Just wrote my DA letter....

by dubstepped 53 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  bradford

  I did this recently, back in March. I kept it short and sweet. Wrote a letter directly to an elder whom I had respect for as a friend and for being a decent human being. It's not their fault they are captives of a concept the same as we were before we found ttatt.

  I didn't hear anything for a month so I called him and asked him if he received my letter. He said he did and was hoping to discuss it with me. I asked him if he wanted to discuss one on one and he said no, with another elder. I said I wouldn't and he asked me to call the other elder to confirm my letter. They announced it that week.

  
  

  I think they are checking if you are depressed or under stress or something but they almost don't take your word for it when you write a letter which is strange. Maybe it's different elsewhere but that was my experience here in Rhode Island circuit 1.

  I'm not concerned with if I'm playing by their rules or not. I just didn't want to be officially a witness. I formally got baptized and wanted to formally get unbaptized, so to speak.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Closure can be awesome. You have made a great leap.

  So, what's the process? We send our letter to a few elders....

  That's the end of it. Don't worry. You don't have to take their calls and you don't have to do more even if they ask for you to specifically say something in writing. You are done.
• 

  FayeDunaway

  Dubstepped I completely agree with your point of view and what you have decided to do, and I would send them a loving letter as well. So glad your wife is with you. <3

  live guilt free. And as you say, most of them are victims just as we were. So forgive them for what they have taken from your life. But be very proud of yourself for standing up and expressing your voice and using your own brain and congrats and best wishes for you both in living FREE.
• 

  SnakesInTheTower

  Get i notarized, then there is no "doubt" that it was YOU that sent it. Send it to WT HQ Registered Mail...to let YOU know they got it From there, let them figure out where your Publisher Card is located. DF, not DF...announced, not announced.... after you send the letter , who gives a $hit what they think.

  
  you have your freedom... congrats.

  Snakes
  
• 

  Pete Zahut

  I've read some D.A. letters on this site where they mentioned at the end of the letter that if any sort of public announcement is made, there will be legal consequences to deal with. That might be something you could add in order to minimize the outfall somewhat. But I'm with you ....get it over instead of having to sneak around and continue to be under their watchful eyes.
  
• 

  kairos

  I think I might prefer the: "Never contact me again. If you do, I will pursue a restraining order and take legal action against the local body of elderz" approach.
• 

  Sabin

  Hey you gorgeous people, I`m back. Spilled it all to the elderly sis. well she was horrified funny enough not with me but with org. Still she may go report me, but oh well being treated like shit any way. She`s in her 80`s no family in or outside JW`s & no-one bothers to visit her. No shepherding call for years. Typical, anyway she knows nothing about bout the royal commission or how extreme their policies are on D. She said well I must be an apostate 2. I reckon 75% of J dubs don't agree with the crap teachings. What does you think?
• 

  Syme

  @dubstepped,

  I completely share your point of view.

  DA instead of fading may be an extreme solution, but sometimes the extreme solution is the only solution.

  The announcement of the DA will not take long, the policy says it can be done in the very next service meeting. (Only when there's a DFing decision a 7-day space is given, in case one wants to appeal, but in the DA the appeal does not apply, obviously.)
  
• 

  Gemmel

  I wrote that letter 28 years ago, I dropped it off at an elders house, they kept it for a week (to give me the opportunity to withdraw it) then it was read out during the service meeting. I'm reliably informed it was like setting off a bomb.

  You two have made the right decision, it's one I've never regretted even though it cost me my family. It will be hard at first and depending on why you left you will find that it will take time for you to be really free of them. The beliefs they instilled in you as crazy as you intellectually know them to be still have power.

  Take it easy, enjoy life, question everything you believe for why you believe it.

  
  

  Good luck.
  
• 

  Gemmel

  Sorry I mislead in previous post.

  My disassociation from the organisation was announced - they didn't read my letter out.

  Now that would have been great lol