Sorry for repeating it if I missed this.
Posted by GregStafford on Sat - Jul 16 - 8:04pm:
In Reply to: About your standing posted by Kenny on Sat - Jul 16 - 07:15am:
I haven't attended meetings for over two years due to the fact that I cannot wholeheartedly support the organization's teachings. So I have withdrawn for the sake of myself and for the sake of those who want to wholeheartedly support the organization.
I have been visited over the past two years by various elders and circuit overseers. We have discussed my position on certain matters, and I was asked to write an explanation of my views regarding blood and the Faithful Slave, which I did. I submitted it to the circuit overseer and I was open and honest, both in person and in writing. I think they could see that I was simply not satisfied with important issues at the present time, for reasons that were reasonable, and so you might say we have agreed to a mutual parting of the ways, for now.
I never heard back from the Society, though some friendly local elders come by now and then to say hello. I assume, and I hope, they know I have not expressed disagreement with the Society for any other reason than that I am concerned, greatly, and that I tried to express that concern, not by anger (which some rightly and perhaps sometimes wrongly have done, or so it seems to me) but by simply telling people about what I knew since that's all I did when I wrote my defense of Jehovah's Witnesses, before. My efforts are an attempt to better things, not make things worse, and while I know they do not necessarily see it that way, they seemed to believe that I do. I say this having been in discussions with circuit overseers and local elders over very sensitive subjects, such as my prior posts to this board with respect to the Faithful Slave's position as one that has risen in some respects to idolatry, whether the friends now it or not (likely, they do not). One elder, who is actually a friend of mine, brought a post from this board, highlighted in key areas, and questioned me about it. I simply explained that I was concerned that the friends were becoming overly dependent, even in awe, of the Faithful Slave. I pointed to the "Slave's" own warnings about such tendencies, but I also noted that the Slave facilitates such dispositions. Again, whether they think so or not.
So, I am not a ministerial servant any longer, that's for sure. But I remain polite and on distantly friendly terms with most of my family, though my former Witness colleagues no longer actively maintain a relationship with me.
Does that help fill in the gaps?
Greg