A Letter of Disassociation

Comment by Psalmbee on 2018-03-10 20:41:59

Wow! That was a very good honest letter. It's amazing how many are awakening and all coming to the same conclusion, it's become like listening to a broken record. We can only hope that these letters and messages are reaching the GB and we have to know that They must be with this "world wide web" available to us. I would most assuredly say that they are taking notice of the "Apostates" taking aim at them the "Apostatutes"!! Yes that is a new word I coined just for them.

• Reply by MarthaMartha on 2018-03-11 07:18:37

  "Apostatutes"
  This is me..... Momentary pause...?
  Realisation...?
  Reaction.... ???

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2018-03-11 10:45:19

  Is that because of all their statutes? Oh, wait a minute... ;)

• Reply by Robert-6512 on 2018-03-11 21:53:39

  Maybe the GB is very astute at being apostate themselves?
  
  ... giving them the benefit of the doubt ...
  
  ... nah, they don't deserve that ...
  
  Yep, they deserve it. You know, if I am not mistaken, I do believe there is a verse in Revelation about a wild beast being ridden by an Apostatute ... hmm ...

Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2018-03-11 07:32:50

Excellent letter. Spot on with the reminders of Jesus compassion, while it covers everything I would want to say.

To be honest, Meliti, I thought you had written it yourself, it was so well put. I hope you will file it somewhere safe, so that if I ever need to formally disassociate, I can refer to it again (yes and probably copy large chunks).
It is amazing how much the JW organisation has changed since I signed up over 40 years ago.
Hi to all in the UK.

• Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2018-03-11 10:50:44

  That's the thing, Leonardo. When I pioneered, back in the early seventies, it wasn't like this. I stopped pioneering after a few years and decided never to do so again, because I knew the hour requirement was both unscriptural and counterproductive to the development of true Christian service, but there were so many positive things back then, that it was possible to overlook the negative and just put it down to human imperfection. But now...
  
  I had a friend ask me what was the basis for the 2012 understanding that the 8 men at headquarters are the faithful slave. I told him they used the miracle of feeding the multitude with the bread and fishes. He responded with astonishment, recognizing how they so blatantly and easily use any unrelated bible account "to prove" whatever doctrine they want to concoct.

  • Reply by Robert-6512 on 2018-03-11 21:47:57

    Yes, Eric, I do believe WT "proves" its doctrines by searching for something they need, and then they say "SEE, it fits". The mere fact that it "fits", or ever *seems* to fit, is all the "proof" they need. And, the mere fact that THEY say it fits is all that the remaining JWs need too. They don't even check to see if it makes sense, much less if it is scriptural.
    
    To make an analogy, suppose you had a jig-saw puzzle, and after putting it together, you find that one of the pieces is missing. You also have other puzzles in other boxes. You convince yourself that "someone" must have put the piece you need in another box, so you search all of them until you find one that fits, and you declare "Ah ha! I figured out the puzzle!" You then walk away, not noticing or caring that the picture on the puzzle piece doesn't match the one on the box.

  • Reply by tyhik on 2018-03-12 02:58:54

    "I told him they used the miracle of feeding the multitude with the bread and fishes."
    
    For a moment I thought you were joking. But it's true. Crazy.

Comment by Robert-6512 on 2018-03-11 15:39:00

I somehow have the sinking feeling that this letter, as well-composed as it was, was probably filed away and never read by the elders it was given to. After all, it's "apostate" by definition (*their* definition, that is).

I have this picture in my mind about the passage in Acts, where Stephen is giving his speech, and his first-century enemies were screaming and holding their ears to prevent them from hearing what Stephen was saying.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century, where the enemies of the truth come in batches of three, in judicial committee back-rooms.

• Reply by Warp Speed on 2018-03-11 18:09:31

  You are right Robert. 98% of the time, the Elders will only "scan" the letter to verify the author of it is leaving the Org. After that it is filed away.
  
  They can't take a chance by reading the words of an "apostate".

• Reply by Psalmbee on 2018-03-11 21:53:31

  When you say elders I agree, but I was thinking more on the line of the legal firm out of NYC, the ones that watch the money. And when you speak of Stephen I can't help but wonder how much torture he went through comparing it on a Christ like level.

• Reply by tyhik on 2018-03-12 03:13:57

  @Robert. Regarding the particular elders not reading this letter, yes, possible. If one chooses not to see, that's his decision and it should be respected. But you never know. Dropping water may wear out the stone. This letter may be just one drop towards that for them. In any case, the letter is up on the net and not lost for others. Neither for the same elders when they would want to take another look at it in the future.
  
  @Eric. In the introduction to your videos you mentioned that you contacted your friends, pointing to the videos, but you got no replies, if I remember correctly. That's not a problem. People may fight the thought of taking a look at the "apostate material" at first, but still come back to it in curiosity in the future. Your friends cannot just make themselves to forget that you informed them.

  • Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2018-03-12 09:24:15

    I had four negative replies out of 175 e-mails sent. I think most choose to ignore, but I hope that some watch and benefit, but perhaps are too scared to take the next step and reach out. Coming out from cult-like control takes time.