From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much for your strength and courage during a most difficult time.
((((((HUGS))))))
Now you can really begin to LIVE, and put all of this unhappiness behind you. We all know that you will have a period of adjustment, which will no doubt be troublesome to you. But, you have been very brave in the face of the ENEMY, and you can always remember how they behaved to the very end!
When I had sex the very first time in my life I was 21 years old. I had been a faithful little Christian JDub since I was thirteen. On my own, I called an Elder and told him that I'd made a mistake in judgement, and the next thing I know I am called into to a meeting before several Elders. My thread here, entitled, "How I Survived the Hearing to Disfellowship Me", describes how I was abused.
At the time, even then, I knew that they had "abused me inappropriately in the nature of the explicit sexual inquiries". After the meeting, they advised me I was disfellowshipped and that I was not to discuss with anyone what went on at the hearing.
I went right home and confided in my mother. She promptly told me that I must have "misunderstood" them, as no brother would ever speak to a young sister like that. I had no one to help me. I had made a mistake and had sought out the Elders for help. In order to set an example to the other young ones in the congregation, I was used to "show what happens" to one who "disobeys God's law".
During my teenage years, I was told I could only be in the company of baptised brothers, and that they would never do anything inappropriate to me. What a laugh. Many times, I had to fight a brother off me....boys who tried to take my clothes off, and force themselves upon me! I was shocked. I told my mother....she didn't believe me. It was so true and so difficult to try to remain a good chaste Christian girl and not date guys that were "in the world". After several years of this "double standard" of behavior among JW teens, I began a relationship with a worldly guy and gave in to him.
We had a "situation" in our congregation with certain ones. Most of us knew which ones to stay clear of. I don't know if they were Pedofiles, but they probably were. We were just told to be discrete and keep our mouths shut and wait on Jehovah. (This was also the way the congregations dealt with any sister who was being physically abused by her husband.)
I am so sad for all the ones that have had to silently keep these "secrets" and that the WTBTS protected such individuals, causing great emotionally harm and even disfellowshipping of the innocent. Is this what the creator wants? We all know the answer to that, except the WTBTS. They will hold to their lies even as they sink beneath the waves of humanitarian justice.
What goes around, comes around. We all need to speak up and speak out. Finally, our time has come.
Love and Light,
Sentinel
