ACQUIRING FREEDOM FROM FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIOUS THINKING: Why and how I left Jehovah's Witnesses after forty years by Parczany Dieter

Author:Parczany, Dieter [Parczany, Dieter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-19T16:00:00+00:00

I am grateful that I had opportunities to see Sabrina and visit with her frequently in past years. She enjoys a very good relationship to her little sister Amelie and to my second wife Patricia. This makes me very happy.

I condemned my parents and my sister

While I was a missionary, my sister Madelein fell in love with an excommunicated Jehovah’s Witness while on vacation. My parents showed understanding for her feelings and were willing to help, doing everything they could to assist this young man in getting reinstated into the religion.

Due to the kindness my parents exhibited, heavy organizational pressure was placed on them, especially my father. After several meetings with elders of his congregation Berlin Lichtenrade, letters to the Branch Office and a hearing with a so called “committee of appeal”, the Branch Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany decided to remove my father from all his privileges in the congregation. He was considered almost “a rebel” because he compared his feelings towards his excommunicated future son-in-law with the feelings of the father in Jesus’ parable of the lost son. His lifelong faithful service in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses did not count. Remaining faithful to man-made “rules” was considered more important than his merciful attitude towards this young man. He became ill emotionally, had a nervous breakdown and went into early retirement. Despite of this, he continued to attend religious meetings and remained a faithful Jehovah’s Witness until his death, even sending money donations to the Watchtower Society. After he died, no mention or honor was given to his lifelong activities with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Being loyal to “God’s Organization” during this time in my life, I took an opposing stand against my parents and sister. Naturally, today I am regretful and ashamed of the things I stated and wrote in letters. Faithfully obeying rules of a religious organization was more important to me than human relationships and feelings.

Luckily my parents and my sister Madelein did not bear a grudge against me. After being reinstated, this young man and my sister were married and I was even asked to perform the wedding ceremony. Similarly, when I left this religion they showed much more tolerance and love towards me in comparison to how they were treated by myself years before.

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