Elders harassing me

by raven 37 Replies latest jw experiences

  • flipper
    flipper

    RAVEN- I agree with what Sir 82 said in, " What you should do depends on what you want ". Exactly.

    You mentioned that your JW mom is already shunning you. So ask yourself if you are willing to accept that outcome. Only you know how close you are to your mom- or if losing her in your life is something you could handle- or not. It's your decision.

    You could deny, deny, deny that you've done anything wrong but if you told your mom you are living with your boyfriend, the elders are going to keep hounding you until they get an answer. They are really good at NOT recognizing our personal boundaries. As Sir 82 mentioned, they are " trained that way ".

    So as some others have mentioned here like Wolfman and others- if you want them to back off, threaten to get a " cease and desist " order from the police against them or if the harassing phone calls don't stop that you WILL get a restraining order against these local elders and tell them they will be getting a letter from your attorney !

    As Sir 82 said, they may DF you in what's called " absentia " and two elders will either report to you that they've decided to DF you and that you have 7 days to appeal the decision before it's announced. I know this because I went through this same thing back in 2007 ( over 4 years after I stopped attending ) and I too had moved 80 miles from where I used to attend !

    The difference in my situation from yours is that I never admitted to living with my fiancé before I married her - so they had no proof against me. But they still tried to DF me and I appealed the DFing with a threatening lawsuit letter AND I won my appeal ! They did NOT DF me. They called WT legal and WT legal told them to " leave this alone " and they overturned the disfellowshipping.

    So you have to get tough with them. I had to go to an appeal JC meeting with 6 elders and stood my ground claiming innocence. That is key. You have to keep claiming you are innocent. Which may be difficult if you already " confessed " to your JW mom.

    So it's up to you how much you want to hassle with these guys. If your relationship is important with your mom, you can try to appeal, but there are NO guarantees- especially if you've already admitted to it. Or- You could just ignore meeting with them and threaten legal action from the cops and your attorney- the elders MAY back off, or they may NOT back off. Depends on how tough the elder body is or if they're a bunch of pussies. They may hand over the decision to WT legal and then you'll wait another 2 months or so for your answer ! Believe me- it IS that crazy. Been there, done this.

    So you have to ask yourself " how much do I want to emotionally handle "? The water gets deep, it gets rough, it's no walk in the park. The ONLY reason I fought my case was I still wanted to not be DFed so I could talk to my older JW mom, AND still talk to my JW adult daughters to try in time to reach them and get them out of the cult. If I was DFed - none of them would listen to me.

    So I've tried to portray all the options here- good and bad, but bottom line it's your decision, everyone's circumstance is different. Just presenting options and eventualities here. I wish you the best of luck ! We are always here as a support system for you, O.K. ? Take care, and hang in there, Peace out, Mr. Flipper

  • Wasanelder Once
    Wasanelder Once

    Let them kick you out and walk away.

  • Bonsai
    Bonsai

    If your mother is already shunning you then what is the point of getting df'd and letting them off the hook?

    After the announcement people will spread gossip and slander about your immoral life. They will tell each other you left, not because there is something wrong with their religion, but because there was something wrong with you. If you DA and let people know why you are going to DA you can really stick it to them and maintain more dignity. Some people go that route. It may or may not be right for you.

  • JRK
    JRK

    Raven,

    Putting 2 and 2 together, I am betting you mother narked you out to the elders. I do not believe any anonymous tipster did it.

    JK

  • scratchme1010
    scratchme1010

    I echo the others who say to continue ignoring them. However, something to think about is that your mother may continue prolonging the issue. I'd suggest the with your mom you may need to set certain boundaries, maybe after you get DFed. You may (wonderfully) never hear from those elders again, but your mom will remain in your life. It's a different situation with her.

    If the harassment continues, though, you may thing to start documenting it and threat with legal actions if they do not get your refusal to talk to them. They may just want to close their case, but some people (elders included) have no respect for boundaries.

  • Jaidubdub
    Jaidubdub

    Tell then you cant attend but yr lawyer will attend and act on yr behalf...

  • Bonsai
    Bonsai

    Who the hell has the money to let a lawyer shark do the bidding for them? People say go get a lawyer like it's as easy as buying a cola at the five and dime. For those of you who have actually gone this route, how much did it actually cost you? Was the cost worth it?

  • daringhart13
    daringhart13

    PLEASE NOTE:

    You don't have to put up with ANY of this. There are laws in most states that can be invoked....in your case, harassment and stalking.

    Congregation elders are mental midgets. The Watchtower Society sent out several letters to Body of Elders admitting they will distance themselves from elders if they're hit with a lawsuit.

    Go to a lawyer and get them to write a letter stating they will sue the local congregation, as well as the Society if you are contacted ONE more time. (or make a fake one yourself with a fake letterhead)

    They will crap their pants and disappear.

    I never understand why so many people put up with elders. They are NOBODY! Absolute zeros.

    You could also do what I did .....and I was a former long time elder.......if they knock on my door, I come to the door with a gun. You'd be amazed how quickly they leave.

  • TheOldHippie
    TheOldHippie

    "Please meet with us for a judicial committee on August 1st" it was signed by all 3 elders"

    i sincerely doubt they sent a signed letter where they used that phrase. That would be a novelty. Could you copy the part of the letter where that phrase was used?

  • pale.emperor
    pale.emperor

    I've been DF'd for about 2 weeks. I had the same situation as you, one day i had 46 missed calls!!! Not to mention texts, emails and my apartment buzzer going off every 20 mins. I eventually had to turn the buzzer off.

    Stupidly, i went to the judicial and they DF'd me. Im sure there's a clause in the elders guidebook that says something along the lines of "if they turn up to a JC they are recognizing the authority of the body".

    I'd ignore them entirely.

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