I dressed up in a hoodie, double layer so that the cameras at the Kingdom Hall couldn't recognize me. I looked in the mirror up and down so I knew that the cameras, at least at the angle that I knew couldn't see my face. I took this disassociation letter, stuck it in the envelope, labeled it, "(congregation's name...BOE" by hand and sealed it. I have to admit. My adrenaline was pumping. If they looked at the camera footage in the morning and noticed my face AT ALL, they would know it was ME. And that would end it all for me. I HAD to get this right. But why was I doing this? It kinda goes back to what one of our posters said a month or so about a mass disassociation pact and I have always felt a need to "get it out of my system."
Besides, if my wife wasn't in, then I would write a real disassociation letter. No, you know what? No I would not. I would wait until it was my turn on the school, or should I say the new meeting whatever it is supposed to be called coming up, and I would take one of those micro video recorders with me to the stage and video record myself saying, "I, (my name), am announcing to the congregation, that I no longer want to be known as a Jehovah's Witnesses. I want to let you know from the horses mouth. This way when you hear an announcement a week or so from now, at least you know it came from me first. Goodbye!" And then exit out the nearest door. And have it all on video - two ways. One video recorder facing me and the other facing the audience for their reaction. I would pause for a second or two, then take both recorders and leave. And I would put it on youtube for all to see.
Anyway, that's my wish. But for now, all I have is this disassociation letter, which has a fake name and a real congregation name somewhere in Chicago that I picked out of random for no reason at all. It ought to have the elders in this congregation scratching their heads for at least a little bit.
I did this at night. And I parked my car a block away from the KH. I walked up to the mail box which is attached to the KH itself and dropped it into it. The camera is at the top of the door facing down. I see exactly what it sees when I'm at the meeting, so I think I'm safe here. It feels really good to get this off of my chest. I just wish I could do it for real. Then I could move on with my life. For all of you that have been able to do so, I am so happy for you, because it is so hard to have a wife who is still in, but I can't break her heart.
Here's a copy of my letter:
Dear Brothers,
This letter is to inform you of my desire to no longer be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was baptized as a Witness in 1987 in what is known as now as the Douglas Park congregation of Chicago. As you know I have been inactive for some time. But since the news coverage of the Royal Commission in Australia of the brothers showing what is truly going on in the organization it is really obvious to me that this is not the organization that Jehovah is using. If you had witnessed the Royal Commission than you would know, but if you didn’t than you wouldn’t. If you view the Royal Commission, then and you see the brothers give their testimony, then do you really think that this is Jehovah’s organization? These brothers lie to the judge right on the stand! You see the lies right then and there. Is that our brotherhood? Evidently it is. I do not want any part of it moving forward any more!
As you know none of this was shown on JW.Org news and of course it wasn’t because it show the organization in a bad light. But the truth becomes rather clear to me, what I had doubts for a long time about, that the organization does not protect the children, but protects the pedophiles instead.
So, take this letter as my official disassociation letter. I no longer want to be known as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I hope my card made it to your Kingdom Hall by now.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXX