I am a long-time fader with 1-2 friends left. I was trying to find the whereabouts of a certain sister (known to us all) who moved out of the area. So, I did some digging...
I finally tracked down one of her children on Facebook. The FB message I sent was polite and courteous and I also mentioned I was not active in the religion but was inquiring on behalf of other friends who knew the mom and who were wondering what became of her.
Well...I got a short answer... I was told simply that the lady was deceased and the family have moved on...and wished me well.
I then noticed the reply feature was disabled and the person made themselves unsearchable on FB, so I could not send a condolence or ask other questions. I understand fully why they do not want to be bothered and I am sure this is all because of the misery caused by the religion.
When I had a chance to look through their friends list (while they were visible) and saw the children and relatives, I saw people who seemed to have full, happy lives......This was an eye-opener, and I realized how silly it would be for anybody to think they should hold strangers in a religion in higher regard than their own blood relatives.
I thought of myself and how after I began my "fade" I re-established contact with family I had alienated. I am grateful I was able to do this before it was too late!!