julia Orwell

Wow you've hardly changed at all! The apostate life must preserve a person's looks.

Satanus

Long time, 40 yrs.

There are 2 kids to the left. Are you the one w the glasses? I notice that you wear them, now. You look happier now.

S

cantleave

Brilliant

Pickler

I love it! You look pretty young....a walking advertisement for apostacy, good for you!

theron ware

@satanus. That's me on the left, Mark Palo (with the glasses) in the middle, and my younger brother Bob on the right.

@Julia Orwell and @Pickler. You can't see my wrinkles at this distance.

LoisLane looking for Superman

Theron Ware, Hello I am glad you posted.

I was looking at FB, looking for JW's I grew up with and that I knew left long ago like you. They all seem hale and hardy from what I could tell. The ones I found, were out, along with other family members, so they were not alone. Forty two years without contact with your family. (((((Hugs))))) That has got to hurt.

If you feel comfortable to share with us, how have you been? How have you replaced family and old friends? If you have children and grandchildren, how did you deal with that one?

I hope you have been well and that you are happy for living a good life away from the Watch Tower. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I had been DFed and left the Organization back in 1971 like you. I would have been happier and would have felt I had lived a fulfilled life. Instead, I learned TTATT (the truth about the truth) just one year ago. I am now 64.

Just Lois

T D Joseph

It is an interesting situation JWs never foresaw--Number of them is dwindling, and number of "apostates" who return to the truth are increasing!

Thank you for that picture

AuntBee

I just wanted to throw in my two cents on theron ware, as he seems pretty modest and unassuming. Theron has had a brilliant career in two different fields, and has more than one published work-related book. I was beyond impressed that he achieved all of this with no family/parent support whatsoever, the trauma of shunning, etc. Not only that, he's a good conversationalist who doesn't talk down to an average Joe(sephine) like me! A really great guy, it made my day to meet him.

Then (1960) and now (2013)

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