UPDATE: Question for the Society.

This is an update on the letter that I wrote to the society.  Click here to read the letter.  

Almost a month ago, I sent a letter to the organization, in hopes of further clarification on the trumpets being blown, and the gathering of the chosen ones.  If you haven't read the letter, you can click on the link above, in order that you may follow along.  

Before I explain the events of what happened today, I want to describe my motive for writing the letter in the first place.  I suppose, in the deepest part of me, I was hoping that they would see that the scriptures I am pointing out in the letter show a contradiction as to what we are taught regarding the trumpet blasts, and the gathering.  I wanted to believe that those who claim(society) to worship in spirit & truth(Jo 4:20) would at least consider that what they have been taught is not an accurate representation of what the scriptures teach.  That was what I hoped.  

What I expected, however, was actually much closer to what has happened.  

Typically when a witness writes into the society, and asks a question, the society will reply with a letter trying to elaborate on the teachings.  Sometimes if they feel it necessary to do so, they will also send a copy of the letter to the congregation elders of the one who sent the letter.  This way the elders can determine if the individual is simply needing an adjusted perspective, or if there may be a more serious problem than they were aware of.  This time, in the case of my letter to the organization, the elders got a call from a brother back east in New York, and he suggested they come by and talk to me.  Here is the account... 

Around one thirty in the afternoon my doorbell rang, and it was two elders from my local congregation.  One of them was the Overseer(not what they are called anymore), and one of them was a fairly newly appointed elder of about 2 years.  These were the same ones to whom I spoke with before at the hall regarding the trumpets, and were the ones who suggested I write to the society in the first place.  

I invited them in, and after a brief hello and how you been, they explained to me how a brother from the organization had called them and suggested they come by to talk to me, however they didn't have a copy of the letter.  The overseer asked if I could print one out for him, so I did.  I told them that I was hoping to at least get a letter from the society explaining the clarification of what the letter implied, and they asked if it would really have mattered since I wouldn't accept any answer other than what I was looking for.  I suppose I knew this from the beginning, but as I mentioned earlier, I was hoping they would at least see that there was a contradiction between our teachings and what the scriptures were saying to me.  

As it turns out, the only answer I was going to get, was the same answer I would get if I opened up the Insight books, or read the Watchtower, or any of the other material written by the society, and as I said I pretty much expected that.  I knew the brothers would basically have to tow the line, so to speak, regarding what they were allowed to say or do.  It's almost like listening to robots.  The two brothers gave the same answers that have been told to countless others who are questioning the society  i.e. ...wait for Jehovah, it's his timetable, the Faithful & Discreet slave are the only channel, it's Jehovahs organization, I'm walking a fine line, etc,etc.

They tried to reason with me that by believing other things than what the Faithful and Discreet Slave is supplying,  I was essentially placing myself ABOVE Jesus because his teachings are what the organization is teaching it's members, and to step out of that is a prideful and arrogant attitude.  They tried to reason that if it wasn't for the witnesses I wouldn't even know about God, or the other things contained within the scriptures, and that by leaving the organization I was allowing Satan to enter into my heart and corrupt my way of thinking. 

I know this isn't true, but to them, I was on the verge of apostasy for questioning the society about it's teaching. I felt like the brothers were putting the Watchtowers teachings above what the bible clearly teaches regarding the time the trumpets were blown.     

Regardless of how much I wanted to show them concerning the truth in the scriptures, there is simply no way they would have listened.  It was then I decided that I would tell them about my blog here.

They had mentioned that if I didn't want to be a witness anymore that I could write a letter, and disassociate myself, but other than that there was no reason for a judicial committee to be formed.  Of course I wanted to be a witness still, but in my heart I could not teach that 1914 was the beginning of Gods kingdom when the scriptures were teaching that the seventh trumpet doesn't blow until AFTER the Great Tribulation.

