I have read the stories of those that have been unceremoniously drummed out of the Watchtower, even though they were making an effort to live quietly, without causing "trouble" by telling their friends and relatives of the WT what they really knew about the true history of the JW's. The WT's claim that they don't disfellowship those that have left the faith, is a vicious lie. It has been disturbing to me and my wife to hear of such good people being ostracized just because they no longer agree with the WT's interpretation of scripture. The WT has often succeeded in destroying family relationships because of the fear they have instilled in their adherents. Even though many JW relatives may want to maintain contact with their disfellowshipped or disassociated family member, fear of being disfellowshipped themselves and allegedly cut off from God prevents them from maintaining a relationship with their family members. Although, when my wife and I were confronted with the same issue in regards to our children, we refused to have any part in shunning them. That stand on our part, at the very least, has caused many in our congregation to view us as "weak" and as "bad association."
Today, my wife pointed out to me something that Ray Franz talked about in his book "Crisis of Conscience." I felt that what he said was so appropriate to what we were discussing these past few days that I had to share it with you. Ray was talking about those individuals that just tried to slip away quietly, in other words, the slow fade. He commented that even these efforts did not always work. On pages370, 371 Ray says: "If efforts to avoid the unwanted confrontation fail, I think there is consolation in knowing that the reason for any family distress and heartache rests on one side only. It is fully and entirely the fruitage of an organizational policy that calls upon its members to report to the elders any expression of dissent, even if by family members, and a policy backed by the threat of expulsion for anyone who fails to treat disassociated or disfellowshipped persons as though they were rejected by God, no matter how sincere and devoted one may know them to be. The religious intolerance that acts as the divisive force, destructive of family oneness and affection, is not mutual therefore. Jesus said that it would be his DISCIPLES who would be handed over to religious judicial bodies for trial, not that THEY would be the ones handing others over to such bodies. He warned that THOSE WHO HELD TRUE TO HIS TEACHINGS would be "betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends," not that THEY would be the ones doing the betraying. As in Jesus' day, so today, the divisive forces comes from one side, one source, a source that equates conscientious disagreement with disloyalty. There is where the real responsibility for the broken family relationships, ruined friendships and the accompanying emotional hurt and distress ultimately rests." ( Matthew 10:17,21; Mark 13:9-12; Luke 21:16)
What the Watchtower has overlooked is that THEY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BETRAYED OTHERS. In their efforts to hide the real truth about the organization they have been forced to expel the "whistleblowers" to prevent the majority of the remaining witnesses to find out the real truth about the WT. So, despite the efforts of the Governing Body to suppress information, they are being exposed more and more. They are only legends in their own minds.
Mr. Shakita