Cappy,
Congratulations on breaking away completely free.
I don't know how many of your "supposed" friends cut you off without even allowing for an explanation. It just goes to show how deeply indoctrinated these people are and yet they don't even stop to ask why. Here you spend years with these people sharing laughs, movies, dinners, special moments, etc. and yet they drop your friendship in a matter of seconds. Definitely not worth having as friends. These former friends can reason and justify their actions by believing they are remaining on God's side by shunning yet you have not committed any sins except to refuse their Organization. Therein lies the problem.
The Organization's hold on a member's mind is incredibly powerful. But exactly how does the Organization manage to attain this hold? How can they make a rational person suddenly and without hesitation or so much as a second thought, forget that a person exists?
The Organization manages to attain this by continually bombarding the member and using propaganda techniques, neurolinguistic programming language, and fallacious arguments. But this isn't the only way the Organization manages the complete domination over the member's mind. A rational person would immediately have called you Cappy and asked you if everything was okay and if there was anything they could do for you, etc. and asking you why the sudden decision. That's being rational in a normal friendly relationship. But the hold on the member's mind does not even allow them this much. The text you received from your friend was probably due to him exhibiting some form of normalcy in human relations. A normalcy that transcends the typical JW indoctrinated mind but something that is completely normal for 99% of the world. Or perhaps you shared some memorable moments or were more close to him. Whatever the case may be, he felt the need to reach out even if one last time.
The fact is that although many members today will internally acknowledge that the Organization has had a number of failed prophecies, they won't contemplate those thoughts further. The won't venture into this cognitive dissonance territory as it is much too painful and extremely disturbing. So how exactly does the Organization manage this False Prophet situation?
Read any article, kingdom ministry, tract, magazine, book, etc. meant for internal distribution and review. The second option is to listen to a talk and you'll find the reason. The Organization is quick to deny divine guidance or even being a spokesperson for Jehovah but yet they bombard and overwhelm members with this connection at every chance. Basically they admit it without saying it. All information originating with the Organization comes from Jehovah. Listen to the way the brethren talk and you'll likely hear the following:
"Thanks to Jehovah"
"Coming from Jehovah"
"Jehovah gave"
"Jehovah provided"
"Jehovah was listening"
"I felt Jehovah's hand"
"Jehovah allowed"
"Jehovah permitted"
"We thank Jehovah for that nutritious spiritual food" etc.
In the member's mind they know Jehovah is not magically writing instructions on an iPad being held by a Governing Body member. So the only other divine option is that Jehovah is communicating with the members by Holy Spirit. So in effect, EVERYTHING from the songs to the talks, comes directly from Jehovah. The Organization is Jehovah and Jehovah is the Organization. Hence the name, Jehovah's Witnesses (Rutherford was a brilliant marketing genius). In a member's mind, the bridge linking Jehovah and the Organization has been forged in steel and cognitive dissonance is their safety apparatus. In the member's mind, they identify Jehovah Witnesses with Jehovah with the Governing Body which equals divinity. Simply speaking, you cannot go against God and win (survive Armageddon, divine approval, etc.)
Take care Cappy and *yes, definitely keep your chin up and move on with true friendships and true worship if you choose.