This was all based on the fact that they did not know I was writing this blog.  I decided it was important for them to know that I would teach the scriptures based on what the scriptures teach, and that I have a blog that is going to do so.  That's when everything changed.

As soon as I mentioned the blog they asked if there was anything that was contrary to what the slave taught, and I said there was.  They then said it would be easier if I did write a letter disassociating myself, because now a judicial committee would be formed and the matter would be taken care of swiftly.  They asked if I would write a letter, and I said probably not, as it's their formality not mine.  And so there you have it.  I will be disfellowshipped shortly as an apostate of Jehovah in their minds, and yet all I want from the bottom of my heart is to worship in spirit & TRUTH as I love Jehovah.

I knew from the beginning when I sent the letter that this would be the final outcome, so I wasn't surprised.

Am I glad I wrote the letter?  Absolutely!!!  I know Jehovah understands me better than I do, and knows my heart, and how much I love him and want to serve him eternally.  Because I know this, I was willing to accept any outcome from writing it.  Jesus said to not even be touching the unclean thing, and now, by writing the letter, I am separating myself from the unclean teachings of the society, and looking forward to what is to come.  What a pleasure it is to put complete and ultimate trust in our wonderful God Jehovah, and his exemplary son, Jesus Christ.

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UPDATE to the UPDATE  9/9/2012

This morning I received a call from the older elder, and he left a message asking if they could meet with me regarding the recent meeting we had.  It was essentially to tell me they would be moving forward, and that the committee had been formed to establish whether apostasy had been committed by myself.  They knew about the blog because I had told them, so obviously the next step was my disfellowshipping from the organization.

I thought to myself about the many times I saw one of the elders approach the pulpit during the Tuesday night meetings, and with little emotion say that "so and so has been disfellowshipped, and is no longer one of Jehovahs Witnesses".  Short, and not so sweet you could say.

I began to question whether I really wanted to let them kick me out, or if I would rather use this opportunity to give one last witness, albeit a short one, in a disassociation letter that I had initially declined to write.  The outcome was going to be the same either way, whether I let them meet up in a committee to disfellowship me, or wrote a letter disassociating myself, I was still gonna be out.  I decided on the latter.

I wanted to say so much in the letter, but I knew it would be pointless, for the brothers could care less why I was going to disassociate myself.  It would have been a waste of ink to try one last time and convince them of the errors they believed as truth.  That only left me one option really, and it is always the best one anyways, which is to use scriptures to make your point.  Therefore, I prayed and asked Jehovah if it was arrogant, or prideful for me to make the point I was going to make.

So I decided to type up two different letters.  One with the scriptures, and one without, to see how I felt once I read them.  As soon as I read the one with scriptures I knew that was the one I would give to the brothers, for it accomplished more in the few verses, on why I was separating myself, than I ever could have done trying to explain to them something they would hardly read.

This was what I put in the letter:

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(2Co 6:14-18) “. . .Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be′li·al? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God; just as God said: “I shall reside among them and walk among [them], and I shall be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 “‘Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take YOU in.’” 18 “‘And I shall be a father to YOU, and YOU will be sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah the Almighty.””

I am separating myself from the Christian Congregation of Jehovahs Witnesses

 C. H.

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I gave it to the elder, he looked at it, read the scriptures, and asked if this was how I felt.  I told him I felt the Watchtower Society was an Idol.  And that was that, they said if I ever wanted to come back to come talk to the elders first, shook my hand and left.  On the way out the elder slammed my door.  Perhaps it was his way of thinking he was dusting off his feet, and/or that the door was now shut into the organization.  Who knows, either way it's done, and at least in this way Gods word was able to make a point that I would have never been able to make on my own.

I am so thankful that Jehovah has been patient with me.  It took me twenty two years to come to this point, and I am closer to Jehovah than I have ever been.  I am grateful for the courage that Jehovah has provided through his son Jesus Christ, and giving me this opportunity to show my love for him.  How blessed we truly are...