XXXXX Cong. Of Jehovah's Witnesses
XXXXX Rd.
XXXXX

To the Body of Elders:

I have done a tremendous amount of thinking and soul searching before writing this letter. Although I agree with many Biblical teachings that this organization adheres to, I have a great disagreement with the manner in which the WBTS conducts itself in a number of areas. My main focus is on the treatment of baptized members who make mistakes that may reflect imperfection in the organization (sex outside of marriage, dishonesty, lying and stealing to name the main ones). I am of course not condoning these things but the fact is these things happen to everyone sometime in their lives even those who believe they are Godly. A far greater sin than any of these is the practice of disfellowshipping. The WBTS makes no apology for the thousands of individuals whose lives were made a nightmare because family members and close friends could not have anything to do with them for fear that they may lose favor with Jehovah, or they themselves may be disfellowshipped. The good sense that our Creator gave us tells us this is wrong, disfellowshipping does not originate with God but comes from the arrogant opinions of men. Does this make me an apostate for feeling this way? You can decide for yourselves, the organization has developed a mentality that makes it easy to attach a name to people that don't agree with their policies. The WBTS has attacked other religions and rightfully so for calling others that could not agree with their doctrines "heretics", but its all right for "Jehovah's people" to call individuals apostates or guilty of associating with apostates because they have a different view. How many individuals do you think have had serious emotional problems or have even taken their own lives because they were disfellowshipped by a committee of righteous men, if you say none you would be wrong. You see, the organization likes to publicize through the Watchtower publications all the supposed good that is a result of disfellowshipping a wrongdoer but they won't say one thing about those who didn't fare so well, this is propaganda! Now lets see, we have deception and bloodguilt, but that's all right isn't it because after all this has come from God's faithful and discreet slave, The Governing Body. I have faith in God but I most certainly do not have faith in men or their organizations, and I have nothing but contempt for those who use the Bible, God's word to exploit and abuse others. I have seen my share of politics and spiritual bullying. For years I felt guilty for feeling this way, I tried to correct my thinking and prayed over these matters but I came to the realization that what was troubling me, should have!

For many years, there were statements made in the Watchtower publications as well as statements from the Kingdom Hall and Assemblies that I found disturbing. I tried to maintain an attitude that Jehovah was in control of things and that I should accept these things because after all this was his organization.

aw,5/22/69,pg15, If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. .....all evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. ....as a young person you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in high school and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!

km 6/69p. 3 "in view of the short time left, a decision to pursue a career in this system of things is not only unwise but extremely dangerous....Many young brothers and sisters were offered scholarship or employment that promised fine pay. However, they turned them down and put spiritual interests first."

km 5/74 3 How Are You Using Your Life?
Yes, since the summer of 1973 there have been new peaks in pioneers every month. Now there are 20,394 regular and special pioneers in the United States, an all-time peak. That is 5,190 more than there were in February 1973! A 34-percent increase! Does that not warm our hearts? Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end.-1 John 2:

If you were around at that time, you probably knew some that had done just that, and if you attended assemblies then, you know that there were many experiences of individuals who were praised for this act of faithfulness.

Notice how just 2 years later the Watchtower shifts the blame!

w76 7/15 441 A Solid Basis for Confidence
But it is not advisable for us to set our sights on a certain date, neglecting everyday things we would ordinarily care for as Christians, such as things that we and our families really need. We may be forgetting that, when the "day" comes, it will not change the principle that Christians must at all times take care of all their responsibilities. If anyone has been disappointed through not following this line of thought, he should now concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint, seeing that it was not the word of God that failed or deceived him and brought disappointment, but that his own understanding was based on wrong premises." Whose wrong premise?

I began studying with Jehovah's Witnesses early in 1973 and was baptized later that year. I remember the atmosphere then, there was an urgency to put off every kind of weight possible to engage ourselves in Kingdom interests, particularly the ministry because the end was only a couple of years away. I did as a good majority of Jehovah's Witnesses did after 1975 came and went, adjust my thinking. I was young then and easily persuaded by my peers, I allowed others to do my thinking for me but as the years went by I noticed things that I couldn't ignore. It took me some time before I could come to terms with what I should do!

The other day I was talking to Annette about what happened during her meeting with the judicial committee. It was upsetting to me that these elders went to the courthouse to see her records and what she was arrested for. One of the elders told her what she was charged with and their interpretation of what that meant. When these elders came to our house about 2 months earlier, she told them that she was arrested and gave them the details. My question is, what business did they have in getting these records and confronting her as though she were holding something back from them? I will tell you, there wasn't any reason for it, it was none of their business and in my opinion they were just being snoopy. All they needed was what they were told by Annette, she wanted them to know about it even though she knew that it would in all probability result in her being disfellowshipped. Another disturbing bit of information was that she related to them about our neighbor who had studied for some time with someone from the West congregation. Annette has had some discussions with her over some time, but when Annette told her that she was probably going to be disfellowshipped, this woman said she wouldn't have anything to do any religion that did this sort of thing to its members. The reply from one of the elders was that "the separating work is still going on!" Do you suppose this is how Jesus Christ makes sure that only the deserving will be saved? This is the kind of mentality that greatly disturbs me, and I don't think that this kind of comment was called for, especially from someone who is to "Shepherd the flock with kindness".

I will get to the real purpose of this letter. There are a few people that I have been friends with for many years, the common bond was of course being Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't look at the last 28 years as a total waste; in fact I have learned a great deal about people and myself, this education is something I probably wouldn't have gained anywhere else. As you no doubt have gathered from the previous paragraph, I no longer believe as you do and I don't believe that this organization represents God's will. It might be of interest to you to know that I don't believe that any religion is achieving this; all of you belong in the same basket. I do however believe that God will one day step in and make things right. That being said, I do not consider myself a member of the organization known as Jehovah's Witnesses or of the corporation known as The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, I therefore disassociate myself from this organization.

Clifford A Moore